Imagine

A dusty keyboard taps while a shiny black mouse clicks over and over again. My stomach is gurgling from too much morning coffee and my mind is silently pacing on what topic I should write. I step outside to collect my thoughts and then it hits me: imagine a world with no bird song.

As a child, I would often ride my twelve speed bicycle two miles down to grandmother’s house. The times we shared together were mostly spent outdoors in her front yard or along the magical-forested trail at Herman Park. Today, as an adult the most constant sights and sounds I can recall from those times are bird songs.

Ornithologist’s (a person who studies birds) categorize bird music into two distinct groups, one is named a call and the other is termed a song. Calls are non-melodious and are often composed of short notes. Bird calls are often used to alert other birds and to contact other birds. In contrast, bird songs are more musical and complex than bird calls. Songs are used to attract mates and also for protecting a territory. Both bird calls and bird songs are produced by an organ called the syrnx.

The syrnx is located near the base of the bird’s trachea and contains many expandable membrane fibers. Unlike mammals, birds do not have any vocal cords and make their songs by air pressure and membrane vibrations in the syrnx. Through this process, birds are able to both create and alter the pitch/frequency of their song. Since many birds do not have a strong sense of smell they must rely upon their acute sense of sound to survive.

The most effective way I teach children and myself bird songs is to simply put words to them; this learning technique relies heavily on the use of mnemonics. Mnemonics are words or phrases used in helping a person better remember something. An example of mnemonics would be learning the ABC’s through singing the ABC song ,or using the world HOMES to recall the names of the Great Lakes (Heron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).

People are always intrigued when I use bird mnemoics on hikes. I tell them an open set of ears and a creative mind is all one truly needs to learn how to call and identify bird songs. Cheeseburger, cheeseburger says the Black Capped Chickadee as the kids giggle; what cheer, what cheer, cheer, cheer, sings the bright red male Northern Cardinal.

Birds add enjoyment and can increase our quality of life, they also can be indicators of the environment or “a sort of litmus paper” as renowned ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson would say. No matter the human commotion, electrical fuzz or mechanical racket; bird song is and will always be, incessantly beautiful.

I can not imagine a world without bird song. Can you?