In Kongthong village of Meghalaya, a newborn receives a unique identity bestowed by the mother: Jingrwai Lawbei, a personalised, whistle-like tune inspired by natural sounds. This becomes the child’s identifier for life within the community. Residents use this “tune” to communicate in dense forests, where spoken words are muffled but sound travels farther and more effectively.
Human or animal, all have their own unique modes of communication. Language evolved from these — but not necessarily through speech; rather, different sounds may serve as language, as seen in Kongthong.
Birds communicate through sound and recognise individuals by their unique calls, just as we humans identify each other by our distinct voices. Many avian parents rely on the calls of their offspring to locate them within large flocks, similar to what Kongthong mothers practise.
Bird language is unique. Calling patterns vary across species. Birds even have regional dialects like humans Though all calls may initially sound the same to the human ear, each bird’s call contains subtle distinctions. These make the calling pattern unique, functioning as a sort of keyword or password. Such individualised “passwords” help parents identify their young among fledglings.
Birdwatchers take advantage of these differences! Distinctive sounds help identify unseen birds and reveal their presence in dense foliage, tall grass, or high in the sky. The joy is doubled when an anticipated bird is spotted, recognised and photographed!
But playing recorded bird calls or songs on gadgets to lure birds for sighting or photography is both unethical and harmful. To understand what the consequences for this practice might be, let’s first understand bird vocalisation.
Birds use two types of vocalisations: Calls and songs. Calls are generally short and simple, while songs tend to be longer and louder.
Birds call to maintain contact with companions using “contact calls.” Nestlings use “begging calls” to request food. Night-time migrants maintain contact with “flight calls.” “Food calls” attract offspring or flockmates to new food sources. Birds use “alarm calls” to warn others of danger and “mobbing calls” to summon others to harass a predator. “Aggressive calls” help settle conflicts between birds.
Exhaustive, right?
Birds sing “songs,” on the other hand, loudly and persistently to attract mates or repel territorial intruders.
So, when we play a bird call without understanding its type or purpose, simply to attract a specific species, we risk making serious errors. The consequences may be dire. Imagine the stress, confusion, and harm caused by repeatedly playing random bird calls through gadgets!
Consider this: you play a recorded call to attract birds feeding out of sight. Unknown to you, the recording is an alarm call. On hearing it, the flock panics and scatters. They return later, but you play the call again. This continues all day. In doing so, you deprive them of vital feeding time.
How?
Birds are “homeotherms,” like us, organisms that maintain a stable internal body temperature regardless of external conditions. But they have high metabolic rates and must eat frequently. Small birds have especially high energy needs. Interrupting their feeding may push them towards starvation and death.
Playback stops birds from doing what they should — feeding their young, avoiding predators, or defending territory. Such calls can act as distress signals, causing parents to leave the nest to investigate. Prolonged absence or missed feeds can endanger their offspring. Additionally, exposed parent birds become vulnerable to predators. Playback songs can be interpreted as territorial threats and may provoke aggression. This alters birds’ behaviour — parenting, defending, and foraging — depending on perceived threats.
Studies show that recorded songs played during breeding season provoke birds to sing intensively for days. Singing consumes a great deal of energy. If this energy isn’t replenished in time, the bird may die.
Other studies have found birds abandoning their territory when they hear recorded rival vocalisations. André MX Lima and James Joseph Roper documented this in their study, The use of playbacks can influence encounters with birds: An experiment.
Such disruptions are numerous. Foraging, parenting, and territorial defence are just a few daily bird behaviours. By playing recorded calls, we disturb and manipulate these, often causing stress and long-term behavioural damage.
Renowned ornithologist and independent researcher Gurpartap Singh, based in Mohali, Punjab, said, “Playing recorded bird calls to lure birds is generally not desirable, as it can be unethical and potentially harmful, causing stress and disrupting natural behaviours. It can lead to energy loss and negatively affect breeding and social structures, especially if overused. It may be permissible for scientific research, but only with caution and due consideration of the potential harm.”
Playback is illegal under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 as well. However, poor enforcement renders it ineffective. This practice is rampant across birding hotspots in India for sighting and photography. Worse still, hunters and bird-catchers use playback to lure birds for illegal trade, contributing to population decline.
Many conservationists are fighting this. Notably, Sanjay Sondhi — a Dehradun-based naturalist and founder of bioinformatics platform Titli Trust — has partnered with the Uttarakhand Forest Department to run awareness campaigns and sensitise naturalists and guides on the harms of bird call playback. In recognition of their support, the forest department issued appreciation badges to bird guides in Jim Corbett National Park.
After complaints of unethical bird call playback in Deulgaon village (Supe Forest area), a breeding site for Mottled Wood Owls near Pune, the forest department banned photography at the site.
Let me share a personal experience to explain why playing recorded bird calls isn’t necessary.
Birds approach when they feel safe and trust you. That’s when you can truly enjoy their activities up close.
I had my Jingrwai Lawbei moment at Camp Hornbill, Kyari village, Uttarakhand — a haven for birds. Located in the buffer zone of Jim Corbett National Park, this community-led initiative welcomes over fifty bird species daily.
On March 27, 2025, at twilight, I was savouring the cacophony of White-crested Laughingthrushes, Bulbuls’ fluid melodies, the Jungle Owlet’s guttural trill, and the Peafowls’ ‘meowing’. Amidst the evening jazz, a low-pitched, monosyllabic buzzing — much like a grasshopper’s stridulation — startled me. It was unlike any insect. Unique. I froze and scanned near the stream. Serendipity! Parent Tickell’s Thrushes were calling their chick to take a dip! The youngster hesitated, took a quick bath, and flew off with its parents.
A contact call, I assumed and later confirmed via eBird’s Macaulay Library — only one recording existed!
This piqued my curiosity. The next morning, I waited — nervously. Would they return? Then I heard the same buzzing and knew they were nearby. I found the family feeding under a mulberry bush, turning over mulch, calling softly between feeds.
This buzzing call was their Jingrwai Lawbei — a way for parents to stay in touch. Ground-dwelling forest birds use low-frequency calls because they travel better through dense vegetation. The Tickell’s Thrush, feeding on the forest floor, uses such a call — just like the Kongthong villagers do.
The next day, while discussing conservation and human-wildlife conflict with Camp Hornbill’s founder Naveen Upadhyaya, we heard the same low-pitched call. We remained still. The father and son pair appeared at the poolside. Finding us non-threatening (we carried no camera or binoculars), they strolled within eight feet of us, feeding for about ten minutes. Naveen then identified the sub-adult Tickell’s Thrush.
A fulfilling experience indeed.
Now, don’t you think manipulating or altering a Jingrwai Lawbei could be chaotic and catastrophic — whether for humans or birds?
Enjoy nature as it is. Do not stalk, intrude, or manipulate its denizens. No one likes being disturbed.
Birds are already battling habitat destruction and fragmentation while struggling to adapt to human “progress.” Don’t burden them with the threat of recorded playbacks.
It is our collective responsibility to let birds live and thrive in the natural habitats they have left.
Gargi Mishra is an amateur ornithologist.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth