Here’s an awesome example of how far you can take the skills of interpreting bird and mammal language. This podcast from the Radiolab blog, called “Wild Talk”, has examples from both the prairie and the jungle of animal communication.
Those familiar with Jim Corbett’s stories of tracking the movements of leopards by the monkey vocalizations will love this podcast. There is also a great section on prairie dog alarms. Listen to the part about the researcher who spent years studying these animals, and the subtlety of his ability to determine which predator is causing the alarms. There are so many other possibilities hinted at in this podcast, too… check it out!
When we connect deeply with ONE type of bird or mammal, it is amazing how much we can learn to understand about the communications of that species.
If you have had a dog or cat for a while, you will probably have noticed how you can “read” (to some degree) the intentions behind certain behaviors and vocalizations. You know when your dog wants to be let outside by the whining tone of voice, excited tail movement, and obvious scratching at the door. Likewise, you can oftentimes know if an unknown person or other animal is in the dog’s territory by the quality of the dog’s barking.
To deepen this skill in reading the voice, listen to the subtleties in voicing as different situations arise. Listen for tone, duration, repetitiveness, and also note what feelings arise in your body when you hear the sounds. Then, transfer these skills over to the birds, and pick ONE bird, like a robin, that you encounter around your home every day, to watch and connect deeply with.
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