New Research into Bird Song

While zebra finch females utter single note, low-pitched calls, males have the ability to sing in a variety of frequencies, even producing a whistle that goes beyond a piano keyboard’s high end. Male birds make use of song to attract mates and to protect their territory. It is believed that the varied frequency of songs may be more attractive to females, as well as providing greater and more precise information.

The two variables affecting the pitch of a bird’s song are air pressure and muscle activity. Recent research has revealed that muscle activity plays the larger role in this respect. This study was conducted by Tobias Riede of the National Center for Voice and Speech (under the administration of the University of Utah), as well as Franz Goller, and John H. Fisher. Funding for the research was provided by the National Institutes of Health.

The zebra finch’s vocal organ is called the syrinx, and measures a mere one-eighth of an inch on either side. It was already known, through past studies, that male zebra finches had larger vocal muscles controlling the syrinx than did the females. In this study the cartilage scaffold, which supports the bird’s syrinx, as well as the “labia” (the part that oscillates when air moves through it) in the syrinx, were investigated. This revealed that the male finch’s cartilage scaffold is larger, while the labia are a different shape to that of the female. Riede concluded that this must be so that the labia can be tensioned tightly by the muscles that pull the scaffold, so as to reach the high-frequency notes.

The researchers sought to study whether lung pressure or vocal muscle strength was the more important factor in the control of the male zebra finch’s pitch. They began by recording the sounds of six male finches and six female finches for a period of two weeks. Tubes containing air pressure sensors were implanted into an air sac. Specially designed equipment ensured that the birds could continue to fly and sing freely whilst measurements were taken and their sounds recorded again. The results showed that higher air pressure lead to higher pitch, indicating that lung pressure does affect song frequency.

Following this experiment, the researchers cut the nerves that control the birds’ vocal muscles. They then recorded the birds’ sounds as they sang and flew about. It was noted that the pitch of all birds dropped to approximately the same level and males were unable to produce high frequencies. The fact that they could no longer put sufficient tension on the labia showed that the vocal muscles play a key role in bird song pitch.

Rosellas Make Great Companions

Rosellas (genus Platycercus) can be found in the wild in various countries around the world, but are most commonly found in Australia. They tend to remain near the coast, inhabiting coastal plains and mountain regions, but can also be found in city parks and in the gardens of local residents. This beautiful and colorful parrot has also become popular as a pet bird, and there are a few facts and care requirements that future pet owners should be aware of before they decide to take on a Rosella as a new member of the household.

Growing to approximately thirty centimeters in size, Rosellas are one of the smaller parrot species. They are divided into two general groups, namely the white cheek and blue cheek group. Within these groups are various different Rosellas, such as the Tasmanian Eastern Rosella and the Golden Mantled Rosella that fall under the white cheek group, while the Crimson Rosella and the Adelaide Rosella are in the blue cheek group. They make wonderful pets as they have a lifespan of more than twenty years. Housing a Rosella in a metal cage or aviary is advisable, as they enjoy chewing on timber and wood. Cages and aviaries should also be large enough so the Rosellas are able to fly and get a certain amount of exercise. They do enjoy human companionship, but need a little freedom to enjoy a fulfilled life. A small bath is also recommended, as Rosellas enjoy bathing and playing in water.

These magnificent birds have a wide variety of dietary needs, so owners should be vigilant in offering their Rosellas more than just the usual mix of grey striped sunflower seeds, canary seeds and hulled oats. Rosellas also eat seeding grasses, berries, fruit and nectar, which are essential to their wellbeing. Breeding pairs should be kept on their own, as this will prevent the production of hybrids and birds should only be allowed to breed when they are between eighteen to twenty-four months old. Breeding pairs have been known to raise young until the age of ten years old. Over and above being spectacularly beautiful, Rosellas are very rewarding birds to have as pets. They are colorful companions and make wonderful additions to the family.

Intrusion Costs Louisiana on Many Levels

Nearly 100 years ago, Theodore Roosevelt walked amongst the thousands of shorebirds nesting and roosting in the rookeries along the United States’ coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Due to his conservation efforts, and those of the conservationists of his time, Breton Island and the Chandeleur Islands, barrier islands off of the Louisiana coast, became protected habitats for shorebirds. The Breton National Wildlife Refuge was established during the presidential administration of Roosevelt, in 1904, and was subsequently visited by him in 1915.

Eroded and battered by hurricanes and other forces of nature, these islands, today, face another obstacle to survival. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers, and injuring many more. The rig, 50 miles off the shore of Venice, Louisiana (the southeast “toe of the boot” of Louisiana’s geographical imprint), eventually sank and started spewing crude oil from the bottom of the Gulf – over 200,000 gallons a day, by some estimates. There is never a good time for a disaster such as this – but this happens to be the approach of the peak migratory and nesting season for many species of indigenous shorebirds.

British Petroleum, the holder of the contract for exploration and production at the site, has been reluctant to estimate the amount of oil being released, but has worked feverishly to minimize damage to the environment. Still, efforts by BP and the United States Coast Guard have not been enough to hold back the tide of crude creeping toward the shores of these protected jewels.

One would assume that everything that can be done is being done, for now – but what about thinking ahead to the future? There have been reports of cautionary flags raised hours before this catastrophe. Only time will tell if there were any signs of things to come, and, if there were, how warnings were heeded or disregarded.

It seems that the benefits of prevention would far outweigh the temporary profits realized from ignoring a dangerous situation; unfortunately, too often, it takes a disaster to bring thought and common sense into operations. In the end, it’s not the disaster that really matters, but the costs involved to remediate the damage done as a result of bad decisions.

Costs in cleanup will be tallied, lawsuits will be filed, and court cases will be settled. In the end, there will be a substantial monetary price to be paid. Ultimately, though, there will be the reality that not every cost can be covered by any amount of financial reparation.

There will be lingering effects on the environment and on the humans and wildlife dependent on that environment for survival. Human lives have been lost; ecosystems are being damaged; and wildlife is being killed. We will never have an accurate tally on the true costs of this disaster; but, hopefully, the pecuniary calculations that will take place might make decision makers cognizant of the consequences of their actions, or their lack thereof.

Article contributed by Cory Turner

Teaching Pet Birds to Talk

If you have ever thought about owning a parrot, you most likely thought about what you would teach it to say. Birds which are capable of mimicking human speech not only provide hours of entertainment, but make for an interesting conversation piece and some hilarious moments with family and friends.

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