Songs and Calls of North American Birds

Blackbird, Red-winged

Agelaius phoeniceus

Family: Icteridae

Males sing the okaree song throughout the year, and during the breeding season they often sing it when doing the song-spread or flight displays. Females sing during the breeding season, but their songs are nothing like the male song. This female song is the type sung in the presence of a male and may be for communication between mated birds. The very common chek call is given by males and females when disturbed. Males give the piercing down slurred jeer call when alarmed. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: A common bird of salt- and fresh-water marshes. Also fields, especially wet fields or near water.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Blackbird, Rusty

Euphagus carolinus

Family: Icteridae

Males sing at least two types of songs during migration; a gurgle followed by a high squeak and a jumble of squeaky notes. Birds often make a chek call or a sweeter smack between the songs. Migrating birds often gather in trees and their combined voices are distinctively squeaky (Canada goose in background). (Migrating birds; Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in spruce bogs; seen in marshes, swamps and woods near water during migration.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Blackbird, Yellow-headed

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Family: Icteridae

I really enjoy yellow-headed blackbirds, but most people describe their calls as harsh or unpleasant. Male's territorial accenting song consists of a couple of soft, musical introductory notes followed by a harsh trill. It is directed at distant birds and is often accompanied by a song spread display (tail and wings spread out, beak pointing up). They look and sound like it takes real effort to squeeze out the trill. A perched male repeatedly produced a "squeal song" and isolated squeals interspersed with accenting songs. Males frequently give the chek call during the breeding season, whether perched or flying, when feeding, when moving in and out of territory, and when threatened. (Burnett County, Wisconsin, Becker County, Minnesota, Stutsman County, North Dakota.)
Habitat: Breeds in marshes, winters in farm fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Bluebird, Eastern

Sialia sialis

Family: Turdidae

The Bluebird's gentle, melodious song does not stand out sharply against the background, as do many bird songs. (Three songs of one male, Schoharie County, New York.)
Habitat: Fields, farms, orchards, open woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Bobolink

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Family: Icteridae

The male gives its bubbling song while in display flight. It also sings when perched or on the ground often while doing the song spread display. The male also makes a chek call. The female makes a chip call along with a tail-flick when alarmed. (Saratoga County, New York.)
Habitat: A bird of open country. Nests in grasslands, hayfields and weedy meadows.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Bunting, Indigo

Passerina cyanea

Family: Cardinalidae

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.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Bunting, Lark

Calamospiza melanocorys

Family: Emberizidae

The male's primary song may be sung during flight display or from a perch and consists of several motifs sung one after the other. Here is a flight display song consisting of eight motifs, six of which are repeated once. Perched birds generally sing shortened versions of the primary song. Here is one song by the same bird when perched (four motifs), and here are six songs sung by a second perched bird (two to five motifs). (Valley County, Montana and Weston County, Wyoming.)
Habitat: Short grass prairie sometimes with shrubs, pastures, stubble, alfalfa fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

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C

Cardinal, Northern

Cardinalis cardinalis

Family: Cardinalidae

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.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae)

Catbird, Gray

Dumetella carolinensis

Family: Mimidae

The Catbird is named for its meow call, which it gives when disturbed and during aggressive encounters between birds. Its song is a long series of many phrases including imitations of other birds. The Catbird is not as gifted a mimic as its relative the Northern Mockingbird. (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: Tangles, shrubbery, wood edges. Suburban and rural.
Songs and calls of related birds (Mimidae).

Chickadee, Black-capped

Poecile atricapillus

Family: Paridae

Males begin singing fee-bee-ee in late winter as their flocks begin to break up. During long singing bouts they may change pitch after many repetitions (here are two songs by one bird). During the breeding season males sing fee-bee-ee to defend territory and attract a mate. When heard from a distance the song may sound like a two-note fee-bee, but it is almost always three notes. The function of the chickadee call depends on context. In winter a bird may use the call when it gets separated from the flock. It also is used when mobbing small mammal or perched avian predators. In that case, the number of 'dees' in each call is greater with smaller, more threatening predators. Paradoxically, it is used as an 'all clear' call when birds are frozen in response to a flying predator. The scolding dee-dee call is used by males and females in aggressive interactions and territorial skirmishes. You can hear a variety of chickadee calls in this recording of interactions among birds. The whiney tship call accompanied by the wing-quiver display is given by begging fledglings and by females during mate feeding. The begging, wing-quivering bird in this recording appeared to be a fledgling, as three birds were present. (An adult also calls five times in this recording. Scratchy noises are birds moving in the tree branches.) (Albany and St. Lawrence Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Lower levels of open woods and in thickets. Common in suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Paridae).

Chuck-will's-widow

Caprimulgus carolinensis

Family: Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow is named for its call which it makes repeatedly. The rate of calling can vary about 2-fold. The initial note (the "chuck") can be hard to hear when the bird is far away (listen to the bird in the background in the recording). The length of a calling bout varies widely and can be quite long on moonlit nights. This species is active mainly at night when it forages for insects that it catches on the wing. (Chatham County, Georgia)
Habitat: Coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests near fields or other openings for foraging.
Songs and calls of related birds (Caprimulgidae).

Cowbird, Brown-headed

Molothrus ater

Family: Icteridae

Male is a weak singer and may go unnoticed. Males sing a bubble-squeak song and a squeaky song. The female makes a chatter call. Here are calls made by a pair sitting next to each other on a branch; the male gives his song and the female gives her chatter call. Fledglings give an insistent begging call and wing-quiver display. In this recording a cowbird fledgling is begging from black-capped chickadees and was fed. The cowbird's begging call was quite different from the chickadee's normal tship begging call, but the chickadees fed it anyway. I think of the male as squeaky and the parasitic female as sneaky. (Albany and Schoharie Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Open woods, edges, fields, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Crane, Sandhill

Grus canadensis

Family: Gruidae

These calls were made by birds foraging in a field in June. The call starts with a rattle. The latter part of the call may have been a duet, as one member of the pair raised its head and called while the other lifted its head a bit and moved it in coordination with the call. Many cranes, including sandhills, make a "unison call" which is a duet between paired birds. The unison call is thought to strengthen the pair bond and may also be used to defend territory. (Burnett County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in grasslands, marshes, and tundra; forages in fields in winter.

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Creeper, Brown

Certhia americana

Family: Certhiidae

The brown creeper's song is high, thin and sibilant. It is easily recognized; although the notes are variable. Creepers make seet contact calls as they move through the woods in pairs or in small flocks. (Scratchy sound is the bird moving on the tree bark.) (Three songs by one bird, seets by a second bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Mature woods.

Crossbill, White-winged

Loxia leucoptera

Family: Fringillidae

Male white-winged crossbills sing from high perches such as tree tops. Songs are variable generally consisting of trills with interspersed warbles and chirps. Females also sing but much less commonly than males. (One male; Franklin County, New York)
Habitat: Crossbills are specialized for feeding on conifer cones and occur in spruce and tamarack forests with a heavy cone crop.
Songs and calls of related birds (Fringillidae).

Crow, American

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Family: Corvidae

The American Crow's conspicuous and noisy caw is used for long-distance communication. An individual bird may produce many variations of the caw, and the ways in which it is used are not understood. (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: Widespread in country and city.
Songs and calls of related birds (Corvidae).

Cuckoo,Black-billed

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Family: Cuculidae

The black-billed cuckoo typically calls the first syllable of its name cucucu in a repeated pattern of three or four cu's (cucucu or cucucucu). It also makes a number of less well-known calls including a harsh grating call, k-k-k. It may call at night. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Woods and thickets, especially where caterpillars are abundant.
Calls of related birds (Cuculidae).

Cuckoo, Yellow-billed

Coccyzus americanus

Family: Cuculidae

A common call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a repeated, hollow-sounding kow. The rate of calling may slow toward the end of a series. (Schoharie County, New York.)
Habitat: Woods and thickets, especially where caterpillars are abundant.
Calls of related birds (Cuculidae).

