Bird Language

In the mountains of northern Turkey, you may hear something surprising. Tweets and chirps fill the air. It sounds like a birdsong but it’s not from birds. The whistles are made by people. This is a way of communication for these people.

The whistlers use their lips and fingers to make bird sounds. Each whistle sends a message. Some whistles mean one word whereas some may mean full sentences.

The whistle language used to be common. Many people used it to communicate and send messages from far away. A whistle can be carried by breeze and travel far. People could talk across the mountains and whistle back as an answer.

Today, fewer people use whistle language because people have cell phones. Calling or texting is easier than whistling. That’s why, the whistle language is dying out. In the past, parents taught the bird language to their children but today, young people are not interested in learning the language. This means, the bird language is at risk.

UNESCO wants to help to protect this language of the culture. Culture is how a group of people lives. Language and customs are part of the culture. UNESCO put the bird language on the list of ‘Customs from around the World’ because it’s a cultural treasure. In this way, UNESCO wants to inspire young people to learn the language.