Umculo Wezinyoni—Ingabe Ungomunye Nje Umculo Omnandi?

ISIBANI esikude siqala ukukhanyisa ukukhanya kwaso kubaculi njengoba bema ezindaweni zabo, besigqokele kahle lesenzakalo. Njengoba ngamunye eqeqeshwe kusukela ebuntwaneni ngokwesiko lomkhaya, ngamunye ucula kalula ngokusuka enhliziyweni. Abambalwa phakathi kwabo babonakala ngisho benekhono lokuqamba, nelokwakha ngokwemvelo izingoma ezintsha nezihlukile.

Lomculo uculelwaphi? Awuculelwa kunoma iliphi ihholo lamakhonsathi elidumile. Kunalokho, ikhethini lobumnyama bobusuku liyavuleka ukuze liveze izinhlobonhlobo zezidalwa ezincane ezinezimpaphe. Izinyoni eziculayo eziyizinhlobonhlobo, zisezihlahleni, ezingcingweni, naphezu kwezintambo zocingo, zihlanganisa amazwi azo avumelane akhe ingoma emnandi kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ukuvevezelisa kwazo amazwi, ukushintsha kwamanothi, amakhwela, futhi imisindo enjengeyomtshingo izwakalisa ukubingelela kwenjabulo kosuku olusha.

Kodwa lena akuyona nje imisindo ejabulisayo. Kunokuningi okwengeziwe kulezingoma zezinyoni kunalokho okuzwiwa indlebe. Kungani izinyoni zicula? Ingabe lezingoma zinayo incazelo? Izinyoni zizifunda kanjani izingoma zazo? Ingabe ziyazifunda ezintsha?

Izigijimi Ezifihlekile

Umculo ojabulisayo uculwa ezikhathini zasekuseni nakusihlwa. Ngokunokwenzeka uyokuzwa ikakhulu amazwi awezeduna emculweni. Isigijimi sazo sikabili. Kwezinye ezingezeduna siyisigijimi esinamandla esixwayisa ngokuthi zingayeqi imingcele yendawo. Kwezesifazane siyisimemo esivela ezimpohlweni ezifanelekayo. Izinyoni eziculayo zakha izingoma zazo zendawo yazo, ezifana nezindlela ezihlukahlukene ulimi olungakhulunywa ngazo. Indlela ehlukile yeculo lokukhwela iheha izinyoni zesifazane ezisendaweni yaleyonyoni eculayo kuphela. Ukucula okunomdlandla nokuyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kungazwakala phakathi nenkathi yokuzalela—umbukiso wokuhlaba umxhwele izintokazi.

Ngokucula kwayo, inyoni yesilisa isuke itshela umngane wayo nesitha sayo ukuthi ingatholakalaphi. Khona-ke, izinyoni ezinemibala emihle nalezo ezikhetha izindawo ezivulekile ngokuhlakanipha ziyakugwema ukucula okunomsindo okungase kudonse ukunakwa okungathandeki. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, izinyoni ezikwazi ukushintsha umbala ufane nendawo ezikuyo nalezo ezihlala emahlathini acinene zingaculela phezulu, ngendlela ezifuna ngayo, kungabi nangozi yokubonwa.

Ngezinye izikhathi lokho okuzwayo kungase kungabi iculo langempela labangane bethu abanezimpiko kodwa kungase kube nje uphawu olufushane oluxhumanisa izithandani noma olugcina iqulu lazo lindawonye. Kungase kube uphawu lwesixwayiso olubonisa ingozi esondelayo, noma kungase kube uphawu lokubiza imbizo, lokuhlasela ikati noma esinye iselelesi. Ngamazwi azo, izinyoni ziveza imizwa yazo—ukuthi zithukuthele, zethukile, noma ziphazamisekile—kanye nesimo sazo sokukhwelana.

