This is bird note.

How many birds do you think are here?

It sounds like a whole orchestra, but it's just one bird, the brown-backed solitaire.

Their appearance is quite ordinary.

They are medium-sized grey-brown birds,

but they have one of the most melodic, complex songs in the world, ringing

out year-round in high-altitude forests from Mexico to Central America.

America.

Did you notice a difference between those two songs?

They have different structures and durations.

This is because they learn to sing differently depending on where they grow up.

Much like how a human language spoken across vast regions takes on

dialects and accents.

Birdsong serves to mark territory, attract a mate, sound an alarm, or request food.

But for Brown-backed solitaires, their song also puts them in danger.

Some locals capture and cage them to keep the bird's songs for themselves.

As their name implies, they prefer solitude,

so you'll probably find one calmly perched with an upright posture on the branches of trees in forests and wetlands.

Although occasionally they may gather in small groups, even mingling with birds of other species.

For Bird Note, I'm Lucina Melesio.