Those of us living in temperate climates delight in birdsong-filled soundscapes dominated by melodies produced by male birds. These songs play an important role in creating and guarding territory for migrating species which must establish new breeding territories each year. The story is different for females: staying quiet and hidden is an advantage, and females of many species evolved away from loud singing.
Recent research has highlighted the importance of female birdsong, revealing that it is more widespread and functionally significant than previously thought. For example, among Northern Cardinals (which maintain territories and don’t migrate) females sing, which plays a significant role in their social and courtship interactions and reproductive strategies.
Other species have been studied in recent years, including the female song of Orchard Orioles, which sing less frequently than males but have distinct song structures, and island chaffinch populations, where singing females showed year-round territoriality and were found in regions with low seasonality.