![]() ![]() ![]() Many suboscines sing a simpler tune than do oscine songbirds, and suboscines are more likely to show up in areas that are poorly matched acoustically to their song types. There is another major group of songbirds, known as suboscines, whose song-producing organ, the syrinx, has a different anatomic structure to that of oscines. This ability to change one's song in response to environmental sounds is referred to as song plasticity, and this acoustic flexibility is typically associated with oscine songbirds. Urban birds deal with background noise by adjusting the amplitude, range of frequencies, timing, or duration of their song so it is easier to hear. For example, previous studies have found that songbirds with shorter songs can establish territories in noisier areas whereas birds that sing higher-pitched songs do better in quieter areas.īut when songbirds nest in urban areas, they must instead change their songs to "match" their environment - and that includes automobile traffic. ![]() Most birds deal with this problem by nesting in areas that "match" their vocal performances, allowing their songs to be most effective. Traffic noise typically is a low frequency sound but it also can interfere with and mask high-frequency sounds, particularly certain sorts of birdsongs. ![]()
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