The chattering of little birds might now sound like much to us, but to some cultures, it can tell you everything you need to know. To the trained ear the twittering songs of birds can provide valuable information because more often than not birds are warning each other of dangers. With each chirp, cheep, and melody a bird can be sending off messages that may save your day. The tough part is, of course, knowing the language and what each message means.
Sometimes it is a male bird singing their love poem or to show strength, other times it can be to warn another bird to go away. Often the magical sounds of singing birds that we take for granted are an alarm bell to let everyone know that a predator is nearby – and he is on the hunt. It might even be to warn other birds that a cumbersome human is walking heavily down a trail.
Since the beginning of time, other animals have listened to the sounds of the birds. When a robin sees a coyote they let off high pitched shrieks that sound like an alarm. The squirrel, for example, another prey animal, takes this alarm with care and runs away as quickly as they can. Amazingly, rodents are not the only animal that listens to the birds and interprets their messages. Native Americans have relied on bird language for centuries. It lets them know the whereabouts of people and other animals that usually would be completely invisible to the human eye.
Indigenous people primarily use the bird language to keep tabs on where the mega predators are, such as bears or wolves. This way they don’t accidentally run into them. They do this by deciphering the messages birds communicate with each other. This is just one of the many tools that Native Americans use to ensure they are always well connected to nature.
Taking the time to notice the birds speaking to each other, makes the world a much more interesting place. The good news is that anyone with a finely tuned ear can learn. You just need to be patient and observe nature calmly, then you can start to translate their songs into information.
