Scientists identify eight basic sound patterns behind birdsong diversity

Scientists in France say they have uncovered the basic building blocks behind the remarkable variety of birdsongs, finding that thousands of bird species create their songs using just eight fundamental sound patterns.

The study analysed more than 116,000 recordings from over 3,000 bird species collected through a global birdsong database featuring recordings uploaded by volunteers.

Researchers found that every birdsong is made up of combinations of eight basic sound "motifs" — three types of trills, three types of whistles, chaotic notes and harmonies.

Birdsong is considered one of nature's most advanced forms of sound-based communication, but its immense variety has made it difficult for scientists to study on a global scale.

Lead researcher Quentin Bacquelé, a PhD student at the University of Saint-Etienne, said birds from different parts of the world produce very different songs, making it challenging to identify common patterns.

Using artificial intelligence (AI), the research team compared thousands of recordings and discovered that the wide range of birdsongs is built from the same small set of sound motifs.

The study also found that the environment where birds evolved plays a major role in shaping their songs.

Birds living in tropical forests tend to use simpler sounds, such as flat whistles, which can travel more effectively through dense vegetation and noisy natural surroundings.

In contrast, birds in temperate forests often produce more complex songs with rapid trills and combinations of sounds that can carry more information over shorter distances.

Researchers say this reflects an evolutionary trade-off. While more complex songs can communicate richer information, they are less effective over long distances in dense environments.

Bacquelé said the findings could help scientists better understand how birds may adapt as human activity changes natural soundscapes through increasing noise pollution.

He also stressed the importance of protecting natural habitats, noting that birdsongs are closely linked to the environments where they evolved.

"If a forest disappears, the songs that evolved for that habitat may no longer suit the new environment," he said, adding that birdsong is an important part of people's connection with nature and should be preserved.