We had a great presentation on April 9 by Donna Finnegan, helping us get a sense of "Birding by Ear." There was a great crowd and everyone enjoyed her presentation helping us recognize more of what surrounds us every day.
One of the big themes of her presentation was the use of mnemonics and phonetics to help get a handle on recognizing birds by their songs. She had a list with her that we'll post on the site as soon as we can. In the meantime, there are several places on the Internet where you can find this kind of list. A nice one I found today comes from the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta.
There are also several guides and apps that help with song ID (though they all have the problem of starting with knowing the bird and then hearing the song. . . we need something that lets us record a song and have the app tell us what we're hearing. . .) We'll be adding more posts about these programs and how they work for us.
Wendy also reminded us that some folks will be meeting at Boxerwood on Saturday the 12th at 8 am to practice - everyone is welcome. We'll 'see' what we 'hear.'
Update - 4/14/2014 - Here is Donna's list of mnemonics and phonetics;
MNEMONICS FOR COMMON BIRDS
Carolina Chickadee--"feebee feebay, chick'adee-dee-dee"
Black-Capped Chickadee--"feebee"
Tufted Titmouse--"peter, peter, peter" or “Here, Here, Here”
White-Breasted Nuthatch--"yank yank"
Carolina Wren--"virGINya, virGINya, virGINya"
Mockingbird--phrases repeated 3 or more times
Brown Thrasher--phrases repeated 2 times
Blue Jay – Jay Jay Jay! (and squeeky clothesline)
American Crow--"caw" Fish Crow—“Eh eh
-
American Robin--"cheerup, cheerily, cheerily"
Scarlet Tanager – Like Robin with sore throat. Call “CHIP-bird”
Eastern Bluebird--"cheer, cheerful, charmer"
Northern Cardinal--"Right cheer', Right cheer', birdy birdy birdy'"
Rufous-Sided Towhee--"drink-your-teeee'"
White-Throated Sparrow--"poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body"
American Goldfinch--"per-chik'-o-ree", "baybeee?'"
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher--"spee spee"
Red-eyed Vireo--"look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here"
Yellow-Throated Vireo--same as red-eyed but buzzier
Solitary Vireo--same as red-eyed but slower, sour
White-eyed Vireo -- Chick- a-per-weeo-CHICK
FLYCATCHERS:
Great Crested--"wheep! wheep!"
Eastern Phoebe--"feee'-bee"
Acadian--"peet'-suh"
Alder--"fee-bee'o"
Willow--"fitz'-bew"
Least--"che-bek'"
Eastern Wood Pewee--"pee-oo-wee"
WARBLERS:
Black-and-White--"wheezy, wheezy, wheezy"
Swainson's--"deeta deeta-whip'-poor-will"
Worm-Eating--insect-like, dry trill
Golden-Winged--"bzz- bzz, bzz, bzz"
Blue-Winged--"bzz-bzz"
Parula--"zeeeee-up!”
Yellow--"sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"
Magnolia--"wheet-wheet'eo"
Black-Throated-Green--"zay zay zay zoo zee?"
Black-Throated Blue--"I am lazeee"
Chestnut-Sided--"please, please, please to meet'cha!"
