LISTENING
Did you know that bats sing beautiful songs to each other?
"They are like birdsong, as complex, as melodious, as intricate and unique. It is just a matter of changing the frequency. It is just a matter of listening"
On the way to our rehearsal today I heard this interview with Canadian scientist Professor Karen Bakker, talking about how species communicate. The secrets of nature are being revealed by scientists using digital bioacoustics, a planetary-scale hearing aid enabling humans to record nature's sounds beyond the limits of human sensory capacities.
Just like you and me, it emerges that bats can vocalise and chat with each other. Vampire bats use language, remember favours, hold grudges, trade food, fight, socially distance when they are ill. They have tags or names for each other and for their family relationships... it is just a matter of listening.
Elephants can distinguish dialects. Just by listening they can discern whether that nearby human is a dangerous member of a hunting tribe or a non-threatening member of a friendly tribe.
Chec…