McGill study finds shared patterns in birdsong and human speech

McGill University researchers have found that human speech and song share several vocal patterns with birdsong, according to CBC reporting published Nov. 8.

The similarities include small pitch intervals and phrase elongation. CBC reports that these patterns appear in bird species as well as in human vocal expression.

The findings identify common features across birdsong, human song and speech; the supplied report does not detail the study’s methods or explain what accounts for those similarities.

Sources

• Birds of a feather: Human speech and birdsong have a lot in common, McGill study finds