Scientists in France say they have discovered the building blocks of the incredible diversity of birdsong.

A team analysed more than100,000 songs from 3,000 bird species and revealed that they are all composed of eight fundamental types of sound that the researchers call "motifs".

Each song, they say, is made up of combinations of these motifs - three types of trill, three types of whistle, chaotic notes and harmonies.

Birdsong is one of the natural world's most sophisticated forms of sound-based communication.

BBC News

Secrets of birdsongs' 'spectacular diversity' revealed

A scientific study has revealed the acoustic secret that connects all birdsong - and it is surprisingly simple

3 minutes ago, studiot said:

BBC News

Secrets of birdsongs' 'spectacular diversity' revealed

A scientific study has revealed the acoustic secret that connects all birdsong - and it is surprisingly simple

Sounds interesting.Does it sound like I might now be able to train the blackbirds to stay the fuc out of my berry bushes just using a penny whistle or a tape recorder?

1 hour ago, geordief said:

Sounds interesting.Does it sound like I might now be able to train the blackbirds to stay the fuc out of my berry bushes just using a penny whistle or a tape recorder?

Download this and broadcast it on loop every hour or so:

Friendly neighbourhood raptor

Getting daily visits from Fork-tailed Drongos at the moment. Now their calls are wyrd!

Drongo