Curlew, Long-billed

Numenius americanus

Family: Scolopacidae

All of these recordings were made during the breeding season. The trilled call is most often given when a curlew lands near other curlews. It is also given during interactions between birds; when this example was recorded three birds were together on the ground and two of them called. The long call is usually made by flying birds; in this instance a curlew made 15 long calls as it glided low over the ground on set wings, then it stopped calling while it flapped its wings, and then began again to glide and make long calls just before landing and giving the trilled call (Baird's Sparrow, Western Meadowlark, Sprague's Pipit & crickets in background). Long-call flights were seen or heard all six days we were near breeding territories. The curlee call (or curloo) is the most commonly heard Long-billed Curlew call (calls by three birds; some curlee calls are more drawn out and delivered more slowly than these). Both sexes make the call; it is heard on the breeding grounds and from migrating and wintering flocks. It appears to serve as contact call and an anxiety call. The ki-keck alarm call is made mainly in flight and is used, for example, when predators enter a nesting area. The wheet anxiety call is used mainly on the ground. (Valley County, Montana.)
Habitat: Breeds in western open grasslands. In migration and winter found in wetlands, beaches, farm fields.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

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Dickcissel

Spiza americana

Family: Cardinalidae

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.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Duck, Wood

Aix sponsa

Family: Anatidae

The most commonly heard call of the Wood Duck is a squeal, ooEEK, given by the female. One version is used when she flies into a new area or approaches males and may serve as an advertisement. A shortened version is used as an alarm. The calls presented here were given by an alarmed hen leading ducklings away across a pond. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Swamps, ponds, rivers with trees.
Calls of related birds (Anatidae).

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Finch, House

Carpodacus mexicanus

Family: Fringillidae

Song is a complex cheery warble of variable length, often ending with a harsh buzzy note (heard on the first of the three calls presented here). Both male and females sing. (Songs of one male, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: In the east found in cities, suburbs, open woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Fringillidae).

Finch, Purple

Carpodacus purpureus

Family: Fringillidae

During the breeding season the male warbles its rich sounding territory song from a habitual perch high in a tree. (St. Lawrence County, New York.)
Habitat: Coniferous and mixed woods, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Fringillidae).

Flicker, Northern

Colaptes auratus

Family: Picidae

The flicker's song is a series of sharp "kekeke" notes. It is made by both males and females and usually lasts about 5 seconds, but it can be much longer. Flickers begin singing before forming pairs and continue until the families break up in the fall. Well developed chicks make a sharp "weew" and begging calls while in the nest cavity. In this recording, the chick was calling "weew" and then switched to the begging call as the adult approached the nest hole. You can hear when the chick was fed, as the chick's voice was muffled when the adult's beak was in its mouth. (Albany and Saratoga Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Woods, parks, suburbs, farmlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Picidae).

Flycatcher, Acadian

Empidonax virescens

Family: Tyrannidae

A territorial male sings an emphatic peet-sah (pizza) for the entire the breeding season. Stressed females (e.g. flushed from nest) may also sing peet-sah. (Evangeline Parish, Louisiana)
Habitat: Breeds in mature woodlands, swamps.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Flycatcher, Alder

Empidonax alnorum

Family: Tyrannidae

Song is a buzzy freeBEEr, with the accent on the second syllable. It also makes a shorter rrrEEo. The Alder and Willow Flycatchers were once considered to be one species and appear very similar. They are most easily distinguished by call. (Vilas County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Wet brushy areas near swamps and ponds.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Flycatcher, Cordilleran

Empidonax occidentalis

Family: Tyrannidae

This bird gave his thin ti-seet call over and over, never varying. The bird was foraging at mid-level of the forest in a wooded canyon in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park at the very eastern end of its range.
Habitat: Cool, dry forests at upper elevations, often near streams.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Flycatcher, Great-crested

Myiarchus crinitus

Family: Tyrannidae

Makes a loud, easily recognized burry preet and a loud wheep. After the young have fledged, a family may be heard calling loudly as it moves through the treetops. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, usually in the upper half of the trees.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Flycatcher, Least

Empidonax minimus

Family: Tyrannidae

Song is a simple, repeated chebek. Listen carefully for the rarely heard juicy 'chur' after the second series of chebeks. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Calls in the lower parts of open woodlands and orchards.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Flycatcher, Willow

Empidonax traillii

Family: Tyrannidae

Song is a sneezy, forceful fitzbew. It also makes a simple, liquid whit. The Willow and Alder Flycatchers were once considered one species and appear very similar. They are best distinguished by call. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Wet brushy areas.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

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Goldfinch, American

Carduelis tristis

Family: Fringillidae

The male's song is a series of short, sweet bursts of whistles and twitters separated by periods of silence. The male also makes an easily recognized flight call perchicoree which he gives on the upswing of his normal undulating flight. The flight call can be heard year around, but as the breeding season approaches the male begins to make his spectacular, bounding flight display in which the normal undulations are greatly exaggerated. He continues the flight display through the nesting season. Both males and females make two- or three-note alarm calls. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Open areas with bushes and trees, weedy fields, suburbs, feeders in winter.
Songs and calls of related birds (Fringillidae).

Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray

Polioptila caerulea

Family: Sylviidae

The gnatcatcher's common call is a nasal, high-pitched beeee, which it makes frequently as it forages in trees and shrubs. Its call may be overlooked easily in a noisy environment. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: In the East the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher breeds in swampy woods.
Calls of related birds (Sylviidae).

Godwit, Marbled

Limosa fedoa

Family: Scolopacidae

A couple of marbled godwits on their breeding grounds flew hundreds of meters across a large field apparently to investigate us, circled us once or twice while calling and then flew back to where they came from. They repeated this behavior several times. The birds called versions of ger-whit on the ground and while flying. At another location a godwit flew in circles around us calling rad-i-ca and other calls for several minutes. Occasionally it landed and called an agitated ger-whit repeatedly. It's likely we were near its nesting area; although we were on a road. (Clay County, Minnesota)
Habitat: Breeds in grasslands; spends winters on seacoast.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Goshawk, Northern

Accipiter gentilis

Family: Accipitridae

A stealthy predator on small mammals and medium-sized birds, the Northern Goshawk is usually silent, but it calls during courtship and is noisy around its nest. It ferociously defends its nesting area, and a human intruder is sure to be met by loud alarm calls made by a threatening adult that may attack. To record calls of undisturbed birds, an autonomous recorder was left overnight near a nest shortly after the young had fledged. The following were taken from the recording made the next morning: -- Alarm calls by an adult or a fledgling (older nestlings can make this call). The birds were apparently not as undisturbed as hoped. (48 sec; Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Least Flycatcher, Ovenbird and Scarlet Tanager in background). -- Wail calls by adult or fledgling (25 sec; a common Goshawk call). -- Excited fledglings possibly being fed. Some screams seem to morph into wail calls. (78 sec; Yellow-billed Cuckoo at beginning and Least Flycatcher in background.) (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: Coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests in Canada and northern USA and in mountains.
Calls of related birds (Accipitridae).

Goose, Canada

Branta canadensis

Family: Anatidae

The Canada goose usually makes a two note kaa-ronk or ahonk The male has a somewhat lower voice than the female. Here are two geese apparently alarmed by my presence, even though I was 150 ft away across a marsh. Eventually they worked themselves into such a pitch of excitement that they flew. Here are the calls of three geese flying into a marsh at twilight. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: lakes, ponds, marshes, fields (also nowadays, golf courses, parks, lawns)
Calls of related birds (Anatidae).

Grackle, Common

Quiscalus quiscula

Family: Icteridae

The grackle's song is harsh and raspy and often includes a high squeak at the end. Both sexes sing. The song varies widely among birds and is so non-descript that it is most easily recognized by the accompanying display (tail and wings spread slightly, body feathers ruffled). The grackle's most frequent call is a hard chek or chak. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Fields, open areas with trees, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Grosbeak, Rose-breasted

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Family: Cardinalidae

Male's song is a slow, mellow, full-sounding warble. Roger Tory Peterson has written that it sings like a robin with voice lessons. (Male, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Hardwood forests; mixed shrubs and trees.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae)

Grouse, Ruffed

Bonasa umbellus

Family: Phasianidae

When surprised, a female ruffed grouse with young puts on an injured bird act and makes mewing and cheeping sounds to draw the intruder away from the fleeing chicks. (Lewis County, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed woodlands.
Calls of related birds (Phasianidae).

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Hawk, Cooper's

Accipiter cooperii

Family: Accipitridae

Cooper's Hawk is a secretive, ambush predator that eats mainly small birds. Adults are usually silent, but like other young birds, fledglings are often noisy; they make a high, sibilant, sometimes harsh whistle, whew, whew, whew. (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: A woodland bird. Takes birds from feeders. Becoming tolerant of humans.
Calls of related birds (Accipitridae).

Hawk, Red-tailed

Buteo jamaicensis

Family: Accipitridae

The cry of the red-tailed hawk is a harsh descending scream -- keeyaaaa. The red-tail calls while flying and while perched. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Perches along roadsides and in isolated trees or along edges of woods. Soars.
Calls of related birds (Accipitridae).

