Songbirds express personalities through music

Do you know that birds may be singing about their true identities? Australian scientists have discovered that miniature colorful birds called Superb Fairy-Wrens actually reveal their personality through songs!

Just like some people are shy and others are extroverted, birds have different personalities. Some fairies are adventure and curious (scientists call it “exploratory”), while others may be more aggressive or territorial.

In a new experiment, scientists found that songs of curious, adventurous fairy lyrics have diverse and diverse sounds. Meanwhile, more aggressive birds make their songs simpler with fewer notes.

“Every song with more exploratory people have more element types, which can be explained by the possibility of more exploratory birds approaching and learning from a wider range of mentors,” the study at Flinders University in Australia led the study.

To solve this problem, the research team first needs to understand the personality of each bird. They carefully captured the wild fairy word and gave them personality tests! Birds exploring new cages are labeled as “exploratory”. The bird that spent a lot of time looking at the reflection in the mirror (they thought it was another type of bird) was considered “more aggressive”.

After releasing the birds back into the wild, the scientists recorded songs for months. Unlike most songbirds, only boys sing, both male and female fairies sing complex songs, which makes this study special.

Explore More Adventure Birds Seems to learn more songs from other birds they encountered during their trip. Just like you visited many different countries and picked up words from each language!

Young aggressive birds sing more diversely than adult aggressive birds. Scientists think this may be because the young birds are still trying their own songs while still figuring out who they are and where they live.

Why is this important? Well, when birds are looking for companions, they may listen to songs about clues about personality. Birds may want a companion that complements their own personality – just like how some people get along with those with different personalities.

“Our research supports the idea that both male and female birds can promote their personality when singing, which may be important for partner choice,” said Dr. Colombelli-Négrel.

From 2019 to 2023, scientists studied these fairies for four years. They track individual birds from their entire children to adulthood, which makes us seldom peek at the way they develop personality and singing as the birds grow.

This study helps us understand that animal communication is more complex than we think! The birds are not only singing beautiful music, but they are actually telling other birds who are deep inside.

Next time you hear birds singing in the backyard or in the park, remember that they may share their personality through songs. Some might say, “Hey, I’m risky and love exploring!” Others say, “This is my territory, and I defend it very seriously!”

The study was published in April 2025 in a scientific journal called Royal Society Open Science. Scientists want to learn more about how animal personality affects their future lives and relationships.

Related