Chirp, chirp. Peep, peep. Tweet, tweet. These are bird calls, right? Not exactly! Those words might sound like some bird calls, but birds are far more creative with the sounds they make than we might think.
Some birds make sounds like tsk-tsk, chut-chut, and wooooo-eeee! Birds’ voices are as specialized as people’s voices, and birds have as much diversity in their languages as humans do—and they can even have regional accents!
Are birds talking to each other when they sing, chirp, trill, or hoot? Yes! Birds use different notes for different reasons: as a warning, to attract a mate, or to scare off other birds. Birds also call to alert and unite one another in dangerous situations. They also know how to interpret the voices of other bird species.
We all know most birds build nests, but they don’t live in them. Birds build nests to lay their eggs. The nests keep the eggs safe from predators, and birds sleep in the nests to keep their eggs and their newly hatched chicks warm. To stay hidden from predators, nesting birds most often do not make any sounds. Once the baby birds are old enough to leave the nest, the parent birds leave too.
Where do birds usually sleep, then? Songbirds are perfectly happy to perch on a tree branch to sleep. Crows tend to roost in large groups in trees near water; there could be hundreds of crows roosting in one tree! Even large birds like wild turkeys will fly up to tree branches to sleep and will fly down again at daybreak.
Did you know that God loves birds? God created them as a part of the wonderful ecosystems and webs of life on our earth, and God is well pleased! Genesis 1:20 states, “And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’”
Birds are found in natural habitats all around our beautiful world and in our skies. Next time you hear the voice of a bird, try to mimic its voice in a response. Maybe the bird will answer!
A Deeper Dig:
YouTube: Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray, illustrated by Kenard Pak. Read by Luiko.
About the Author
Amy Kinney is originally from Michigan but now lives in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. When she is not teaching, she can be found singing or exploring God’s creation.