Heron, Great Blue

Ardea herodias

Family: Ardeidae

The great blue heron is silent most of the time and rarely draws attention to itself by calling. It will squawk when startled into flight and sometimes calls when flying into a marsh. The adult birds also are usually quiet when sitting at a nest in a rookery, but produce remarkable squawks and growls when greeting each other (ducks and other birds in the background). These recordings were made at a heron rookery while the birds were incubating eggs. The squawks were produced when the bird on the nest appeared to ignore the arrival of its mate. The growls were produced during a greeting display after the arrival of one of the pair. Unfortunately, there is a siren in the background of the first set of growls and a jet aircraft in the second set. (Washington County, New York.)
Habitat: Marshes, ponds. Rookeries are usually located in ponds with isolated dead trees.

Jay, Blue

Cyanocitta cristata

Family: Corvidae

The usually noisy blue jay makes a wide variety of calls. The most common are the jay and squeaky gate calls. These calls are quite variable and used in many contexts. Females make the rattle in spring and fall, especially when the flock is excited. It may also be used when a predator (including people) is near or when an intruding jay appears. (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: Woods, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Corvidae).

Jay, Mexican

Aphelocoma wollweberi

Family: Corvidae

Invariably in small groups, Mexican jays make a rising, soft and buzzy whit or zit call. Both of these groups moved quickly by us. (Big Bend National Park, Texas and Madera Canyon, Arizona)
Habitat: Montane pine-oak-juniper forests.
Songs and calls of related birds (Corvidae).

Junco, Dark-eyed

Junco hyemalis

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a simple trill on one pitch that is reminiscent of the Chipping Sparrow but more musical (not as dry) and often somewhat slower. Chip call has a distinctive smacking quality. The Junco making the chip call was foraging; it stopped and preened and then continued to forage, chipping all the while. (Song, Lewis County; chip calls, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in conifers and mixed woods, bogs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Kestrel, American

Falco sparverius

Family: Falconidae

Common call is a series of 'klee' notes often given when disturbed. (One male, Schoharie County, New York.)
Habitat: Open country; often seen on wires or posts.
Calls of related birds (Falconidae).

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Family: Charadriidae

The Killdeer is a noisy bird that makes a variety of piping calls including the easily recognized, insistent kill-deaah, for which it is named. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Nests in open areas with short grass or gravel. Otherwise found on mudflats, water edges, farm fields, ball fields etc.

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned

Regulus calendula

Family: Regulidae

Male's song is remarkably rich and loud for such a small bird. It begins with three or four high, thin notes and then drops to a lower pitched and much fuller warble. You often hear him singing a fragment of his song -- either the first high notes (false start) or the last section of the song. Chatter call is made by both sexes; it may function as a contact call or an alarm call. (Migrating bird; Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Nests in northern coniferous woods. May be heard singing in a variety of habitats during migration.

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Lark, Horned

Eremophila alpestris

Family: Alaudidae

Horned Larks have a light voice. Males have two types of songs: short, so-called intermittent songs, which start with 2-4 short notes and end in a rising jumble of tinkling notes, and much longer, rambling recitative songs (I do not yet have an example of a recitative song). Males sing during flight displays and from the ground or low perches. The bird in this recording was singing from a fence post. (Utah County, Utah).
Habitat: Bare ground or open areas with short, sparse vegetation; shores.

Longspur, Chestnut-collared

Calcarius ornatus

Family: Calcariidae

Male's musical song is reminiscent of the western meadowlark but is higher pitched. Song varies among birds. Males sing from the ground, from perches such as fences, and during display flights. Tri-ri-rip call is given during aggressive interactions with other males and in other situations where the bird is probably agitated or alarmed. (Clay County, Minnesota)
Habitat: Recently grazed or mowed prairie or fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Calcariidae).

Longspur, Lapland

Calcarius lapponicus

Family: Calcariidae

Male's melodious song sounds something like the Bobolink's. It is given during flight display (first example) or from perches on rock or hummocks in the tundra (second and third examples). Song varies widely, but the males in one locality use the same song. This species has many calls. We found a female making this call while moving around on the ground but apparently not foraging. A nearby male made some similar calls and its rarely heard whisper song. The whisper song is simply a very quiet version of the primary song given in the presence of a female before nest building. (Nome, Alaska)
Habitat: Breeds in grassy tundra; winters in fields with short grass, fallow farm fields, beaches.
Songs and calls of related birds (Calcariidae).

Longspur, McCown's

Rhynchophanes mccownii

Family: Calcariidae

Among the longspurs, McCown's has the most elegant display flight. The male flies up 5 - 10 m, locks his wings in a vee, spreads his tail exposing the black-on-white T, and glides slowly to the ground while singing his tinkling, jumbled song. Males also sing simpler versions of their songs from the ground and low perches (two songs each by two perched birds.) (Valley County, Montana)
Habitat: Semi-arid short-grass prairie with sparse vegetation; over-grazed pastures.
Songs and calls of related birds (Calcariidae).

Longspur, Smith's

Calcarius pictus

Family: Calcariidae

Male's sweet song is reminiscent of the chestnut-sided and yellow warbler's songs. Each male has only one song which the same as or similar to the song of other males in his locality. Songs vary among localities. Males sing from the ground, hummocks, and other perches. Males do not defend territories, and the song may serve to attract females for copulation. They do not have a flight display. Rattle call is given from the ground and while flying. It probably serves as alarm, aggression or contact call, depending on context. (Denali Highway, Alaska)
Habitat: Breeds on moist subarctic tundra with very low vegetation and on sedge meadows at the northern edge of the tree line.
Songs and calls of related birds (Calcariidae).

Loon, Common

Gavia immer

Family: Gaviidae

The wails and yodels of the common loon symbolize the night-time soundscape of northern forest lakes. Loons often call in flight. This recording was made at night, and although the birds sound excited, I do not know what they were doing. (Vilas County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Nests on northern forest lakes.

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Family: Anatidae

The familiar quack of the Mallard is made only by the female. This bird was startled by something unidentified. The female Mallard also often calls in flight. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Marshes, ponds, lakes, bays, city parks.
Calls of related birds (Anatidae).

Meadowlark, Eastern

Sturnella magna

Family: Icteridae

The male eastern meadowlark's song is a sweet slurred whistle that can be heard far across the fields where the birds live. Males mainly sing from exposed perches on utility wires, fences, trees and shrubs; they sometimes sing from the ground or while flying. Males and females use the short, buzzy dzeet call when alarmed and during courtship. Eastern and western meadowlarks are most easily distinguished by their songs and calls. (Songs by two birds, Saratoga County, New York.)
Habitat: Meadows, fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Meadowlark, Western

Sturnella neglecta

Family: Icteridae

The male western meadowlark's melodious song has two parts; a whistled introduction followed by several gurgling notes. The birds sing sporadically in winter; this song was recorded in December in California. Western meadowlarks sing mainly from exposed perches such as utility wires, fences, trees and shrubs; they sometimes sing from the ground or while flying. Both males and females make the rich sounding chupp call. It usually is given when a bird is mildly disturbed (as when an intruder enters the territory), but it also is used during courtship and territorial behavior. These chupp calls were given by two birds that were sitting near each other on a fence -- one with a worm in its beak. They may have been disturbed by me. Eastern and western meadowlarks are most easily distinguished by their songs and calls. (Songs by four birds; Clay County, Minnesota; Stutsman and Grand Forks Counties, North Dakota; and Solano County, California.)
Habitat: Meadows, fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Mockingbird, Northern

Mimus polyglottos

Family: Mimidae

The mockingbird's song is composed of phrases repeated 2-6 or occasionally more times. The song is used by males to establish a breeding territory in the spring and by males and females to establish a feeding territory in the fall. The birds sing from exposed perches, and unmated males may sing at night. A loud and vigorous singer, the mockingbird is an excellent mimic of other bird's songs, and it may include bits of non-avian sounds in its repertoire. The poet Mary Oliver has written that she played songs by Mahler to a Mockingbird and "now a little Mahler spills through the sputter of his song". (Saratoga County, New York.)
Habitat: Open areas with dense shrubbery. Suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Mimidae).

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Nighthawk, Commmon

Chordeiles minor

Family: Caprimulgidae

Common nighthawks make a nasal peent call as they forage or display while flying at dusk or near dawn. They also call from the ground. (Franklin County, New York).
Habitat: Nests in logged or open forests, clearings, fields, and on flat gravel rooftops.
Songs and calls of related birds (Caprimulgidae).

