Song
The Shama, as a species, is one of the best songsters in the songbird world but it must be borne in mind that, just as with people, not all birds have the same ability to sing.
Some birds have only a limited repertoire and if they sing the same tune continuously, their presence may well be unbearable. Others may have a large variety of call notes but be unable to string them together into a pleasant whole.
The best songster is one who is able to blend his notes and calls into a pleasing tune with appropriate changes in rhythm and style. If we are looking for the very best songster amongst the Shamas, then we need to appreciate that such a bird is like a world class opera singer - few and far between.
To the uncritical ear a shama song is a shama song, but like good wine, once you have tasted and appreciated the song of a really good Shama, you will be unable to listen with any joy to the mediocre shama. There are 3 types of song which the male Shama will sing according to its mood. Firstly, there is the sub-song. This is a pleasant, soft, twittering song that the Shama sings to please itself, often in the afternoons, as it sits relaxed and quiet. Then there is the Shama's loud but not challenging song that it sings from time to time. Finally, there is the strident song that the male Shama sings in defence of its territory or when it is excited.
I believe that the Shama's ability to sing is inherited but for the bird to develop its full song potential, it must have a tutor, especially during its young formative period. I have had some males from other breeders that were kept in my home from a very young age. Although they had the benefit of listening to the many birds in my garden, some of them never became good singers. On the other hand, I had a young bird named "Pavarotti", the offspring of Godfather and Sweet Lady,
that could whistle a bar from a melody almost as soon as he heard it.
The Shama has a great ability to mimic the songs of other birds and the sounds it hears, into its own song and make them its own. A Shama I owned whose cage was hung in the water-closet incorporated the sound of falling water into its own song. Often they will imitate the ringing of the phone so convincingly that you will start to reach out for it. Occasionally, the sounds they learn may be unpleasant such as my very good singer who for a few months incorporated the yowling of a cat into his song.
The youngest Shama that I have seen singing was 14 days of age. It sat quietly on a branch as it sang its sub-song. The Shama will usually continue to sing its baby song until after its first molt or even for some time after that. The baby song is initially similar to that of the female's i.e. just a few call notes. The Shama's singing potential will be indicated early in life.
The juvenile that constantly sings and has variety in its song will likely continue to develop into a good singer as it matures. The young bird that is most quiet or sings little is unlikely to develop into a good singer.
One thing that few realise is that even an adult bird needs to "retune" its vocal cords after a molt. During the molt, the Shama will sing much less and may even stop singing altogether. As the molt draws to a close, the mail will start singing again. Initially, the song will be short and sound much like a juvenile. The voice soon strengthens and after a month to 1½ months after the end of the molt, the bird should be in top voice and full breeding condition.