The Common Blackbird hits the sweetest notes in the aviary kingdom: study

The Common Blackbird has the most beautiful voice in the aviary kingdom, new research into the relationship between human hearing and birdsongs found. The findings indicated the Common Blackbird’s song is the most pleasant because it hits the ideal range across every key metric: frequency (pitch), amplitude (volume) and song structure (complexity), according to a German study published Tuesday in “Frontiers in Bird Science.”By “Analyzing the acoustic parameters of bird vocalizations and their perceived pleasantness by humans,” the study tracked 84 participants and scored 123 bird species on a scale of one to five.The blackbird ranked highest at 4.52, whereas the screechy barn owl had the lowest score at 1.32. “You don’t have to be a ‘bird person’ to find bird sounds beautiful,” said lead author Dr.

Nadine Kalb of the University of Tübingen in Germany.Physical or auditory recognition of a bird species were irrelevant in the findings, according to Kalb. “Being able to recognize birds by their appearance or song did not affect how people rated calls,” she said, adding that “this suggests that enjoyment of birdsong is connected to something more fundamental than just knowing what you are listening to.”Scientists identified 21 bird species they characterized as “restorative,” meaning their vocalizations reduced stress and calmed participants.Listeners overall favored vocalizations with narrower bandwidths and greater complexity — rich, dynamic calls that avoided harsh pitchiness — as well as gentler, lower-amplitude songs that offered a quieter, intricate melody.“We might be wired to prefer more variable sounds with moderate amplitudes and frequencies because they signal a safe, healthy, and restorative environment where we can relax,” said Kalb....