Songbirds Express Personality Through Tunes

Did you know that birds might be singing about who they really are? Scientists in Australia have discovered that tiny colorful birds called superb fairy-wrens actually reveal their personalities through their songs!

Just like how some people are shy and others are outgoing, birds have different personalities too. Some fairy-wrens are more adventurous and curious (scientists call this “exploratory”), while others might be more aggressive or territorial.

In a new experiment, scientists found that the curious, adventure-loving fairy-wrens sang songs with more variety and different sounds. Meanwhile, the more aggressive birds kept their songs simpler with fewer notes.

“Individuals that were more exploratory had more element types per song, which may be explained by the possibility that more exploratory birds approach and learn from a wider variety of tutors,” explains Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel, who led the research at Flinders University in Australia.

To figure this out, the research team first needed to understand each bird’s personality. They carefully captured wild fairy-wrens and gave them personality tests! Birds that explored many areas of a new cage were labeled as “exploratory.” Birds that spent lots of time looking at their reflection in a mirror (which they think is another bird) were considered more “aggressive.”

After releasing the birds back into the wild, the scientists recorded their songs for several months. Unlike most songbirds where only the boys sing, both male and female fairy-wrens sing complex songs, which made this study extra special.

The adventurous birds that explored more seemed to learn more song parts from other birds they met during their travels. It’s like if you visited many different countries and picked up words from each language!

Young aggressive birds sang with more variety than adult aggressive birds. Scientists think this might be because young birds are still experimenting with their songs while they figure out who they are and where they’ll live.

Why does this matter? Well, when birds are looking for a mate, they might listen to songs for clues about personality. A bird might want a partner with a personality that complements its own – just like how some people get along better with those who have different personalities.

“Our study supports the idea that both male and female birds can advertise their personality when singing, which may be important for mate choice,” says Dr. Colombelli-Négrel.

The scientists studied these fairy-wrens for four years, from 2019 to 2023. They tracked individual birds from when they were babies all the way to adulthood, giving us a rare peek into how personality and singing develop together as birds grow up.

This research helps us understand that animal communication is way more complex than we thought! Birds aren’t just singing pretty tunes – they’re actually telling other birds about who they are deep down inside.

Next time you hear birds singing in your backyard or at a park, remember they might be sharing their personalities through their songs. Some might be saying, “Hey, I’m adventurous and love to explore!” while others are saying, “This is my territory, and I’m pretty serious about defending it!”

The study was published in April 2025 in a scientific journal called Royal Society Open Science. Scientists hope to learn even more about how animal personalities affect their lives and relationships in the future.