Nuthatch, Red-breasted

Sitta canadensis

Family: Sittidae

The red-breasted nuthatch moves through coniferous woods making a nasal enk call. The birds in this recording appeared to be fledglings begging for food as a group moved through spruce woods. This insistent calling continued unabated until the birds moved out of earshot (> 5 min). These enks are very similar to adult calls; although much more frequent and persistent. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Coniferous woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Sittidae).

Nuthatch, White-breasted

Sitta carolinensis

Family: Sittidae

The most common call is a nasal yank which is given by both sexes when disturbed or excited. An intruder or observer often elicits one or more yanks. The frequency and number of yanks seem to increase with the degree of excitement. The male's song is a rapid series of 8-12 notes that has been written as hah-hah-hah-. . . or wer-wer-wer. . . When a female is nearby the male makes the song-bow display; he extends his neck and bobs his head and body each time he sings. Males start singing in winter and continue into June. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Mature mixed and deciduous forest.
Songs and calls of related birds (Sittidae).

Oriole, Baltimore

Icterus galbula

Family: Icteridae

The oriole's song is a varied series of usually clear melodious whistles and is given by both males and females. Males sing during territory formation and males and females sing during courtship. Both sexes also commonly give a one or two note whistled call and a buzzy chatter call. The chatter call is given when the bird is alarmed, during aggressive interactions or when coming to the nest. Usually sings from high in a tree. (Albany, Rensselaer, and Schoharie Counties, New York.).
Habitat: Open woods, edge of deciduous forest, orchards.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

Oriole, Orchard

Icterus spurius

Family: Icteridae

Male's song is a complex warble of mostly melodious notes with a few harsh notes usually interspersed. Often ends in a downslurred note. This male sang two songs that differed only in the presence or absence of the last downslurred note. Both sexes give a chatter call. This chatter call was given during a male-female chase; I don't know which bird made it. Both sexes also make chek calls; these were made by a male. A foraging male sometimes seemed to be talking to itself, as it made quiet, less intense cheks and chatter calls (American Robin prominent in background) and an occasional quiet upslurred squeak even though no other orchard oriole was present. (Rensselaer County, New York).
Habitat: Orchards, shade trees, open woods and wood edges.
Songs and calls of related birds (Icteridae).

 

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapilla

Family: Parulidae

The male Ovenbird's loud and frequently repeated primary song (teacher teacher teacher . . . ) is a major part of the spring and summer soundscape in eastern deciduous forests. Each male has one primary song, which differs subtly among birds. Ovenbird males also occasionally sing a complex extended song which usually contains teacher phrases from the primary song along with additional notes and phrases. The extended song varies markedly among birds. Ovenbirds may sing the extended song during display flights and also from perches and from the ground. It is heard most often near dusk when the bird is displaying, but it may be heard at anytime of day or night. It is frequently called the ‘flight song‘ or the ‘nocturnal song‘, but neither of these names is accurately descriptive. This example of the extended song was recorded a few minutes before 1AM with an automatic system set up to detect migrating birds at night. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Ground to mid-level of deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

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Parula, Northern

Setophaga americana

Family: Parulidae

Song is rising buzzy trill that usually ends with an emphatic note. (One bird, Vilas County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in woods where trees have lichen or Spanish moss, often near water.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Pewee, Eastern Wood-

Contopus virens

Family: Tyrannidae

Song is a plaintive, slurred whistle "pee-a-wee" with an occasional downslurred "peeoooh" inserted among the pee-a-wee calls. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Low to mid level of open deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Pewee, Western Wood-

Contopus sordidulus

Family: Tyrannidae

The Pewee's harsh, descending pee-er is a commonly heard daytime call during the breeding season and also is included in its dawn song. The dawn song is almost always sung before sunrise and can continue for many minutes without interuption; the bird in this recording sang continously for more than 10 minutes (American robin in background). (Madera Canyon, Arizona and Custer County, South Dakota).
Habitat: Woods and edges of woods and forests.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Phoebe, Eastern

Sayornis phoebe

Family: Tyrannidae

The eastern phoebe has two similar songs, the firmly stated 'fee-bee' for which it is named and a 'fee-b-b-bee' which has a roll in the middle and rises at the end. It often alternates the two songs, but also often repeats one song several times. It has other simple calls such as a quiet juicy cheep, which it says relatively infrequently. The phoebe's songs are not learned but are innate. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Woods, farms, suburbs, towns. Often nests on houses, barns, bridges.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Pipit, Sprague's

Anthus spragueii

Family: Motacillidae

Picture this. It's spring. You are standing on a knoll in an open western grassland listening to the birds when you hear a light, descending tinkling song coming from above you. This is the display song of a Sprague's Pipit flying inconspicuously in the sky. A male, having risen to 50 to 100 m above the ground, stops flapping, extends his wings, sings and then resumes flying. He stays above the same patch of land and repeats his performance over and over. The bird in this recording sang every 12 - 16 sec for more than six min (a short bout of displaying). (Valley County, Montana.)
Habitat: Breeds in dry open grasslands with no shrubs; during migration frequents grasslands, fallow fields and stubble.
Songs and calls of related birds (Motacillidae).

Rail, Virginia

Rallus limicola

Family: Rallidae

Male's territorial call is a mechanical series of 'kdit' notes. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in fresh and brackish water marshes. Winters also in salt marshes.

Raven, Common

Corvus corax

Family: Corvidae

Ravens make a wide variety of calls; some vary geographically, some are specific to sex, and some may be specific to individual birds. All of the following recordings were made in the vicinity of active nests. The raven's distinctive, loud, raspy croaks are usually given as a series of repeats. The predator alarm call is a series of kek-kek-kek sounds; we often heard this call when we approached within 100m of the nest. Nesting ravens will chase intruding birds (crows, raptors, other ravens). In this chase a raven gives the alarm, flies off and begins the chase, which can be heard again about 15 sec later. Raven nestlings are sometimes noisy. They often gape and call when no adult is at the nest. As soon as an adult arrives, they open their brilliant pink gape and beg loudly. The begging calls of young nestlings are higher pitched than the begging calls of chicks 19 days older. Chicks usually continue to call after the adult has left. To record calls of undisturbed birds, an autonomous recorder was left overnight near a nest with chicks, and the following clips were taken from the recording, which started at civil twilight the next morning (rushing water and sometimes chickadees or spring peepers are prominent): yells, whoops, short knocking calls, and knocking calls that opened with a click. Knocking calls are typically made by females. (Albany County, New York)
Habitat: Diverse - coniferous and mixed forests, mountains, tundra, arid brushy regions.
Songs and calls of related birds (Corvidae).

Redstart, American

Setophaga ruticilla

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is a variable series of high-pitched notes usually ending in a downslurred much lower note. Females also sing but much less commonly. (Five calls of three males. Albany and Lewis Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Wet deciduous or mixed woods with understory of young trees. Edges of woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Robin, American

Turdus migratorius

Family: Turdidae

The male's song is a loud, caroled whistle often described as cheeriup cheerio. It is composed of a few variable but closely spaced phrases which are repeated more or less completely after a pause. Here is a second Robin's song. The Robin is one of the first birds to sing in the morning and begins its almost continuous dawn song well before sunrise. The alarm call is a short, sharp seew. (Four birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Common in suburbs, city parks, woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

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Sandpiper, Upland

Bartramia longicauda

Family: Scolopacidae

Flight song is a rattle followed by a weird flute-like whistle, slowly rising and then falling. Unquestionably, one of my favorite bird calls. (Washington County, New York.)
Habitat: Open country, meadows, prairies.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied

Sphyrapicus varius

Family: Picidae

A common call is a mewing neeaa. Like other woodpeckers it drums on resonant tree trunks. Its drum is a short series of four or five rapid raps followed by slower sometimes paired rapping. (Calls by two males, Albany County; drum, Washington County, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous woods, orchards.
Calls of related birds (Picidae).

