A ‘Viral’ New Bird Song in Canada Is Causing Sparrows to Change Their Tune

Wild birds often sing one song their entire lives. It's most likely the same song that other nearby birds of their species sing, although there are geographical variations, as if they had developed a local dialect. But a new song has gone viral over the past couple of decades, and has spread to Canadian white-throated sparrows across the country.    

Birds sing to mark their territories and attract prospective mates. Traditionally, white-throated sparrows in western and central Canada sing a song distinguished by its three-note ending. The new song, which likely started off as a regional dialect at some point between 1960 and 2000, features a distinctive two-note ending, and it’s taking the sparrow community by storm. What makes the new ending so viral is a mystery to the study authors, led by Ken Otter from the University of Northern British Columbia.

“These songs are learned—otherwise new variants would not arise or spread,” Otter told Gizmodo. “Where it started could have been a single bird, but it then gets learned by others, and they would form tutors for other birds. It wouldn’t spread from a single bird.”

Scientists have been tracking the prevalence of the new song with help from birdwatchers who share birdsong on an online database. Read about the research, and hear the song, at Gizmodo.

(Image credit: PookieFugglestein)


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