Bird Song Review

 Here's a review of the bird songs I am currently studying as source material for the Starling Cloud Choir. I'm in love with the call of the loon right now. Have a listen on these links on the wonderful online Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

*Rufous Hummingbird: calls zeeeee-chuppity-chuppity chup (then the wings go zzzzzzz)
bzeet, bzeet bzeet chup chup, bzeet chuppity chuppity chup
zeet zeet chook chook chook, chookity chookity chook
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/sounds

*Black-capped Chickadee: call: chik-a-dee-dee-dee
song: feee bee-bee or feee beeyee, P. Diddy
fee bee, come to me
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id

*White-Throated Sparrow: "poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body"
"Pure sweet Canada Canada Canada"
whistle: (slow, sustained)Oh sweet old (triplets) CanaDA CanaDA CanaDA (first two notes are higher)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/id

Song Sparrow
Note: song depends on your region and there are many forms and subspecies of song sparrows
Maids-maids-maids-put-on-your-tea-kettle-ettle-ettle
Hip; hip; hip hurrah boys; spring is here!
Madge; Madge; Madge pick beetles off; the water's hot
sweet sweet sweet n'zreee sugarrrr it it it
sweet sweet sweet as MEEEEE put some sugar on it
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/song_sparrow/sounds

*Bewick's Wren
like Song Sparrow; but thinner; more rapid
BEWR often sings "1-2-3 drink your tea-ea-ea" or "jzzzeeet drink your tea-ea-ea".
calls: plink, plink, skerrr
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewicks_Wren/sounds

*Olive-sided Flycatcher: Quick, THREE beers, quick quick quick, quick quick
call: pip
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Olive-sided_Flycatcher/id

*Yellow Warbler:"sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"
Highly variable song. Often three part, "sweet sweet little more sweet" or “sweet sweet I’m so very sweet”
Has an urgent, quick quality. Also, "sweet, sweet, sweet, sweeter than sweet!”.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/sounds

*Red-winged Blackbird
chortle-deeeeee (hp and drawn-out last syllable)
*conk-a-reeeeeeeee
coy-la-reeee, tseer tseer, over heeere, cappucheeeno
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/

*Spotted Towhee: drink your teeee!; wack! wack!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/sounds  

*American Robin: cheerup, cheerily, cheerily
cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o
tweedledum tweedledee, tweedledum, tweedle dee dee
cheery cheerio cheerup
allarm call: yeep yeep chuck chuck chuck chuk yeep yeep eep!
whinny: quick-wik wikwikwikwik or hee he he he he (decending)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id

*Northern Flicker: Wicka, wicka, wicka
kleeeyer
wik-wik-wik
Northern Flicker (courting): squeechu-squeechu-squeechu
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/sounds

*European Starling: wolf-whistle (breathy), rattles, whirrs Whistle. Pop. Whirrrr. Zzzt.
kizzik--like a washboard
rack rack rack zeep!
Weee errr (rising, then falling)
they also imitate red-tailed hawks, killdeer, cowbirds, jays, etc.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/sounds

 *Mourning Dove: hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo; chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo
song or perch-coo: oh WOOO-oo-oo-oo
male also does a nest call:  oooo-woooo-ah (from low to high to low and owl-like)
hooLa hoop hoop hoop
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id

*American Crow: caw-caw-caw-caw-koodle-yah; koodle-yah (trilly voice)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/id

Mallard: quack quack quack
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/id

*Red-tailed Hawk: Keeeeeer
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds

*Pacific Loon: coo coo (soft and slow) Koo Koo Ullie Koo Koo Ullie (Koo Koo Oo LEE) kwa-wee! Haw, kloo-eee!
yoodle oodle ooo
awww awwww, coocoolooLEE coocoolooLEE,
(described as a yodel)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Loon/sounds

*Raven: cruk (harsh, raspy); tawk (metallic) quark quark quark
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/sounds

*Barred Owl: Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

*Great Horned Owl: Are you awake? me too; scree, scree
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

*Trumpeter Swan: sound of wings-swish; truggle, truggle
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/id

Canada Goose: honk; honk; honk
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/id 

California quail (CAQU)
 "Chi - ca - go!"
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/California_Quail/id


American Bittern: Oonk-a-lunk
oong ka choonk
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Bittern/id

Sources:

Bird Song: Identification Made Easy by Ernie Jardine

The Unabashed Guide to Selected Oregon and Washington Bird Songs and Calls
(References to “eastside” and “westside” refer to east and west of the Cascade crest)
Compiled by Kelly A. Bettinger with input from many fellow birders 
This is a work in progress, please contact me with any additions or suggestions!! 
e-mail:  kellybettinger@bellsouth.net, May 2004 version
http://fsc.fernbank.edu/Birding/mnemonics.htm

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=14

The Music of Wild Birdsong  F Schuyler Mathews