Physicists look at birdsong

[funkyfreddy]

I thought this was an interesting article I found through my audio links. I've always thought that one of the most pleasant parts of hiking at dawn was hearing the diversity of birdsong.....

http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/2/10

 

[Puck]

FF
If birdsong interests you check out the book book "the singing life of birds" by Donald Kroodsma. He explains alot of the research into bird song, genetics, learning behavior, physiology etc. there is a niffty CD too. gauranteed you will never listen to birds the same way. Word of warning, if you start early in the morning for a hike you may only walk a few steps then freeze in place listening to everything.

 

[funkyfreddy]

If birdsong interests you check out the book book "the singing life of birds" by Donald Kroodsma.....Word of warning, if you start early in the morning for a hike you may only walk a few steps then freeze in place listening to everything.

Thanks for the recommendation, Puck. I just reserved the book at the NYPL, hope to check it out soon.

I often freeze in place when I hike solo in order to listen or look at something more closely, as I'm easily fascinated by much of the great outdoors.

 

[erugs]

There was a show recently that I was only able to see bits and pieces of, with Alan Alda. I'm hoping to find out what show it was and catch more (or all) of it. My favorite bird song is the Winter Wren, seconded by any by any other. I remember hiking with two friends a few years back in the spring, in the hight of black fly season, and my friends, who are more avid birders than I, were stopped in their tracks, binnoculars out and trying to spot a bird they heard, and they were covered with little black specks but seemed oblivious to that!

 

[BorealChickadee]

Funky-glad to hear I'm not the only one who stops dead to find a bird. Even if I know what species is doing the singing I still like to find it. I hike with my son so I get to drive him crazy with this habit. i just tell him to help me because the sooner we find the little fellow, the sooner we'll get going.

 

[TenPeaks]

There was a show recently that I was only able to see bits and pieces of, with Alan Alda. I'm hoping to find out what show it was and catch more (or all) of it.

If the show was hosted by Alan Alda it was probably Scientific American Frontier on PBS. The show you saw was probaby this one.

 

[Halite]

FF
If birdsong interests you check out the book book "the singing life of birds" by Donald Kroodsma. He explains alot of the research into bird song, genetics, learning behavior, physiology etc. there is a niffty CD too. gauranteed you will never listen to birds the same way. Word of warning, if you start early in the morning for a hike you may only walk a few steps then freeze in place listening to everything.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've been looking for a book and cd like this for awhile (shoulda asked on VFTT.) Just checked it out from the local library last night, and it's great. I've been an avid, but uninformed, bird listener and watcher for some time. This book will definitely fill in some of the large gaps in my understanding of birds.

 

[Raymond]

There was an episode of "Nova" years ago, I think one of the first ones they ever did, called "Why Do Birds Sing?", and it was fantastic. Filmed at Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, too.

I'd love to be able to see that episode and "The First Signs of Washoe," about the sign language-using gorilla, again.