Few singers reach their sunset years with the same voice they had in younger days. Singing sparrows are no different. Duke University-led research reveals that elderly swamp sparrows don’t sound quite like they used to -- nor do they strike the same fear in other males who may be listening in.
Humans are remarkably good at guessing a person’s age just by hearing their voice. But this is the first time the phenomenon has been demonstrated in wild animals, said Duke biology professor and study co-author Steve Nowicki.
The findings were published on January 7 in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
During the early spring, a male swamp sparrow stakes out a breeding territory and threatens any male who dares to trespass on his turf. If a potential rival enters another male’s territory and starts to sing, the resident male says "Get out!” by singing back with a rapid weet-weet-weet and flying toward the intruder. Eventually, if all else fails, he attacks.
Read more at Duke University
Photo by Robert Lachlan, Queen Mary University of London