Sparrows' birdsong is not what it seems - they're actually trading insultsThe sound of sparrows can be music to our ears. But researchers say their birdsong is actually an aggressive form of swapping insults.
The species' soothing sounds actually have a lot in common with the profanity-strewn bragging of rappers, with male sparrows using them to prove how macho they are – and the tougher the area, the more they do so.
The birds usually have a large repertoire of songs, and just like their human equivalents, most of the boasting and trading of insults is all about impressing the girls.
It seems sparrows are doing something similar according to the research conducted by a number of Canadian universities for the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology.
It mirrors the kind of 'battle rap' contests made famous by, among others, Eminem in his film 8 Mile.
Up-and-coming hip-hop stars hone their skills in one-on-one contests where they trade insults in rhyme against a music background until one of the two is deemed the winner.
Don't push me, 'cos I'm close to the edge: London House Sparrows in a Fulham garden. Their song mirrors the battle rapping of up and coming hip hop stars
Mail Online UK