Snipe, Wilson's

Gallinago delicata

Family: Scolopacidae

Call is a repeated scaip given when startled into flight and under various other circumstances. In the early morning or early evening during the breeding season both sexes do an arial display in which the bird flies up a couple of hundred feet and then dives down. During the dive the rushing air vibrates the two outer tail feathers producing an eerie winnowing or whinnying sound. In the recording you can hear two episodes of winnowing and then at the end a rapid kit kit kit call followed by a wheet wheet wheet call. (Albany County, New York and Vilas County Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Marshes, bogs, wet fields.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Sparrow, American Tree

Spizella arborea

Family: Emberizidae

Each male has only one song which he shares with some of the other males in the region. This bird was singing from a perch in a shrubby willow thicket on the edge of the tundra. (Denali Highway, Alaska)
Habitat: Breeds in stunted trees and shrubby vegetation near or above treelike.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Baird's

Ammodramus bairdii

Family: Emberizidae

Male's song usually consists of a few notes followed by a clear, musical trill, but some birds may not sing a trill. Each male has only one song type in his repertoire. Here are two songs each of three birds; the third song type has no trill. These birds were singing in June from exposed perches on low shrubs or sprigs of vegetation (Valley County, Montana).
Habitat: Breeds in lightly grazed or ungrazed grasslands with occasional low shrubs or tussocks; also in grassy dried sloughs or ponds.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Chipping

Spizella passerina

Family: Emberizidae

Male's song is a dry, usually rapid trill that differs somewhat among birds. Similar to Dark-eyed Junco, Swamp Sparrow, and Pine Warbler. Not as musical as Junco. Swamp Sparrow has a looser trill. Chip calls are given by males and females when alarmed. (Songs of two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Common in suburbs, towns, open woods, conifers.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Clay-colored

Spizella pallida

Family: Emberizidae

Male's song is a series of 1 to 8 (usually 2 or 3) colorless, low pitched, insect-like buzzes. (Songs of three birds, Becker and Clay Counties, Minnesota; Burnett County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in brushy fields away from trees.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Field

Spizella pusilla

Family: Emberizidae

Male's song is a series of clear, sweet downslurred whistles which increase in speed and end in a trill. (Two birds, Saratoga and Schoharie Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy fields and pastures.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Fox

Passerella iliaca

Family: Emberizidae

The Fox Sparrow is highly variable across its range with several subspecies. Eastern birds are noted for their sweet, melodic song, but these Alaskan birds had songs with buzzy notes. All of the birds were singing from exposed perches. (Two songs of one bird from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and two songs each of two birds recorded in the Denali Area and Nome, Alaska.)
Habitat: Breeds in deciduous thickets near water, bogs, dwarf conifers.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Golden-crowned

Zonotrichia atricapilla

Family: Emberizidae

Song is sweet, clear whistle descending through three or more notes. During the breeding season males sing throughout the day from exposed perches. This bird's song is more complex than the 'oh, dear me' commonly described in field guides. Other birds in the Nome, Alaska area also sang this song. (Nome, Alaska)
Habitat: Breeds in shrubby tundra, in willow and alder thickets along streambeds, or near timberline in small conifers.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Grasshopper

Ammodramus savannarum

Family: Emberizidae

Song is thin, high and insect like. Commonly sings two notes and a trill or a more musical twitter. May sing at night during breeding season. All notes are very high (> 6000 Hz) and may be difficult to hear, even though they are reasonably loud. (Saratoga County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in grassy pastures and fields with shrubs or weeds. May be found with Savannah Sparrow.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Henslow's

Ammodramus henslowii

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a very short, simple tselick, and because of this the bird is often described as a weak singer. While its song can be heard easily from 200-300 feet away, it may go unnoticed. (Saratoga County, New York.)
Habitat: Grasslands, wet meadows and neglected fields with standing dead vegetation.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, House

Passer domesticus

Family: Passeridae

Song is an uninteresting, monotonous series of cheeps. After the breeding season the birds form flocks, roost together and call noisily around midday and as evening approaches. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Urban areas, parks, farms.

Sparrow, Lincoln's

Melospiza lincolnii

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a jumble of trills and notes on varied pitches, sometimes with a House Wren-like quality. (Two songs of one bird singing from an exposed perch; interval between songs was 16 - 48 sec. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.)
Habitat: Breeds in bogs with black spruce, tamarack, shrubby willow; thickets near water.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Nelson's

Ammodramus nelsoni

Family: Emberizidae

Male's primary song is an odd, hissy sound enclosed by opening and closing notes, p-tsssshhhh-ert. This bird was singing from an exposed perch on a low shrub in a salt marsh. (Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick).
Habitat: A bird of fresh- and saltwater marshes and wet meadows.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Olive

Arremonops rufivirgatus

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a simple trill with an accelerating rhythmic pattern that has been likened to the sound of a bouncing ball. Here are two songs each from two singing bouts; it was unclear if this was one or two birds. (Starr County, Texas).
Habitat: Thick spiny brush, weedy thickets, thick understory in tropical woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Savannah

Passerculus sandwichensis

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a rapid series of notes followed by two buzzy trills; the second trill is lower pitched. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: A variety of tall grass habitats.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Song

Melospiza melodia

Family: Emberizidae

Song is variable but has a distinctive pattern and tonal quality. It usually consists of a couple of introductory notes followed by a slightly husky trill or warble. Here are twelve songs by eight birds. An individual may sing six or more songs and may share one to several songs with the bird in the neighboring territory. (New York.)
Habitat: Open brushy areas, brushy edges along roads, streams, pastures, woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Swamp

Melospiza georgiana

Family: Emberizidae

Song is a trill on a single pitch, more musical, less dry and usually slower than the chipping sparrow's song. A single bird will sing at different tempos. Sings before dawn and into the night. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Nest in marshes, bogs, edges of ponds.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, Vesper

Pooectes gramineus

Family: Emberizidae

Sweet-sounding song starts with 2 to 4 clear, steady or downslurred whistles followed by a series of notes and trills that vary among birds. Generally sings from a high perch; this bird was on a telephone wire. (One bird, Ramsey County, North Dakota.)
Habitat: Breeds in dry fields with patchy vegetation and song perches.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, White-crowned

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Family: Emberizidae

Song varies geographically, but often starts with clear whistled notes and ends with buzzes or trilled phrases. Each male sings one primary song, but those living on the border between dialects often have both songs. Here are the songs of six birds from Alaska; the first five are from the Denali region and the last from Nome. Each bird was singing from an exposed perch. Studies have shown that males's songs are effective in attracting mates and defending territory.
Habitat: Varies widely; breeds in boreal forest and tundra with stunted trees; also deciduous thickets, parks and gardens.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Sparrow, White-throated

Zonotrichia albicollis

Family: Emberizidae

Song is sweet, clear, loud, whistle commonly written as 'poor sam peabody peabody peabody' or 'sweet sweet Canada Canada Canada'. The peabody phrases can be higher or lower than the introductory notes. Chip calls are variable. (Lewis County, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy mixed open woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Swan, Trumpeter

Cygnus buccinator

Family: Anatidae

This swan is named for its trumpet call. Swans trumpet when defending territory, when excited, and to promote family or flock cohesion. In this case, a pair was swimming across a pond at sunset, apparently undisturbed, when one of the pair trumpeted. (Burnett County, Wisconsin)
Habitat: Breeds on freshwater ponds, lakes and marshes.
Calls of related birds (Anatidae).

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Tanager, Hepatic

Piranga flava

Family: Cardinalidae

Male's song is a series of pleasing warbles (compare with Summer Tanager.) The song is not raspy like the Western or Scarlet Tanagers' songs; although it often includes a few slightly buzzy notes. This bird was moving through a woodland of small decidouous trees as it sang. (Chiricahua Mountains, Coronado National Forest, Arizona)
Habitat: In the US, typically found in open pine-oak forest.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Tanager, Scarlet

Piranga olivacea

Family: Cardinalidae

Male sings in the forest canopy sounding something like a hoarse Robin. (Five songs of four birds, Albany and Schoharie Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous forest.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Tanager, Summer

Piranga rubra

Family: Cardinalidae

Male's song variable in length. It is reminiscent of the American robin's song, and is similar to the scarlet tanager's song but is less raspy. Here is a first spring male singing from high in a vine-covered cottonwood tree. (Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.)
Habitat: Found near edges or gaps in open deciduous forest or pine-oak woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Tanager, Western

Piranga ludoviciana

Family: Cardinalidae

The male's song usually consists of 3-6 short phrases and is raspy like that of the Scarlet Tanager. This bird's delivery of the song was more rapid than some. It was singing from the very top of relatively isolated tree. Females sometimes sing, especially near fledglings or nests with young. (One male, Utah County, Utah.)
Habitat: A variety of types of open woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Cardinalidae).

Thrasher, Brown

Toxostoma rufum

Family: Mimidae

Male has an enormous repertoire of songs -- greater than 1500. He usually repeats each song phrase once. That is, he sings a long series of mostly doublet songs that he rarely repeats. Here is a section of an extended bout of singing. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Hedgerows, brush in open areas, edges of woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Mimidae).

