News: July 2003

Researchers in the Netherlands have discovered a correlation between the ambient noise levels and the quality of great tit (Parus major) song.

The research showed that male great tits defending territories in areas of higher ambient noise tended to have songs of higher average minimum frequency. Birds in quieter areas tended to sing more notes at the lower frequencies. So if your garden is in a lively part of town, spare a thought for the extra effort that your resident songsters make to be heard!

Mark Henderson. 2003. Birds tune their songs to environment. Viewed on the web at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-747888,00.html on July 18th 2003.