Over the years I have not only been listening to bird vocalizations to
learn the songs and calls of the birds around the state, but I also have
been listening closer to the voices of even common birds to better learn
their full repertoire. Every spring I hear a change in the pattern of the
song of the red-winged blackbird and I wonder just what they are saying.
When the males first arrive, and for several weeks afterwards, they give
their usual two-note song of "ga-ree", which is intended for other males as
a way of announcing their intent on a territory. However, once the females
arrive they tend to switch over to the more typical and more elaborate, or
musical, "oo-ga-lee" or "oo-ga-ree" for which the species is known.
It has long been known that the songs of male birds serve two purposes -
announcing and defending a territory from other males and luring a
potential mate. I wonder if the song of the red-wing really has two parts
to it; the first two notes being intended for other males as a
way of defending their territory, and the overall more complex song
intended for the females announcing their interest or invitation. In other
words, are they producing a sort of sentence or song complex that has not
only double meaning, but the has the territorial signal embedded in the
complete song? Is this the true meaning of "oo-ga-lee"?
Just some thoughts as I listen to red-winged blackbirds and other birds
producing their songs.
Bill
Fond du Lac County
--
Bill Volkert
Naturalist
www.billvolkert
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