Abaculi Abanekhono

Amakhono okucula ezinyoni eziculayo ayaphawuleka ngempela. Ezinye zingacula amanothi amathathu noma amane ngesikhathi. Ezinye zingaveza amanothi angu-80 ngomzuzwana. Endlebeni yomuntu, lokhu kuzwakala njengenothi elilodwa eliqhubekayo, kodwa izinyoni ziyakwazi ukuwahlukanisa ngenxa yenzwa yazo ebukhali yokuzwa.

Abacwaningi baye bazibuza ukuthi izinyoni zinalo yini udlebe lomculo. Ingabe izinyoni zingakwazi ukuzwa umehluko phakathi komculo we-ogani kaBach noStravinsky othi “Rite of Spring”? Abacwaningi baqeqesha amajuba amane ukuba angcofe enye yama-disc amabili ezindlela zokucula ukuze akhethe umqambi oqondile bese ethola umklomelo wokudla. Ngokushesha lamajuba ayesekwazi ukuzwa noma iyiphi ingxenye yeculo likaBach elithatha imizuzu engu-20 futhi akhethe i-disc efanele. Ngaphandle kwambalwa, ayekwazi ukukhetha okufanele ngisho nakwamanye amaculo ohlobo olufanayo aqanjwe abanye abaqambi.

Ezinye izinyoni zasezindaweni ezishisayo ziyakwazi ukuqamba nokucula ngambili. Kubonakala sengathi izinyoni eziyizithandani ziyalungiselela, zizame kuze kube yilapho zakha iculo ezilisungulile elinamagama eziwacula ngokushintshana, noma ngokucula bese kusabela enye. Zicula ngokunemba kangangokuba kumuntu onendlebe engaqeqeshiwe, kuzwakala sengathi iculo elilodwa eliqhubekayo eliculwa inyoni eyodwa. Inyoni ngayinye ingakwazi ukucula noma iyiphi ingxenye noma ilicule lonke iculo iyodwa engekho umngane wayo. Lelikhono eliyingqayizivele ngokusobala liyazisiza izinyoni emahlathini emvula aminyene ukuba zizwe futhi zithole abangane bazo.

Abaqambi Kanye Nabalingisi

Ukuthi izinyoni zifunda kanjani futhi zisungule amaculo kuseyindaba esacutshungulwa, kodwa kunento eyodwa eqinisekile: Izindlela zazo zokufunda ziningi futhi ziyahlukahluka. Nasi isibonelo sezindlela ezihlukahlukene zokufunda ezitholakala emkhakheni wezinyoni.

I-chaffinch yeduna iculo layo okungenani lisuke lisengqondweni kancane ngesikhathi izalwa. Ngisho noma ingakhula yodwa ingahlangani nhlobo nezinye izinyoni, iculo layo, nakuba lihlukile, liyoba namanothi alinganayo futhi nacishe abe nobude obufanayo nobeculo lama-chaffinch. Nokho, ukuze iyithuthukise kahle lendlela yokucula, kufanele izwe iculo lamanye ama-chaffinch eduna ngaphambi kokuba ikhule ngokwanele ukuba icule, futhi kufanele iphinde ilizwe entwasahlobo elandelayo. Khona-ke, njengomculi owuchwepheshe womuntu, leligagu elinezimpaphe kufanele lilungise iculo lalo ngokuprakthiza izikhathi eziningi—lizame ngokuphindaphindiwe ukufanelanisa izwi lalo elincane nendlela yokucula esengqondweni yalo.

I-junco yase-Oregon iziqambela awayo amaculo uma ingalizwa iculo elingelendabuko yalo. Kodwa lapho nje izwa iculo elingenamicikilisho le-junco, iyayeka ukusungula bese icula ncamashí njengazo zonke ezinye. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuba nekhono lokusungula kwe-junco yase-Arizona kushukunyiswa ukuzwa i-junco endala. Ayilingisi ekuzwayo kodwa ishukumiseleka ukuba isungule iculo layo siqu elihlukile.

