It turns out Paul McCartney is far from the only one entranced by the sound of blackbirds singing: The avian’s birdsong ranked as prettiest out of 123 in a recent survey, and an accompanying study investigated why that is.
Researchers in Germany asked 84 participants to rate short clips of bird calls from different species on a scale of 1 to 5 — the higher the score, the more pleasing they were. The team then cross-referenced the results with data about the songs’ acoustic characteristics, including frequency, amplitude, and variety.
The blackbird, which earned an average score of 4.52, came out on top because its calls were complex, higher-pitched, and not too loud. In second place was the willow warbler, with a score of 4.45. Meanwhile, the barn owl was considered the least pleasant (have a listen to judge for yourself).
“You don’t have to be a ‘bird person’ to find bird sounds beautiful,” study co-author Nadine Kalb said in a statement. “Being able to recognize birds by their appearance or song did not affect how people rated calls. This suggests that enjoyment of birdsong is connected to something more fundamental than just knowing what you are listening to.”
The results of the study could help inform the design of natural soundscapes for use in stressful places, like medical waiting rooms.
“We might be wired to prefer more variable sounds with moderate amplitudes and frequencies because they signal a safe, healthy, and restorative environment where we can relax,” said Kalb.
Here are the top 20 birdsongs, according to the survey:
- Common Blackbird (4.52)
- Willow Warbler (4.45)
- Blackcap (4.43)
- Mistle Thrush (4.33)
- Garden Warbler (4.30)
- Dunnock (4.30)
- Chaffinch (4.29)
- Common Nightingale (4.26)
- Common Linnet (4.26)
- European Goldfinch (4.26)
- European Pied Flycatcher (4.25)
- Eurasian Wren (4.24)
- Skylark (4.23)
- Eurasian Golden Oriole (4.17)
- Common Cuckoo (4.13)
- Tree Pipit (4.08)
- Common Redstart (4.08)
- European Greenfinch (4.08)
- Eurasian Treecreeper (4.05)
- European Robin (4.04)
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