Thrasher, Sage

Oreoscoptes montanus

Family: Mimidae

Songs are a long series of varied phrases and occasionally include imitations of other species such as Western Meadowlark. Songs vary widely in length from a few seconds to many minutes. This recording contains three short songs and one longer song (77 sec). Western Meadowlark is occasionally prominent in the background. The thrasher appeared to be on its territory and was singing from perches including sagebrush and a large rock. There was a second Sage Thrasher in the area, apparently silent and presumably the female. (Antelope Island State Park, Utah)
Habitat: Breeds mainly in sagebrush steppe.
Songs and calls of related birds (Mimidae).

Thrush, Hermit

Catharus guttatus

Family: Turdidae

One of the finest avian singers. Its song is an ethereal, flute-like phrase introduced by a single simple tone. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Coniferous and mixed woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Thrush, Swainson's

Catharus ustulatus

Family: Turdidae

Another fine singer, the male's song is a rising spiral of flutelike notes introduced by a soft, low buzzy note (really a short trill). The bird in this recording was engaged in a long singing bout from the top of a dead spruce tree in late evening. (One bird, Fundy National Park, New Brunswick.)
Habitat: Commonly breeds in spruce-fir and mixed forests, also in deciduous woods and along streams.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Thrush, Varied

Ixoreus naevius

Family: Turdidae

The male's marvelously weird song adds an otherworldly tone to the forest. Here are six songs from one bird which was perched near the top of a 15 m spruce tree on a windy day. This bird usually sang a tone every 20-30 seconds. (Fairbanks area, Alaska).
Habitat: Damp, dark coniferous forest.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Thrush, Wood

Hylocichla mustelina

Family: Turdidae

My personal favorite. Its song is a flute-like phrase introduced by 2-4 lower notes "bupbupbup" (an oboe?). (Two birds, Albany and Rensselaer Counties, New York.
Habitat: Deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Titmouse, Tufted

Baeolophus bicolor

Family: Paridae

Song is a loud, clear downslurred whistle and is easily heard at a distance. Each phrase is usually repeated several times. Often written as 'peter peter peter'. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Woods, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Paridae).

Towhee, Eastern

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Family: Emberizidae

Male sings 'drink your tea' loudly from exposed perches during the nesting season. Most common call is a loud 'chewink' given when disturbed. (Songs of two males, Albany County; calls, Schoharie County, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy edges and open woods with shrubs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Towhee, Green-tailed

Pipilo chlorurus

Family: Emberizidae

A male Green-tailed Towhee typically has several songs and shares some of them with neighboring males. This recording includes small variations of two song types sung alternately. The bird was singing from a partially hidden perch in a large area of dense low shrubs on a sunny, blustery day. The rising mew call is given by males and females during foraging and in a variety of other situations; males sometimes include it in a singing bout. (One bird, Utah County, Utah)
Habitat: Thick low brush often with isolated trees; shrubby woodland edges.
Songs and calls of related birds (Emberizidae).

Turkey, Wild

Meleagris gallopavo

Family: Phasianidae

Alarm calls of a hen. We startled this bird which flew perhaps 15 feet, landed, ran back across the trail where we had first seen her and began calling. In summer, young poults make the kee-kee call which appears to serve as a contact call; it is given by birds trying to regroup after having been scattered by a predator and is often called the "lost call". It may be used in other contexts, however, as this bird was one of a flock that drew me in by its incessant kee-keeing. Here is a recording of a distant flock of poults illustrating the variation in kee-kee calls. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Open wood edges. Fields near woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Phasianidae).

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Veery

Catharus fuscescens

Family: Turdidae

A wonderful singer. Song is a downward spiral of flute like notes. Call is a loud descending 'chew'. (Songs of three birds, calls of one bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Damp deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Turdidae).

Vireo, Bell's

Vireo bellii

Family: Vireonidae

The male's primary song is short, variable and sounds hurried and squeaky or scratchy. A bird often alternates two song types in which the final phrase is rising or falling making it sound like a question and answer. Bell's Vireo also sings a longer rambling song comprising a series of mostly squeaky notes and sometimes including parts of a primary song. The rambling song can be much longer than the three short examples in the recording. The bird in these recordings was singing from a dense hedgerow near the Rio Grande. Females are thought to sing, but do so very uncommonly. (Big Bend National Park, Texas.)
Habitat: Thickets, dense shrubs often near water, shrubby fields.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo, Blue-headed

Vireo solitarius

Family: Vireonidae

Songs are similar to the Red-eyed Vireo but the delivery is usually slower and more deliberate. Usually sings from high in the trees. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Mixed deciduous and coniferous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo, Plumbeous

Vireo plumbeus

Family: Vireonidae

The pace of the male's singing is reminiscent of the Blue-headed Vireo, but some songs have a burry quality similar to the those of the Yellow-throated Vireo. The order of his songs varies, but he rarely sings the same song twice in a row. Sings from mid to upper level of trees. These birds were singing while moving through the trees foraging. (Six songs and a note from one bird and six from a second. Custer County, South Dakota and Sandoval County, New Mexico.)
Habitat: Primarily dry coniferous forests, but also inhabits deciduous forests.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo, Red-eyed

Vireo olivaceus

Family: Vireonidae

Sings incessantly with few pauses from high in trees. Song may sound similar to the Blue-headed Vireo's song, but the Red-eye usually sings more rapidly. I estimate that the second bird in this recording had roughly 50 songs in his repertoire, which is in the middle of the normal range (17-113). (Two birds, Lewis and Albany Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo, Warbling

Vireo gilvus

Family: Vireonidae

Song is a pleasing series of melodious warbles. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous trees.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo, White-eyed

Vireo griseus

Family: Vireonidae

Male has nine to twenty short, primary songs that usually start and often end with a sharp chik or chip. He sings one repeatedly and then switches to another. Here are five songs of one territorial bird (each repeated once). The male also sings a longer rambling song that reminds me of the Gray Catbird. Sometimes combines different song elements together. In this example, he combined a primary song with short rambling-type song and then a little later sang each part separately. (Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.)
Habitat: Thickets, shrubby vegetation, brambles, dense understory.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

Vireo,Yellow-throated

Vireo flavifrons

Family: Vireonidae

Seemingly a laid-back bird, it sings a slow-paced series of two or three note songs which have a husky or burry quality that distinguishes it from other vireos in eastern North America. Usually sings from high in trees. (Rensselaer County, New York.)
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Vireonidae).

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Wagtail, Eastern Yellow

Motacilla tschutschensis

Family: Motacillidae

Often faint, the wagtail's contact-alarm calls are made in several contexts and are probably the most frequently heard calls this species makes. Made by males and females near nest, when perched and while migrating. Birds call more loudly when circling an intruder, as in this recording. (Calls of one bird, Nome, Alaska.)
Habitat: Breeds in coastal tundra of Alaska, open ground with shrubs, along creeks, roads or ditches.
Songs and calls of related birds (Motacillidae).

Warbler, Arctic

Phylloscopus borealis

Family: Sylviidae

Male's song is a monotonous trill with little variation. (Two songs of two birds, Denali Highway, Alaska.)
Habitat: Breeds in dense willows along stream beds.
Songs and calls of related birds (Sylviidae).

Warbler, Black-and-White

Mniotilta varia

Family: Parulidae

Male's very high pitched, sibilant song is rhythmic. Compare with blackpoll and blackburnian warblers. (Three songs, Albany County, NY; three songs Vilas County, Wisconsin; two songs, Rensselaer County, New York.)
Habitat: Mature deciduous or mixed woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Blackburnian

Setophaga fusca

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is very high pitched. Compare with black-and-white and blackpoll warblers. (Five songs of three males, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in mature mixed or coniferous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Blackpoll

Setophaga striata

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is extremely high pitched. Often sounds loudest in middle. Compare with black-and-white and blackburnian warblers. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in cool, damp low or stunted conifers, edges of bogs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Black-throated Blue

Setophaga caerulescens

Family: Parulidae

A lazy, buzzy song. Last note usually ascending. (Five songs of three males, Albany County, NY)
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed woodlands with good understory.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Black-throated Green

Setophaga virens

Family: Parulidae

This is the so-called accented version of the male's song, in which the last note is higher and accented. The male usually sings it from a low perch or while foraging. I do not yet have a quality recording of an unaccented song. (Five songs of three males, Albany County, NY)
Habitat: Coniferous, or mixed woods with good understory.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Blue-winged

Vermivora cyanoptera

Family: Parulidae

Male's usual song is a lazy, two-note bee-bzzzz. The first note sounds inhaled and the second note may be higher or lower than the first. The golden-winged warbler's song is similar but has two or three bzz notes following the first note. This unusual song seems to be backwards -- bzzz bee. Perhaps this blue-wing was a young one just learning his song. (Three birds, Albany and Rensselaer Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in successional growth such as old fields, woodland clearings and edges, etc.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Canada