Ubufakazi obunamandla kakhulu bokuthi amanye amaculo angena engqondweni ngezakhi zofuzo bunikezwa “izilwane ezincane eziphila ngezinye.” Ngokwesibonelo, i-cuckoo izalela amaqanda ezidlekeni zezinye izinhlobo zezinyoni, ezisebenza njengosingamzali. Lapho ichamusela, iphuphu le-cuckoo lazi kanjani ukuthi alifani nosingayise walo futhi akufanele licule njengaye? Kumelwe ukuthi iculo le-cuckoo ligxiliswa ngokujulile engqondweni ngesikhathi izalwa.

Ngakho ezimweni eziningi, kusobala ukuthi iculo lezinyoni liyindaba yofuzo. Ngisho nakuba inyoni ingazange ilifunde iculo lendabuko yayo, ngeke imane ilingise futhi icule iculo lolunye uhlobo. Abanye abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi indlela engacacile yeculo lendabuko ikhona engqondweni futhi inyoni ingakwazi ukucubungula ekuzwayo bese ilingisa umsindo ofana ngokuseduze nendlela esengqondweni.

Yeka ukuhlakanipha ezinakho! Isazi sesayensi uFernando Nottebohm wathola okuthile okumangalisayo kokuthi ubuchobo bezinyoni eziculayo buhlelwe baba uhlangothi lwesobunxenye nolwesokudla, ngalunye lunemisebenzi yalo ekhethekile. Wathola nokuthi ikhono lokufunda iculo libhekene nengxenye ethile ekhethekile esebuchosheni benyoni. Kumzwilili weduna osakhula, lengxenye empeleni iyakhula bese incipha kuye ngokwesidingo sawo sokufunda amaculo amasha enkathi ezayo yokukhwela. Imizwilili izama ukucula isemincane kakhulu, kodwa ngisho nalamagagu omculo awalifinyeleli izinga lobuchwepheshe kuze kube yilapho esenezinyanga eziyisishiyagalombili noma eziyisishiyagalolunye ubudala.

Ezinye izinyoni eziculayo zingochwepheshe bokwakha izindlela ezihlukahlukene zokucula, zizisusela eculweni eselikhona kakade bese zilithuthukisa noma zishintsha indlela yokulandelana kwamanothi alo noma yokuwacula. Izinyoni ezinjalo ezilingisayo sekuyisikhathi eside zisihlaba umxhwele, ikakhulukazi lezozinyoni ezisebenzisa amakhono azo ukuba “zikhulume,” noma zilingise amazwi abantu. Abaculi abalingisayo bomkhakha wezinyoni bahlanganisa i-lyrebird yase-Australia, i-marsh warbler nekhwezi laseYurophu, ne-chat enesifuba esiphuzi kanye ne-mockingbird yaseNyakatho Melika. Lena yamuva ingaba nenqwaba yamaculo ohlwini lwayo, kuhlanganise ngisho nokulingisa ixoxo noma inyekevu. Kuhlaba umxhwele ngempela ukulalela ingxube ejabulisayo ye-mockingbird ethathwe ku-classic eyaziwayo emkhakheni wezinyoni.

Lapho lezidalwa ezinezimpiko zicula amaculo azo ajabulisayo, akukhona nje ukuthi uyawezwa kodwa futhi uwalalela ngokwazisa. Umculo wakusasa uzoqala ekuseni ngovivi. Ingabe uzowujabulela?

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 19]

Umsindo Ojwayelekile

Isazi sesayensi saseBrithani saphawula ukukhala kocingo okujwayelekile kwelinye lamaculo ama-thrush aculayo. Waqopha leliculo futhi walihlaziya ngomshini wama-electron. Okwammangalisa ukuthi, kwakufana ncamashí nokukhala kocingo lwesimanje, olufakwa abakwa-Telecom, inkampani yocingo yaseBrithani. Ngokusobala, izinyoni eziculayo zakuzwa lokukhala kocingo, zakufunda, futhi zakwenezela ohlwini lwazo. Ama-thrush acula izingoma zokuthandana kumelwe ukuba enza abantu baseBrithani abangazelele baphamazela beya kophendula ucingo.

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 18]

Camerique/H. Armstrong Roberts

T. Ulrich/H. Armstrong Roberts