Baby Birdies Babbling:<\/p>\n
By late summer, one may begin to overhear garbled cacophonies of birdsong while out birding. From approximately August through until the following spring, \u201cbaby\u201d songbirds \u201cbabble\u201d as they take to learning and developing their songs. This long road to song crystallization, i.e. fully developed song, first begins with a period known as subsong. Subsong is akin to the babbling of infants and is an endearing attempt at singing. Often, subsong attempts are\u00a0drawn-out and structureless. Take for example this lil\u2019 baby Sedge Wren giving its song a-go:\u00a0http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/211425<\/a>. As a bird begins to work the kinks out, it advances to the following stage of development, known as the plastic song. At this stage, discreet song phrases emerge, as does a semblance of the final product, the fully crystallized song. A banner such as \u201cnot quite there yet, but keep trying!\u201d is appropriate for birds in their plastic song phase. Take for example this White-throated Sparrow. The classic song is emerging, but there\u2019s still some work to do.\u00a0http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/33227<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n For further information, there\u2019s some excellent literature on the subject of birdsong and song development. I highly recommend anything by Donald Kroodsma and also recommend \u201cNature\u2019s Music: The Science of Birdsong\u201d by Marler and Slabbekoorn.<\/p>\n\n
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