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Why Do Birds Sing?
An absorbing, compelling and informative book filled with answers to many of the common and often uncommon questions we ask about birdsong.
While the question 'why do birds sing?' might seem a simple one, the answer is complex!
Throughout our history birdsong has influenced art, poetry and music. It can elevate our mood and bring our backyards to life. We often hear birds singing as we go about our lives, but have you ever wondered who they are singing to and what they are singing about?
The term 'bird brain' has led us to underestimate the brainpower it takes to hear a song, remember it and practise until it is reproduced correctly. In the same way human infants learn to talk, young birds learn their song by listening and remembering the sounds produced by their parents. Not only that, birds use different songs and calls, and different pitch, tone and volume, depending on who they're communicating with and what they want to say—much like the way we vary our speech.
Why Do Birds Sing? provides an insight into the world of bird communication that will surprise and delight you. It's an absorbing and informative book filled with answers to many of the common and often uncommon questions we ask about birdsong.
After reading this book you will never listen to a bird song in the same way!
While the question 'why do birds sing?' might seem a simple one, the answer is complex!
Throughout our history birdsong has influenced art, poetry and music. It can elevate our mood and bring our backyards to life. We often hear birds singing as we go about our lives, but have you ever wondered who they are singing to and what they are singing about?
The term 'bird brain' has led us to underestimate the brainpower it takes to hear a song, remember it and practise until it is reproduced correctly. In the same way human infants learn to talk, young birds learn their song by listening and remembering the sounds produced by their parents. Not only that, birds use different songs and calls, and different pitch, tone and volume, depending on who they're communicating with and what they want to say—much like the way we vary our speech.
Why Do Birds Sing? provides an insight into the world of bird communication that will surprise and delight you. It's an absorbing and informative book filled with answers to many of the common and often uncommon questions we ask about birdsong.
After reading this book you will never listen to a bird song in the same way!
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 9, 2025
A very interesting read,in parts, but a little too scientific for me generally. With multiple studies mentioned and quoted, the book lost flow, and my interest waned.
I LOVE magpies, so those little sections were read vivaciously. Other bits I did skip over.
I really like the way the book was set out in sections with lots of subheadings. You could basically read the first section to get all the background understanding and then read the parts that interest you most from there.
One you can always come back to when a bird song question comes up for you.
I LOVE magpies, so those little sections were read vivaciously. Other bits I did skip over.
I really like the way the book was set out in sections with lots of subheadings. You could basically read the first section to get all the background understanding and then read the parts that interest you most from there.
One you can always come back to when a bird song question comes up for you.
Review of advance copy
Definitely published and being sold in bookshops.
Currently Reading
April 26, 2026The 12 year old told me I have to read this (translation: immediately, preferrably before I see him again) so now I have to read it, immediately and uninterruptedly.
October 20, 2025
Providing a wealth of research regarding birds and their song, Cleary offers bite-sized answers to leading questions such as do birds have a conscience, think into the future, know what they are about to sing and why, and why do female birds sing? All 277 pages provide anecdotes which are referenced back to scientific research by universities over the world. Divided into themed sections, we are given a whistle-stop tour into the level of nuance that birds possess with regards to song and communication like never before. From zebra finches to ravens and crows, birds are telling us surreptitiously that they know more than we think they do. Prepare yourselves for quite a bit of new terminology, but overall, a great insight into our feathered friends’ worlds.
July 13, 2026
*3.5* I love birds and there were many interesting facts that were throughout the many questions answered in the book. Like some other reviews noted, I too found some of the content very scientific (I like it scientific, but this was bordering on academia levels). More specifically, regarding the processes associated within neural pathways in a songbirds brain and how it resulted in song/calls. Overall, I’ve learnt a few things but felt there was a lack of flow that would have given the book more readability for the average reader.
Review of advance copy
Fascinating!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews