The short and simple answer is that, yes, birds can hear music. This makes sense as they can obviously hear other sounds like humans talking, other birds singing and calling. Whether they ‘enjoy’ music however is a much more complex question. Birds have an auditory system similar to humans in many ways, but with some key differences that shape their perception of sound.

Let’s investigate birds and music!

The short and simple answer is that, yes, birds can hear music. This makes sense as they can obviously hear other sounds like humans talking, other birds singing and calling. Whether they ‘enjoy’ music however is a much more complex question. Birds have an auditory system similar to humans in many ways, but with some key differences that shape their perception of sound. Let’s investigate!

How Bird Hearing Works

Bird hearing is similar to human hearing in that both have an outer, middle, and inner ear, but there are several key differences in their structure and function. 

Birds don’t have the external ear flaps (pinnae) that humans and most mammals have (I can’t say I’ve ever seen a bird with external ears). Instead of this, birds have small, feather-covered openings. This difference in external anatomy impacts how they localize sound. Birds use a highly developed auditory system to hear, which is essential for communication, navigation, and survival. While their basic internal ear structure is like ours, the absence of this outer ear flap is a crucial distinction.

Outer Ear

Birds have a funnel-shaped opening on each side of their head, typically located behind and slightly below the eye. These openings are protected by specialized soft feathers called auriculars. These feathers help shield the ear from wind noise and debris without blocking sound.

Middle Ear

The middle ear in both birds and humans contains an eardrum and bones that transmit vibrations. However, birds have only one bone called the columella, while humans have three tiny bones (ossicles): the malleus, incus, and stapes.

Inner Ear

The inner ear is where sound signals are processed. Both have a cochlea, but the bird cochlea is shorter and straighter than the coiled mammalian one. The inner ear also contains structures for balance, which is vital for flying.

Frequencies

While the human hearing range is approximately 20 to 20,000 Hertz (Hz), most birds have a much narrower range, with an upper limit generally around 10,000 Hz for many species. This means birds can’t hear the highest frequencies that humans can.

To put this in perspective, imagine a dog whistle. Humans can’t hear the high-pitched sound it emits, but dogs can because their hearing extends into the ultrasonic range. The same principle applies to birds and the highest frequencies audible to humans.

Or, imagine a teenager with excellent hearing might be able to hear a faint, high-pitched mosquito buzzing sound at 17,000 Hz. However, a bird flying nearby, even with perfect hearing for its species, would be completely deaf to that sound. Similarly, many commercially available ultrasonic pest repellers emit sounds above 20,000 Hz. These devices are ineffective on birds because the frequencies they use are entirely outside of a bird’s auditory range.

Specializations

Different species of birds also have hearing specializations. Some species, like pigeons, can detect very low-frequency sounds (infrasound), which may help them sense distant storms. Owls have exceptional hearing, with some species having asymmetrical ears to pinpoint prey in the dark. Humans, on the other hand, universally have no special ability to detect infrasound or ultrasound, but we can hear a wider range of high frequencies.

Photo by Alexis Lours

The Connection to Birdsong

Birdsong isn’t just random noise; it’s a form of communication with a structured rhythm and melody. Birds use songs for a variety of purposes all related to their survival and the passing down of their genes. A complex, well-executed song can signal health and genetic fitness, while a loud, consistent song warns rivals to stay away. Birds have a range of different calls that can signal danger, food sources, or location; we interpret them as ‘song’ but they are much more specific and complex than that (have a read of our guide on how to decode bird calls for more info).

The Connection to Music

For a bird, the sound of a human musical composition is simply another external sound. They are hearing the sound waves, but they are processing them through a brain wired to understand birdsong, not Beethoven.

Birds possess a superior ability to disentangle the rapid notes of any sound compared to humans. This is a crucial distinction that shapes how they perceive their acoustic world. While humans are better at hearing a wide range of pitches (frequencies), birds are experts at processing the speed and intricate details within a sound.

Photo by Priyo Utomo

Temporal Resolution

This enhanced ability is known as high temporal resolution. It refers to the speed at which the auditory system can distinguish one sound from another in rapid succession. Think of it like watching a movie: humans see a series of still images flashed at 24 frames per second and perceive it as continuous motion. A bird, with its higher temporal resolution, might see those same 24 frames per second as a series of distinct, flickering images.

For a bird, this means that they are simply processing a rapid sequence of notes, rather than listening to a ‘tune’. A bird song that sounds like a continuous whistle to the human ear may actually be a rapid series of discrete, individual notes to the bird. Their brains can process these notes so quickly that they can pick up on subtle differences in rhythm and timing that humans would miss.

