Why are bird calls in forests often longer and less rapidly modulated than bird calls in grasslands?

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Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (Canis lupus dingo) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming. — Animal communication Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (*Canis lupus dingo*) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming.

In animal communication, the structure of bird calls is heavily influenced by the acoustic properties of their habitat.

Birds in forests typically produce long, whistlelike notes with slow or no modulations because rapid temporal patterns—such as trills or buzzes—become unrecognizable due to echoes caused by trees and foliage. Conversely, birds in open grasslands favor rapid temporal modulations because these environments produce fewer echoes, though they are subject to air turbulence that can affect sound transmission.1

Ultimately, evolution has favored these specific signal choices to minimize degradation and ensure that calls remain distinct and effective for the intended receiver within their respective environments.1