Sunday, August 17, 2014
INCESSANT TWEETING
Listening to the birds in my backyard this morning. They sound lovely. But when you actually stop and think about it, you have to ask yourself why birds chirp and hoot and whistle continuously? Why doesn't a bird just say what's on its mind and then shut the f*ck up? Don't get me wrong. I love the sound of birds. But their continuous voicing of whatever it is they want is a complete mystery. When I was a kid back in the 40's and 50's, and moms throughout my neighborhood used to open the windows of the apartment buildings we all lived in, and call their kids home for dinner, they didn't continue doing it every 3 seconds until sundown. The kid came in and that was it. What is it that birds want that can never be satisfied by only asking once? Birds are like toddlers, I guess: "Ma. Mommy. Mama. Ma. Mommy. Look Ma. Mommy. Ma. Mama. Mom-Mom-Mom-Mom-Mom-Mom-Dadeeeeeee!"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Mated pairs of non-flocking birds regularly call back and forth to one another to keep track of each other, particularly when foliage, structures, etc. prevent them from seeing one another. Recent fledglings, hoping for another handout, also do this with their parents (until the parents stop answering and feeding them). Birds that flock do so to keep track of other members of the flock. This is a distinct call, recognizable by individuals (even when they all sound alike to us), different from those calls that they use to attract mates, announce their territories, warn about dangers, encourage others to follow, etc. Squirrels and chipmunks do this, too, and some of the "bird-sounds" that you are hearing may be from them.
ReplyDelete