The male's song is a familiar sound in suburban areas. Females also sing. (Four songs of one male, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Brush and bushes on edges of open areas, woods, suburban yards.
Male's song is a slow, mellow, full-sounding warble. Roger Tory Peterson wrote that it sings like a robin with voice lessons. (Male, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Hardwood forests; mixed shrubs and trees.
The male's song varies among individuals, but usually contains three paired syllables per song (tew tew tse tse tsu tsu). Sometimes a bird adds an extra phrase at the end, or doesn't get the paired syllables quite right, as here. A male's chip call. The male sings from exposed perches on bushes, trees, telephone wires etc.
(Songs of two males, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy edges and small trees near open areas such as weedy fields and pastures; woodland clearings.
The Dickcissel is named after its song which supposedly sounds like dick dick cissel (two short notes followed by trills). During the breeding season males sing incessantly from exposed perches. This bird sang about every 6 or 7 seconds for over twenty minutes, pausing only briefly to preen quickly. It flew away and then returned a short time later to continue its repetitious singing. Occasionally the bird altered its song slightly by dropping a dick or doubling a trill. The trill section can vary. (Schoharie County, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy or weedy fields, grain fields.
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