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Hi, there! Squeaks and I were just outside, birdwatching!
嗨，大家好！我和吱吱刚才在外面看鸟！
There are so many different kinds of birds!
鸟有很多种！
Some, like the Northern Cardinal, can sing beautiful songs! Just listen.
有些鸟，如北美红雀可以唱美妙的歌！听！
We call birds that sing like this songbirds.
我们把这类鸟叫做鸣禽。
Lots of birds sing for different reasons.
很多鸟因为不同的原因唱歌。
And for songbirds like cardinals, singing is an important way for them to talk to each other.
对于红雀这样的鸣禽来说，唱歌是相互交流的重要方法。
Cardinals will chirp and chitter all year long,
红雀整年都唧唧喳喳得叫，
but in the spring, they bring out their loudest and prettiest songs.
但在春天，它们唱得最响最美。
Why do they sing so much in the spring?
为什么它们在春天唱得那么多？
They're getting ready to raise their babies!
因为它们准备繁衍后代了！
Like most animals you know, cardinals are usually either a boy, called a male, or a girl, called a female.
你知道，和大多数动物一样，红雀通常要么是雄性，要么是雌性。
They're pretty easy to tell apart!
它们很容易区分！
Male cardinals are bright red, and female cardinals are brown.
雄红雀是鲜红色的，雌红雀是褐色的。
And both male and female cardinals sing, often for different reasons.
雌雄红雀都会唱歌，只不过原因不同。
But during the spring, they both sing much more than they usually do.
但在春天，它们唱得要比平常多。
You see, in the springtime, cardinals are getting ready to build a nest, lay eggs, and raise little baby birds!
在春天，你会看到红雀准备筑巢产卵、孕育小宝宝了！
But they can't do it alone.
但它们单独是做不到的。
They each need to find a mate, another cardinal to help them to feed and protect their babies.
每只红雀都需要找个配偶，即另一只红雀来帮助它们喂养和保护鸟宝宝。
A male cardinal wants to become a dad, so when spring comes around,
一只雄红雀想要成为爸爸，所以春天来临时，
he usually starts looking for a female mate to have and raise babies with.
它就开始寻找雌性配偶来生育和抚养鸟宝宝。
He'll start singing, and hope that a female cardinal will hear his song.
它开始唱歌，希望雌红雀能够听到。
But showing a female cardinal that he'll be a good dad takes a lot of work.
但向一只雌红雀展示它会是一个好爸爸需要做很多工作。
Female cardinals want to find a mate who is strong and smart, who can find lots of food,
雌红雀想找的配偶要强壮聪明、能找很多食物，
and who can protect their babies from other animals that might want to eat them!
能保护宝宝，避免它们被其他动物吃掉！
So the male cardinal has to show that he's tough enough to help protect his new family.
所以雄红雀必须表明他够强壮，能保护它的新家庭。
And the best way to do this? It's to sing loudly!
怎样做才是最好的证明呢？那就是大声唱歌！
By singing loudly, a male cardinal says, "Here I am! And I'm not afraid of anything!"
通过大声歌唱，雄红雀说：“我在这儿，我什么都不怕！”
He knows that other cardinals can hear him, but there are also other types of animals listening too,
他知道其他的红雀能够听到，但其他种类的动物也能听到，
ones like hawks or cats, that might want to eat him!
如老鹰和猫，它们都想吃他！
So, his loud song shows that he isn't even afraid of getting eaten.
所以，他那响亮的歌声表明他甚至不怕被吃掉。
Male cardinals will even try to sing louder than other males who might be nearby,
雄红雀试着比附近其他的雄性叫得更大声，
to prove that they're the toughest bird around.
来证明它们是附近最强的鸟。
Tough enough to be a great dad!
强到成为一个伟大的父亲！
Now, to call out to female birds, male cardinals sing a special song called a mating call.
为了呼唤雌鸟，雄鸟会唱一首特别的歌，叫做交尾叫。
This song is different from his normal song; it's meant just for the female.
这首歌和他正常的歌声不同，只为雌性而鸣。
A female that's nearby will want to see which brave male is singing his mating call,
附近的雌鸟可能想看看哪只勇敢的雄鸟在求偶鸣叫，
so she can decide if she wants to raise her babies with him.
这样她就可以决定是否与他孕育后代了。
If she likes his song, she'll let him fly over, and they'll pair up for the spring!
如果她喜欢他的歌，她会让他飞过去，他们将在春天结成一对！
Now, it's not just the males that sing.
现在，不仅仅是雄性会唱歌。
Female cardinals will also sing more in the spring, too.
雌红雀也会在春天唱得更多。
Females learn different songs than the males, and scientists are still trying to learn what the females are saying.
雌性和雄性的叫声不同，科学家们仍在努力研究雌性叫声的含义。
Maybe someday, we'll be able to understand everything these amazing birds are saying to each other.
也许有一天，我们能够理解这些神奇的鸟相互在说什么。
Until then, we're just lucky that we get to enjoy their special springtime songs.
那时，我们就能幸运得享受它们特别的春季歌曲了。
Do you have any questions about cardinals
你对红雀有什么疑问，
or are you curious about some of the creatures that you've seen or heard in your own neighborhood?
或者你对周围看到或听到的什么生物好奇吗？
If so, ask a grown-up to help you leave a comment down below, or send us an email to kids@scishow.com.
找个大人帮忙在下方留言或发邮件至kids@scishow.com。
We'll see you next time, here at the fort!
我们下期见，沃斯堡等你哦！