Furthermore, this skill is vital for their survival. It allows them to differentiate their mate’s call from a competitor’s, even when the songs are very similar. It also helps them to pinpoint the exact location of a predator or prey based on incredibly fast, faint sounds.

In relation to humans, their high temporal resolution doesn’t mean their hearing is ‘better’ overall. Instead, it means their hearing is specialized for their unique needs. In short, they have traded the ability to hear extremely high frequencies for the ability to more clearly hear time-based details.

Photo by Felix Rehm

Bird Song

Bird vocalizations are often rich with rapid, complex changes in pitch and amplitude (loudness) that convey specific information. Their ability to process these sounds is not just a passive skill but an active part of their communication and survival. This is why many bird songs contain elements that are too fast for us to fully appreciate, but which are clear and meaningful to other birds.

So Do Birds Enjoy Music?

This is where the science gets fuzzy. Enjoyment is a subjective, emotional experience that is difficult to measure in animals. The high-speed processing ability of birds is linked to the part of their brain that controls vocal production. This allows songbirds, for example, to not only perceive complex songs but also to learn and replicate them with astounding speed and precision. Think of the mimic birds like the Northern Mockingbird. 

Studies have shown that some birds can perceive and even recognize patterns in human music. Birds that mimic humans and appear to repeat and even ‘sing’, look to us like they are enjoying themselves. Think of videos of parrots appearing to dance as they listen to and sing along with music. The question is, however, does mimicry and physical movement reflect true enjoyment? Maybe. There is not much doubt when a dog wags its tail that it is happy so why isn’t a head bobbing parrot happy too? I’m sure most parrot owners would say they are enjoying the music.

Zebra Finches 

Zebra Finches by Imogen Warren

Studies on Zebra Finches reveal a sophisticated auditory system and that they are capable of learning and forming preferences for specific songs. Researchers have found that female finches, which do not sing themselves, develop a strong preference for their father’s song over those of unfamiliar males. This preference is so significant that it can be measured behaviorally, such as by spending more time near a speaker playing the familiar tune. 

Furthermore, studies on both sexes have shown that a preference for a specific song, often that of a tutor, can predict the quality of vocal learning. These finches may even sing in response to the preferred song, demonstrating a direct link between auditory perception, memory, and vocal communication that is vital for their social bonding and mate selection.

Alex the parrot

Alex The Parrot via The Alex Foundation

The landmark studies on Alex the African Grey Parrot, led by Irene Pepperberg, provided compelling evidence of avian cognitive abilities extending to auditory preferences and responses. While not about melodies in the traditional sense, Alex demonstrated a profound capacity for auditory learning and an emotional connection to specific sounds and words. 

He could mimic human speech to identify and request objects, and he would show a clear preference for certain human voices or familiar phrases. His responses were not just mimicry; he would often use his learned vocabulary to vocalize in a way that communicated his desires, such as requesting a specific object or a familiar phrase. 

This ability to associate sounds with meaning and to use them to express a preference or initiate a request underscored a level of auditory processing and cognitive function far beyond simple mimicry, highlighting a sophisticated form of learned vocal response to his auditory environment.

An Emotional Response

The human response to music is a profoundly emotional and abstract experience, tied to complex cognitive processes, cultural memory, and personal associations. We can feel nostalgia, sorrow, or exhilaration from music that has no direct biological or social consequence, interpreting melodic and harmonic structures in a way that generates non-literal, powerful emotions. 

In contrast, the positive engagement seen in birds is a more direct and functional response rooted in social and biological imperatives. When a bird shows a preference for a particular song, it is often linked to vocal learning, mate selection, territorial defense, or the recognition of familiar calls from parents or peers. 

Thus engagement, rather than enjoyment, is less about an abstract emotional state and more about a learned, purposeful reaction to a sound’s specific acoustic properties that are vital for survival and communication. However, their behavioral responses such as increased activity, vocalization, or a relaxed posture, can (and often is) interpreted as a form of positive engagement.

Photo by Lucas George Wendt

Final Thoughts

While birds don’t have the cultural context to appreciate music in the way humans do, they can react to its rhythmic and melodic qualities. A song with a consistent beat might be perceived as less threatening than erratic noise, and a soothing melody might have a calming effect. It’s likely that a bird’s ‘enjoyment’ of music is tied to its physiological response, whether the sound is stressful or soothing, rather than a deep, emotional connection. So, while you’re unlikely to find a blue jay headbanging to heavy metal, a gentle melody might just be a pleasant background sound for their day.