Have you ever wondered why birds rarely sing in the winter? Why their songs coincide with the arrival of warmer weather, longer days and blooming flowers?

It’s nice to think that maybe, like us, they too are glad to say farewell to Maine’s winter chill…

Except a good many of the birds we see in the spring aren’t here in the winter; they’ve spent the “off season” in places like Central and South America and the Caribbean.
So why do birds sing?

Despite the sweetness and beauty of most birds’ songs, they primarily are singing because they are feeling downright aggressive. With a few exceptions, it’s the males who are doing the singing and they’re doing it to say, “This is my territory. Don’t even think of nesting here.”

That also explains why, while they may have favorite perches, they also dart from place to place in a given area, singing all the while; they are establishing territorial boundaries.

In neighborhoods around the Boothbay area, it’s not uncommon to hear three or more American robins singing simultaneously in the early morning hours, each in his own respective zone.

But to those of you who are romantically inclined, take heart: there is an ele

Typically they choose those that can outperform their singing neighbors – the more experienced and skilled males usually sing more song variations or can sing longer and louder. In human terms, the females look for a mate whose singing indicates that he’s mature and skilled enough to provide a steady income of insects or other food items and will adequately protect the home place from intruders.

So by all means enjoy the beauty of the lovely serenades. Just don’t be surprised when the peaceful scene shifts from quaint and lovely bird music to feisty spats and fearless chases. Our three local male northern cardinals zip through our yard in pursuit of one another when they cross that territorial line, ready for battle.

On the other hand, when they are content to respect each other’s established breeding plots, a trio of rich, rolling “birdy-birdy-birdy” phrases rings through the neighborhood and all is well with the world.
Theirs and ours.

Jeff and Allison Wells are native Mainers whose families have been here for hundreds of years. Allison Wells is a senior director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine; Jeff Wells is senior scientist for the International Boreal Conservation Campaign. They are the authors of “Maine’s Favorite Birds.”