The rockefeller university

Peter Marler, Graphic Decoder of Birdsong, Dies at 86

“Dr. Marler was one of the first ethologists to produce graphic snapshots of birdsong — streaks of ink on paper, like an electrocardiogram, showing the wave-frequency, modulation and pitch of various calls and songs.

From that data, Dr. Marler and his colleagues discovered that some species had repertoires of only a few songs while others had as many as 100. They found they could analyze and differentiate calls within the same species — calls for roosting, seeking food, mating, territory-marking, warning of danger and summoning help, known as mobbing, to ward off an intruder.”