Animal song

This article is about song by animals. For the song by Savage Garden, see The Animal Song. For songs named "Animal", see Animal (disambiguation).
Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) vocalizing

Animal song is not a well-defined term in scientific literature, and the use of the more broadly defined term vocalizations is in more common use. Song generally consists of several successive vocal sounds incorporating multiple syllables.[1] Some sources distinguish between simpler vocalizations, termed “calls”, reserving the term “song” for more complex productions.[2] Song-like productions have been identified in several groups of animals, including cetaceans (whales and dolphins), avians (birds), anurans (frogs), and humans. Social transmission of song has been found in groups including birds and cetaceans.

  1. ^ Ferreira, Adriana R. J.; Smulders, Tom V.; Sameshima, Koichi; Mello, Claudio V.; Jarvis, Erich D. (2006). "Vocalizations and associated behaviors of the sombre hummingbird (Aphantochroa cirrhocloris) and the rufous-breasted hermit (Glaucis hirsutus)". The Auk. 123 (4): 1129–1148. doi:10.2307/25150225. JSTOR 25150225. PMC 2542898. PMID 18802498.
  2. ^ Arbib, Michael (2013). Language, Music, and the Brain: A Mysterious Relationship. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-01810-4.