I remember watching March of the Penguins and wondering how each parent can find the other among thousands. When I see huge flocks of birds too, it is bewildering how they know their own mate and offspring. However; when I was caring for more than seventy swans, I could begin to tell them apart after observing them on a daily basis. It is really no different than how we humans learn to recognize each other. Our voices may be the most distinct characteristic that we have; and most likely it is these same subtle differences in inflection and tone, that allow other species to know their own relatives. When we are speaking to a receptionist on the phone that we have never met, they often sound very much the same. When you know the person who is speaking on the other end of the telephone line; however, you recognize the unique pitch of their voice, as opposed to one that is unfamiliar.
The voices of my three daughters, while similar, are distinctly different, and I can easily tell them apart on the telephone without needing them to identify themselves and without caller ID. It is second nature in fact, that most people know their children, spouses, and friends by voice alone. We can learn to identify many birds by their vocalization, but not being birds ourselves, we are unable to detect one particular bird from another. I hope in time, I will be able to distinguish my chickens by their voice, as well as by their markings.
Nature has developed ingenious ways to help insects and butterflies locate one another and to help them find the particular flowers needed for the survival of their species. The monarch butterfly, in its ongoing search for milkweed, is one of thousands of examples of the symbiotic relationships that require communication of some type between different species.
Swans, Canada geese, and many waterfowl species, mate for life. Is it mere chance that allows them to develop this strong devotion to their chosen one and to their offspring? Or, do they actually find their one and only soulmate simply by the sound of their voice ? There are a few human relationships that last a lifetime. Do these couples have an innate ability to find that one best friend among billions? Are they able to tune in to some higher power that guides them to one another, allowing them to hear the voice of their beloved before they meet? Is it luck, and they just happened to draw the winning number? Perhaps if we had the ability to find the right partner the first time around, we would be happier human beings and we would have no need for hate or war.
