Calls and songs

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Sorry John but that is not right. Sometimes it is right, but (as with many 
parts of biology it is not that clear cut), there is a wide range of extents to 
which calls or song are innate or learned. The is a whole heap of literature 
about this and I am certainly not about to summarise that here. It is certainly 
not correct to say what you have put below.

As for only passerines have song, non-passerines only have calls well that is a 
bit of circular reasoning. If you choose to use taxonomic grouping as part of 
the definition as to who sings then it is circular. It is true that generally 
passerines have more complex sounds that fit the song model. However the calls 
of cuckoos etc when arriving at breeding areas fit the function of song as a 
sexual and territorial marker.

Alastair's comments are pretty good.

Philip