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Heard that Birdsong?
By Harun Yahya
Birds signal to each other to communicate. This is a beautiful gift bestowed by Allah on our colourful feathered friends.
Scientific research has revealed that throughout the living world, communication is just as important as it is to human beings. Countless living things lack the capacity for human speech, yet they employ entirely different methods in order to communicate with each other—and even with other species. Some of the most dramatic examples of this is displayed by birds. The astonishing behaviour and ability to communicate that birds exhibit also totally invalidates the claims of the theory of evolution.
In one verse of the Qur’an, Allah reveals that:
“There is no creature crawling on the earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are not communities just like yourselves—We have not omitted anything from the Book—then they will be gathered to their Lord. (Qur’an, 6: 38).
There are roughly some 10,000 species of bird in the world, each of which possesses its own miraculous features. Wherever you may live, you can see a great number of these feathered creatures and can observe different and extraordinary properties in each and every one. With their attractive appearances, flawless flight mechanisms, expertise on the routes and timing of migrations, ability to build nests and altruistic behaviour towards their young and to one another, birds possess countless proofs of the fact of creation. Their ability to communicate is another of these.
Communication and Signalling in Birds
Birds produce meaningful communications by their facial expressions, beak movements, feather ruffling, elongating their necks, crouching, bouncing, and flapping their wings. Although each species has its own body language, many different species interpret movements in the same way. For example, various species interpret an upward thrust of the beak as expressing the intention to fly, and the lowering of the breast as a warning of danger. Also, several species perceive raising the tail feathers as a threat, or displaying bright colours atop of the head as a declaration of the intent to attack. Via facial expression, birds can convey a variety of messages to those around them-negative feelings such as dislike and resentment, as well as positive ones like pleasure, enthusiasm and curiosity.
The Language of Calls and Songs
To call to one another, birds produce sounds of extremely high frequency and strength. Only a few species such as pelicans, storks, and certain vultures are mute and have no call. The acoustic calls used by birds amongst themselves form a language of sorts. Their songs, which are longer and generally related to courtship, consist of a series of notes and usually contain melodies.Birdsong is usually heard in spring, whereas the calls, much simpler than songs, are used by both sexes and heard throughout the year. Birdcalls allow swift communication via simple messages without a great expenditure of energy. These calls’ main functions are:
To establish a bird’s species
To indicate its bird’s gender
To reveal its location
To demarcate and defend its territory
To announce and advertise a source of food
To let young birds recognise their own parents
To keep the flock together when travelling
To warn of the presence of an enemy
To intimidate an enemy
For courtship
To mark the changeover of responsibility for nesting duties such as incubating or feeding
To practice and perfect their songs
God’s Miracle of Inspiration
God creates every living thing with the characteristics it requires and inspires its appropriately intelligent behaviour. All living things perform only those functions that God inspires in them, serving as a means whereby we are able to witness His might. In one verse of the Qur’an, God reveals:
Do you not see that everyone in the heavens and Earth glorifies God, as do the birds with their outspread wings? Each one knows its prayer and glorification. God knows what they do. (Qur’an: 24:41).
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