The cuckoo’s distinctive call as a harbinger of spring is welcomed by those persons visiting parks, recreation grounds and cemeteries especially now as apparently migrating numbers have declined greatly, the call then being evidence that some still exist. Although this positive aspect to the cuckoo’s life cycle is most welcome, a negative aspect was always that it would hijack other species nests leading to the sort of situation shown in the photo above, this leading in turn to the almost certain death of the mother’s other fledglings. No-one likes to be taken advantage of. Apparently on a global scale most bird species in the same ‘family’ as our cuckoo build their own nests and do not necessarily migrate. Is this then another example of a European imposition on Blighty? (elections to European Parliament this week!).
I can remember as a child, and later, hearing the call of the cuckoo for the first time was a topic of excited conversation, almost a competition, and indeed often it was possible to hear a number of different individuals calling in the same vicinity.
The term ‘birdsong’ is potentially misleading especially, it seems to me, for young children. People sing to create/join in a melody that may be pleasing, or disturbing to the psyche/soul. ‘Birdsong’ has melody but usually a more everyday function such as to attract a mate or to re-affirm personal territory, the latter probably more commonly throughout the year as most birds only reproduce seasonally.
The ‘Father of Evolution’ Charles Darwin was particularly interested in birdsong and how it was produced, as well as why.
One aspect of bird’song’ that always strikes me is its power. Birdcalls can often be heard at a great distance from the bird itself, this in relation to its size. To achieve, it seems to me, an equivalent call across a distance relative to our size would be impossible – thank goodness.
(To be continued).