The Evolution of Bird-Song: With Observations on the Influence of Heredity and Imitation (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Charles A. Witchell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0666014248 ISBN 13: 9780666014245

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

How birds sing, imitate, and inherit their songs across species.

This book examines the science of bird-song, revealing how heredity and imitation shape the voices of many birds. It draws on observations, records, and cross-species comparisons to show how songs change with age, environment, and social context.

Starting with the origins of bird-song study, the work details how calls and cries are transmitted through families, how mimicry weaves through wild populations, and how different species contribute to a shared musical world. It combines historical notes with practical insights, offering a clear view of what makes bird-songs both varied and linked by common patterns.

• How heredity influences the cries and songs passed between related birds
• How imitation creates vivid, faithful copies and novel interspecies echoes
• How birds use song in display, defense, and communication, and what that reveals about behavior
• Cross-species patterns and the interplay of environment, learning, and physiology

Ideal for readers of natural history, ornithology, and anyone curious about how birds sing.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0666014248
• ISBN 13: 9780666014245
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 270