This was written in response to correspondence with a noted ornithologist on the songs that the fledglings sing before they leave home. One word is changed in case any kids read it. Otherwise verbatim. Warning: if you are a Trump voter you may be offended. It also refers to something Sue wrote which will be included later.
LIFESONGS OF THE SHAMA CHICKS!
by Don White
One thing I’ll note is that to my ear each bird comes up with at least one lengthy and complex song which is distinct from that of the other birds. This song generally runs from 90-120 seconds and seems to be about setting boundaries or treaties with other Shamas, but as Sue has noted I’ve had it used on me as well. Though in that case he may have been talking to the other birds and claiming me instead of singing to me - that’s what I think was going on, though his behavior dramatically changed toward me pre-song versus post-song, like our relationship status was fundamentally changed. I can expand on that if interested. Basically he hated me beforehand and used the cat-scold when I went into the lower yard, and immediately afterwards he “trusted” me no only with his back turned within my arm span, but to interact with his young chicks. What did I do to precipitate it? I tried to hit him for attacking Peepy3, who was clearly retarded and not going to live much longer. I had never lifted a hand to him before, since I respected his wild behavior, but that time I swatted at him and said “lay off, you ***** He’s no threat”. It wasn’t more than 20 minutes later when his behavior shifted and he gave me “the talk”.
I’ve called this distinctive song a young Shama’s “life song”, for lack of a better term. I think that the extended periods of very quiet whisper-singing (can be hours) may, among other things, be them composing one that’s different from the others they’ve heard and which feels like a good fit. I have no idea in the world what other information may be encoded, but presumably quite a bit potentially in a song that intricate… certainly more info than one would need to differentiate it from other birds it had heard. When Bird claimed me, it was like an extended set-speech that a Spanish conquistador would have given upon landing on the beach and claiming the new world for Spain.
I’ve seen it play out in boundary setting; the boundaries of the territories are constantly shifting, the boundary being the imaginary line outside of which another Shama won’t be summarily attacked by the male claiming the territory. The heuristics in a Shama head of what is valuable and worth defending would be interesting to know. But after a bunch of chasing and air battles, the line will be set in specific places by the birds facing off on either side of the boundary, with the defending Shama giving the 90-second to 2-minute song while both hold their position facing each other with their wings dropped. Once finished, there’s a final aggressive feint by the defender and the birds withdraw. I’ve only seen this done with a male and his male chicks, could be that if two mature Shamas did it they’d each recite their lineage, or whatever the song is.
The female and male chicks both seem to develop a life song, and spend time practicing, but I’ve only seen the males go into intense singing to themselves right before leaving to go conquer the world. The females will also sing, but their leaving doesn’t seem preceded by the day of intense singing, or practice, or whatever it is. As Sue noted, when practicing this “life song” it’s usually after being well-fed earlier in the day, having had a bath, and they will frequently pull up one leg while doing it. I think a certain degree of “contentment and confidence” is necessary, or maybe just bird happiness. Like one year I hoped to save a chick, Cheepy2, from being killed off by his dad by putting him in an indoor aviary to get him stronger. He hated it and told me so; when he was released back outside he flew to the front bushes and immediately started singing his quiet songs. He didn’t hold the captivity against us, we could still approach him, he was just happy to be back in the bushes. I realize that would be called anthropomorphizing, but it’s the most economical explanation, whatever birds have that’s analagous to happiness.. and they do share the deep brain structures where our feelings come from. Existing in pure reactivity, like trump voters, without much dissonance resolution.
Interestingly to me, male chicks from different years tend to choose the same location in our yard, even the same branch, for their day of practice before leaving, which implies that they are using the same fairly exact criteria on where to sit to do it. The females will seemingly do it anyplace they alight, and not as intensively; the one we called “chickie” would do it inside Sue’s office inside the house, sitting on the edge of a drawer with one leg up.
When I say the songs are distinct between birds, I can’t prove that but they are different to my ear. The practice they do is different too… like, the chick “rocket” inserted a lot of profanity (catcalls) into his low-volume practice while the other chicks didn’t.
so there are some musings about what I’ve seen. I’m largely invisible to the chicks so can observe them without disturbing them quite close up, though Bikini gave me stinkeye a bit when I put my cel phone camera 18” from him during his practice, and stopped until I took it away. I recorded some of other chicks in prior years though, despite traffic noise on the street.
Don
