Scent travels slowly but lingers for hours; light arrives instantly yet a single leaf can block it; sound bends around thickets but everyone hears it. Each channel pays its own price as background noise rises and distance grows: how much of the signal still arrives, and how badly it risks being overheard. A noisy environment squeezes the range of birdsong, while deception is common enough — a mimic copying the colour and rhythm of the real signaller.
Scent travels slowly but lingers for hours; light arrives instantly yet a single leaf can block it; sound bends around thickets but everyone hears it. Each channel pays its own price as background noise rises and distance grows: how much of the signal still arrives, and how badly it risks being overheard. A noisy environment squeezes the range of birdsong, while deception is common enough — a mimic copying the colour and rhythm of the real signaller.
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