Cardellina canadensis

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is variable but always begins with a chip note. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Moist woodlands, swamps, thickets with understory
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Cerulean

Setophaga cerulea

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is an ascending series of burry notes ending with a high burry trill. The final burry trill distinguishes it from some similar songs of northern parula. Often calls from canopy of mature deciduous trees. (One bird, Rensselaer County, New York.)
Habitat: Mature deciduous woods usually along rivers or near swamps.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Chestnut-sided

Setophaga pensylvanica

Family: Parulidae

Male chestnut-sided warblers have two categories of songs. Category one songs end with an emphatic "meet-you". (Here is an isolated "meet-you" to help you hear it in the songs). There are only a few versions of these songs, which are sung in the daytime near females and seem to be concerned with attracting and keeping a mate. Songs in the second category do not have an emphatic ending and are sometimes more warbling than the "meet-you" songs. They are directed at males and appear to be concerned with maintaining territory. They are sung before dawn and during aggressive encounters later in the day. They are more variable than the "meet-you" songs, and some are shared by neighboring males. (Five "meet-you" songs by three birds and seven category 2 songs by seven birds. Albany County, New York, and Vilas County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in brush and new growth in cut-over areas, abandon fields, roadsides, hedgerows etc.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Connecticut

Oporornis agilis

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is loud, rich, rhythmic and repetitive. The birds in these recordings sang almost constantly for long periods while concealed in dense foliage near the tops of black spruce trees. They occasionally moved from tree to tree but rarely perched in the open. (Four songs each of two birds, St Louis County, Minnesota)
Habitat: Breeds in spruce/tamarack bogs and wet second growth forests.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Golden-cheeked

Setophaga chrysoparia

Family: Parulidae

The male Golden-cheeked Warbler's song is variable but generally contains buzzy phrases. This male sang two slightly different versions of a buzzy song as it moved quickly through brushy habitat on a windy day. This is an endangered species with a patchy distribution within a limited range in central Texas. (Lost Maples State Park, Texas.)
Habitat: Mature juniper-oak woodlands.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Golden-winged

Vermivora chrysoptera

Family: Parulidae

Common male's song is similar to the blue-winged warbler's song but has two or three (sometimes one or four) buzzy notes after the initial buzz. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in early stage successional growth such as old fields, woodland clearings and edges, etc.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Hooded

Setophaga citrina

Family: Parulidae

Male's songs are loud, clear, musical whistles. In the second part of this recording you can hear two birds counter-singing. (Three birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in mature woods with well-developed understory.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Kirtland's

Setophaga kirtlandii

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is loud, emphatic and full-bodied. This bird sang frequently from exposed perches in a young pine plantation. Two or three hundred feet away, a neighboring bird sang a slightly higher pitched, more hurried version of the same song. Kirtland's Warbler is an endangered species that breeds primarily in north-central Lower Michigan, but in recent years it has extended its range to locations in Wisconsin and Southern Ontario. (Two birds, Adams County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in stands of young jack pines.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Magnolia

Setophaga magnolia

Family: Parulidae

Male's emphatic ending song is quite variable but often sounds brief and hurried. Song may suggest chestnut-sided warbler, but is usually shorter. (Two songs each of three birds, St. Lawrence and Albany Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in young coniferous woods; spruce, hemlock, fir thickets.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Mourning

Geothlypis philadelphia

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is loud and typically has two parts with the second part lower pitched. Many variations. (One bird, Lewis County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in low, dense vegetation such as brambles etc. that grows after fires or forest clearing; wet woods with dense ferns and undergrowth.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Nashville

Oreothlypis ruficapilla

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is characteristically a series of phrases (often clearly two-note phrases) and then a short trill. Compare with northern waterthrush. (Two songs of three birds, Albany County, NY)
Habitat: Breeds in woods with understory, brushy edges of swamps and bogs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Northern Parula

See Parula, Northern.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Orange-crowned

Oreothlypis celata

Family: Parulidae

Trilled song varies among individuals; it may contain one, two or three parts and the pitch may stay level, drop or rise. The volume often decreases at the end. These birds were singing from perches within low trees; others sang from within bushes. (Two songs of two birds, Denali area, Alaska).
Habitat: Deciduous thickets, brush.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Palm

Setophaga palmarum

Family: Parulidae

Song is series of buzzy notes which are too far apart to be called a trill. May sound hesitant. (One bird, Vilas County, Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in spruce or tamarack bogs. Sings from perches in trees.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Pine

Setophaga pinus

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is a simple trill reminiscent of the chipping sparrow or dark-eyed junco but more musical. (One bird, Vilas County,Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Strongly associated with pine trees in breeding season.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Prairie

Setophaga discolor

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is an easily recognized series of rising notes. Rate of delivery can vary considerably. Usually has a burry quality but sometimes is a clear whistle, as in the last example. (Four songs of three birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Old fields, shrubby pastures, old orchards and other successional habitats.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Prothonotary

Protonotaria citrea

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is a series of strong, clear upslurred notes which rise in intensity but do not change in pitch. The number of notes in a song can vary from 4-14. Only males sing on breeding grounds. This bird was singing constantly while foraging. One call note is a quiet tseep. It is often repeated and usually used during interactions between the sexes; however, we did not see the female at the time of this recording. (Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.)
Habitat: Breeding territory usually associated with quiet waters, as in wooded swamps, bottomlands, and stream banks.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Swainson's

Limnothlypis swainsonii

Family: Parulidae

Male's loud, ringing primary song is often written as whee-whee-whee whip-poor-will. Each male has one primary song, but different males may use different numbers of notes and sing at different rates. First notes of song are similar to those of the Louisiana Waterthrush, but the two species' songs end quite differently. We watched this bird loaf and preen under a shrub for several minutes; it then flitted into dense undergrowth and began singing. (One bird, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.)
Habitat: Canebreaks, dense understory in damp bottomlands, rhododendron tangles.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Wilson's

Cardellina pusilla

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is a rapid series of sharp chi chi chi notes varying at the end. Songs vary regionally. The pitch of this Alaskan bird's song rose at the end, but eastern birds' songs usually drop. Males generally sing from perches but occasionally sing while in flight. Females sometimes sing, but song differs from that of males. (One male, Denali Highway, Alaska)
Breeding habitiat: Moist shrubby areas with good ground cover, including bogs, pond edges, and stream sides.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Worm-eating

Helmitheros vermivorum

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is a dry, rapid trill similar to the chipping sparrow's song. It is sometimes said to be sung on one pitch, but this bird's song consistently dropped in pitch near the end. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Breeding habitat: Hillsides and ravines in deciduous or mixed forest with shrubs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Yellow

Setophaga petechia

Family: Parulidae

Male's song is bright, rapid and generally emphatic. It usually starts with a series of 'sweet' notes. The last note is often emphasized and can be slurred up or down. In the last two examples here, the closest male is immediately answered by a neighboring bird, as occurs in territorial disputes. Chip call. (Four calls of three birds, Albany and Schoharie Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Brushy areas often near water.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Warbler, Yellow-rumped

Setophaga coronata

Family: Parulidae

Song is variable and sometimes may sound like another warbler species. A common song type has two parts and includes a trill (3 songs by 2 males, eastern or "Myrtle" subspecies). Song of the western or "Audubon's" subspecies is said usually to be lower pitched and more musical than the Myrtle's song (Western Meadowlark prominent in background). (Albany and Washington Counties, New York; Keyhole State Park, Wyoming.)
Breeds in coniferous or mixed forests. In winter, found in forest edges, brush, thickets, and gardens; avoids deep woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

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Waterthrush, Louisiana

Parkesia motacilla

Family: Parulidae

Song characteristically starts with loud, strong, slurred whistles but ends in a jumble of twitters. Chip has a low, full quality. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Breeds in wooded ravines along streams.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Waterthrush, Northern

Parkesia noveboracensis

Family: Parulidae

Song is loud and emphatic comprising three, 2-5 note phrases. Doesn't have the twittering ending of the Louisiana Waterthrush. (Two songs of two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Wooded ponds, swamps, slowly-flowing streams.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Family: Scolopacidae

Breeding whimbrels respond to human intruders by making their scolding trill call. This bird was perched on a small spruce in the tundra several hundred meters away when it spotted us and began scolding. As I moved closer it flew towards me, landed on a small spruce less than fifty meters away and scolded me for several minutes while I stood still. At the end it flew to the ground and appeared to forage. (Denali Area, Alaska.)
Habitat: Breeds on tundra and taiga; winters on farm fields, beaches, mudflats.
Songs and calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Whip-poor-will, Eastern

Caprimulgus vociferus

Family: Caprimulgidae

Whip-poor-wills are most active at night. During the breeding season a whip-poor-will male calls its name over and over and over, especially on bright moonlit nights. A calling bout can last for a few seconds (as here) or for many minutes. Although the 'whip-poor-will' phrases are easily heard from a distance, the opening cluck can only be heard when the bird is nearby. Birds call from the ground or from exposed perches. The call apparently is used to attract a mate and defend territory. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Open dry woodlands with little understory and nearby open foraging areas.
Songs and calls of related birds (Caprimulgidae).

