On a sunny spring day, a Song Sparrow can be heard singing its beautiful songs.
Did you know that the Song Sparrow derives its name from its colorful repertoire of songs?
Enthusiasts report that one of the songs heard often in suburban locations closely resembles the opening four notes of the Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. The males uses a fairly complex song to declare ownership of its territory and attract females. The singing consists of a combination of repeated notes, quickly passing isolated notes, and trills. The songs are very crisp, clear, and precise, making them easily distinguishable by the human ear. A particular song is determined not only by pitch and rhythm but also by the timbre of the the trills. Although one bird will know many songs-as many as 20 different tunes with as many as 1000 improvised variations on the basic themes, unlike thrushes, the song sparrow usually repeats the same song many times before switching to a different song. The Song Sparrow typically leans its song from a handful of other birds that have neighboring territories.
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