COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BIRDS

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COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BIRDS

16- And Solomon was David?s heir. He said: ?O my people! We have been taught the
speech of birds...?
27-The Ant, 16

In the above verse, it is said that the Prophet Solomon was taught the speech of
birds in addition to the endowments that God?s grace had adorned him with. The
Quran refers to the communication between birds and to the fact that the
twittering and singing of birds has particular meanings. Birds, like human
beings, do communicate. This undeniable communication is certainly not as
developed as it is in man.

Research conducted by zoologists has established that sounds emitted by animals
are meaningful and not haphazard. Birds, ants, dolphins, etc., have systems of
communication.

MEANINGS IN SOUNDS EMITTED BY BIRDS
As the Quran speaks of the language of birds, let us take a look at research
conducted on birds. Brazilian and American ornithologists have studied the
hummingbird (one of the tiniest birds in the world) and published their findings
in the British journal Nature. The author of the article, Maria Luisa Da Silva,
says that the vocabulary of the hummingbird is not innate but develops afterward.
In other words, the hummingbird learns to speak as human beings do.

Studies on crows have demonstrated that they emit a variety of sounds, namely,
to call the colony of crows to come together, to express alarm, and to
communicate a state of distress. Ornithologists, who have recorded these sounds
using a sonograph, are still engaged in deciphering the meanings behind them.
Bernd Heinrich, among these scientists who speak of the difficulty in decoding
the sonograms, associates this research work with the work of the inhabitants of
other planets visiting our earth and trying to decipher eating, playing, making
love and activities like catching fish using a sonograph. What we are trying to
do is to imagine ourselves in their place. Bernd Heinrich speaks of the
difficulty encountered in deciphering the language of animals in general, as
different species have different ways of communication, each calling for a
different approach.

There is a body language, expressed by the changes in your body position and
movements, that show what you are feeling or thinking. Nodding means ?yes,?
hailing is a sign of calling to someone in order to greet him or try to attract
his attention. Although the sounds emitted by birds are a means of communication,
they also have, in general, a body language. Their body language is easier to
decipher. For instance, a bird that emits a sound by touching its beak with his
tongue means ?I am a friend, I have no intention to harm you.? Theresa Jordan
gives a whole list of signs, demonstrating thereby that even the body language
necessitates a glossary.

The physiology of birds is as interesting as their language, the long distances
they cover without swerving from their destination are something to marvel at.
Ornithologists studying birds will see God?s perfect artistry revealed in these
creatures too.

38- All the creatures on earth, and all the birds that fly with wings are
communities like you. We did not leave anything out of this Book. Then they will
all be gathered before their Lord.
6-The Cattle, 38

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