Willet

Tringa semipalmata

Family: Scolopacidae

The Willet is named from its distinctive, ringing call, p'dl will willet, which it makes almost exclusively during the breeding season. The call of the western subspecies is usually lower pitched and slower than the call of the eastern subspecies. (Recorded in Garden County, Nebraska and Cheticamp Island, Nova Scotia.)
Habitat: Eastern breeds in or near coastal salt marshes, beaches; Western breeds in prairies, grasslands near shallow wetlands or bodies of water.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Woodcock,American

Scolopax minor

Family: Scolopacidae

The woodcock puts on a spectacular courtship display at dawn and dusk in the spring. The loud and distinctive peent call of courting woodcock is usually the first sign of its presence on the display grounds. The peents are often accompanied by a soft, two-note, tuko call. (You can hear it in the peent recording, but you have to be very close to the birds in the field to hear it, because it is such a soft call.) Here are amplified tukos. The peent calls are given while the male is on the ground between his flight displays. After peenting for a while, the male flies upward in wide circles, while specialized feathers on his wings make a twittering sound. At 2-300 feet the bird starts his descent and begins to make a 'kissing call'. Listen to the flight display. (Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Moist woods and thickets, brushy swamps; displays in bordering open areas.
Calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Woodpecker, American Three-Toed

Picoides dorsalis

Family: Picidae

Chicks call incessantly from the nest hole. When a parent arrives to feed them, they make different, much louder begging calls and sound demanding. (Fairbanks Area, Alaska)
Habitat: Burned over or insect-infested coniferous forests with many dead or dying trees.
Calls of related birds (Picidae).

Woodpecker, Hairy

Picoides villosus

Family: Picidae

The sharp peek call is the most common call of the Hairy Woodpecker. It is given all year by both sexes as a contact call and in a variety of other situations. The rapid sputter call is given by alarmed birds. Both males and females drum. Males drum to establish territory and both males and females drum during courtship. The drum is evenly paced. (Three birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Woodlands, suburbs.
Calls of related birds (Picidae).

Woodpecker, Red-bellied

Melanerpes carolinus

Family: Picidae

Here is the call of an adult approaching a nest hole containing young. The young can be heard begging in the background. (Rensselaer County, New York.)
Habitat: Woods, suburbs.
Calls of related birds (Picidae).

Wood-pewee, Eastern

Contopus virens

Family: Tyrannidae

Song is a plaintive, slurred whistle "pee-a-wee" with an occasional downslurred "peeoooh" inserted among the pee-a-wee calls. (Two birds, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Low to mid level of open deciduous woods.
Songs and calls of related birds (Tyrannidae).

Wren, Bewick's

Thryomanes bewickii

Family: Troglodytidae

The male's song is a sequence of notes and trills which varies regionally in complexity. The more complex songs are often reminiscent of the Song Sparrow. Here are three Song Sparrow-like songs by one bird, and two songs interspersed among scolding calls. Another wren made these calls as long as we were near it. Each male has 9 to 22 songs in his repertoire, and he generally sings one song repeatedly before switching to another. (Lost Maples State Park, Texas).
Habitat: Brushy areas and thickets often in open woodland.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, Cactus

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

Family: Troglodytidae

Males begin singing their harsh, rhythmic song from an exposed perch before sunrise. This bird was singing from the top of a tall mesquite. Males sing one song type repeatedly before switching to another. (Two song types by one bird, Catalina State Park, Arizona).
Habitat: Desert and arid brushland, thorny shrub community, cactus, mesquite, creosote bush.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, Carolina

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Family: Troglodytidae

The male's song is easily recognized by its loud, clear, repetitive whistled phrases. It usually repeats a phrase 3-5 times. Each male may have twenty or more songs; he will repeat one song many times before switching to another. (One bird; Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Shrubby undergrowth, tangles, suburbs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, House

Troglodytes aedon

Family: Troglodytidae

Song is a complex, jumbled warble lasting 2-3 seconds. During the breeding season males sing almost incessantly with only short pauses between songs. Males and females chatter during aggressive encounters or when danger threatens. (Two birds, Albany and Saratoga Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Woodland edges or clearings, suburbs, uses bird houses.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, Marsh

Cistothorus palustris

Family: Troglodytidae

Eastern and western Marsh Wrens have different songs and repertoire sizes and may be different species. The songs of both subspecies start with one or more introductory notes followed by a harsh trill. However, both the introduction and the trill differ between them. Songs of the eastern subspecies usually start with a nasal buzz and sometimes a few additional introductory notes followed by a trill made up of entirely of tonal notes. Songs of the western subspecies also start with one or more introductory notes, but never the nasal buzz, and the trill often contains many grating, broadband notes. Broadband means that a broad range of frequencies is produced at any instant resulting in a grating or harsh sound, while tonal means that single tone or set of harmonic tones are produced at any instant, and the pitch or variation in pitch is dominant. The difference between broadband and tonal notes can be heard more easily by slowing down the playback (this also makes the pitch much lower). In this eastern Marsh Wren song played at normal and slow speed, the buzz is broadband and the trill is tonal. In these western Marsh Wren songs, the introductory notes are tonal and the trill notes are all broadband or a mixture of broadband and tonal. Eastern Marsh Wrens have a repertoire of about 40 songs and western Marsh Wrens have a repertoire of over 200 songs. (Five and four songs of two eastern birds from Albany County, New York, and songs of one western bird from Garden County, Nebraska.)
Habitat: Marshy areas.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, Sedge

Cistothorus platensis

Family: Troglodytidae

Male's song is typically two or three introductory notes followed by a variable dry trill. Each bird has many versions, but repeats one version many times before changing. (One song version of one bird, Vilas County Wisconsin.)
Habitat: Breeds in wet meadows, margins of ponds, sphagnum bogs.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

Wren, Winter

Troglodytes hiemalis

Family: Troglodytidae

Male's song is a vigorous 5-10 sec long jumble of notes and twitters. It is unlike any other bird's song. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: Nests in wide range of habitats, often near water, often in mixed or coniferous forests.
Songs and calls of related birds (Troglodytidae).

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Yellowlegs, Greater

Tringa melanoleuca

Family: Scolopacidae

The most common call is a series of 3 or 4 slightly descending 'tew' calls usually made in flight but also on the ground. This recording starts with 'tew tew tew tew' then some other calls and finishes with two series of 'tew' calls. (One bird, Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: In migration found on mud flats, exposed river beds, shallow edges of ponds and lakes. Breeds in subarctic bogs; winters in coastal marshes.
Songs and calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Yellowlegs, Lesser

Tringa flavipes

Family: Scolopacidae

Lesser Yellowlegs vigorously defend their nests and young. When a human enters a nesting area, the birds commonly fly to a tree top and endlessly scold the intruder with alarm calls (here, the opening three 'double note calls' are rapidly repeated versions of the common, characteristic tu call ). On one occasion two birds attempted to land at the same time on a spruce top. The losing bird flew down and sang the short song while the other began to give alarm calls from the top of the tree. Here is the same short song by itself (extracted from the previous recording). The short song is used in various situations, including alerting a mate to predators approaching chicks or a nest. This recording is of two birds interacting, apparently aggressively, during fall migration. (Denali Highway, Alaska and Albany County, New York.)
Habitat: In migration found on mud flats, exposed river beds, shallow edges of ponds and lakes. Breeds in subarctic bogs; winters in coastal marshes.
Songs and calls of related birds (Scolopacidae).

Yellowthroat, Common

Geothlypis trichas

Family: Parulidae

Each male has one primary song that he sings over and over throughout the day. The song has a characteristic rhythm (witchity witchity witchity) but varies among individuals. Here are eight examples of primary songs by six males. The chip call which the bird gives when disturbed is a firm chik. (Albany and Rensselaer Counties, New York.)
Habitat: Dense brush and tangles often near water.
Songs and calls of related birds (Parulidae).

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