Ovenbird--"teacher teacher teacher"
Kentucky--"toree' toree' toree'"
Hooded--"wheeta wheeta WHEET'eo"
Prothonotary Warbler -- Zweet-zweet-zweet
American Redstart -- Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo
PHONETIC CALLS AND SONGS
Bee-buzz--Blue-winged Warbler
Bee-buzz-buzz or Bee-buzz-buzz-buzz--Golden-winged Warbler
I am lazeee or beer beer beer beeee--Black-throated Blue Warbler
Che-bek--Least Flycatcher
Chink--Blue Grosbeak
Chup-chup TZEeeee---Seaside Sparrow
Cu-cu-cu--Black-billed Cuckoo
Fee-bee-o--Alder Flycatcher
Fitz-bew--Willow Flycatcher
Hip-hip-hurrah--King Rail
Jeeee---Wood Duck
Ka ka ka...kowp kowp kowp--Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Keeeeer--Common Tern and Forster's Tern
Kerwee...kerwee--Sora
Kid-ik, kid-ik, kid-ik--Virginia Rail
Killdeer killdeer! - Killdeer
Kip...kip--Common Moorhen
Peent--Common Nighthawk
Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher
Peet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper
Please please pleased to meet'cha--Chestnut-sided Warbler
Quick, three beers--Olive-sided Flycatcher
Scaipe--Common Snipe
See-bit see-bit see-bit, see-see-see-see--Nashville Warbler
See-see-see-sisi-see--Brown Creeper
Speee speee--Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Tee-shaay--Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Tee-si, tee-si, tee-si--Bay-breasted Warbler
Tic-tic, tic-tic-tic--Yellow Rail
Tika, tika, tika-swee, swee, swee-chay, chay, chay--Tennessee Warbler
Vee-a--Gray-cheeked Thrush
Weeta-weeta-weeteo--Magnolia Warbler
Weet-weet-weet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper
Whit, whit--Swainson's Thrush
Zweet-zweet-zweet--Prothonotary Warbler
Yank, yank, yank--White-breasted Nuthatch
A-weet, a-weet, a-weet-teo--Hooded Warbler
Bob white, bob white--Northern Bobwhite
Bubble, bubble, zee--Brown-headed Cowbird
Caw, caw, caw--American Crow
What-cheer, what-cheer, what-cheer, or cheer, cheer, cheer--Northern Cardinal
Cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily--American Robin
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee--Carolina Chickadee
CHIP-burr--Scarlet Tanager
Chick- a-per-weeo-CHICK --White-eyed Vireo
Chink--Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Chuck-will's-widow--Chuck-will's-widowChurr, churr, churr--Red-bellied Woodpecker
Chur-ry, chur-ry, chur-ry--Kentucky Warbler
Chur-wee or Cheer, cheerful charmer--Eastern Bluebird
Conquereee--Red-winged Blackbird
Drink-your-teeeee--Rufous-sided Towhee
Dtzee, dtzee, dtzeet--Eastern Kingbird
Ee-o-lay! --Wood Thrush
Fee-bee, or Fee-blee--Eastern Phoebe
Fee-bee fee-bay--Carolina Chickadee
Here, here, here--Tufted Titmouse
Here I am, over here, see me, where are you?--Red-eyed Vireo
Jay, jay, jay--Blue Jay
Keeeeeer--Red-tailed Hawk
Kee-yer, kee-yer, kee-yer--Red-shouldered Hawk
Kik, kik, kik--Pileated Woodpecker
Kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee--Killdeer
Kleeyer--Northern Flicker
Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all--Barred Owl
Maids, maids, maids, put on your tea, kettle, kettle, kettle--Song Sparrow
Meeoow--Gray Catbird
Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody--White-throated Sparrow
Pee-O-wee or pee-wee--Eastern Wood-Pewee
Peeeeeeeeee--Broad-winged Hawk
Peent, peent, peent--American Woodcock
Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher
Perchickaree or Babeee?--American Goldfinch
Peter, peter, peter--Tufted Titmouse
Chicki-tuki-tuck--Summer Tanager
Plink, plink--Bobolink
Wheep, wheep--Great Crested Flycatcher
Purty, purty, purty--Northern Cardinal
Queedle, queedle, queedle---Blue Jay
Queer, queer--Red-headed Woodpecker
Skeeow--Green Heron
Spring of the year--Eastern Meadowlark
Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet--Yellow Warbler
Teacher, teacher, teacher--Ovenbird
Tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle--Carolina Wren
Three-a, three-a--Yellow-throated Vireo
Tow-weeee--Rufous-sided Towhee
Tseer, tseer--Red-winged Blackbird
Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo--American Redstart
Veer--Veery
Weesa, weesa, weesa--Black-and-white Warbler
Wheer--Orchard Oriole
Whip-poor-will--Whip-poor-will
Are you awake? me too (6 hoots) --Great Horned Owl
Wicka, wicka, wicka--Northern Flicker
Witchety, witchety, witchety--Common Yellowthroat
Zay, zay, zay, zoo, zee? --Black-throated
Green Warbler
Zeee, zeee--Cedar Waxwing
Zree--House Finch
Zeeeee-up--Northern Parula
List compiled by:
Georgann Schmalz
Atlanta, Ga.
Bob Biersack
One of the big themes of her presentation was the use of mnemonics and phonetics to help get a handle on recognizing birds by their songs. She had a list with her that we'll post on the site as soon as we can. In the meantime, there are several places on the Internet where you can find this kind of list. A nice one I found today comes from the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta.
There are also several guides and apps that help with song ID (though they all have the problem of starting with knowing the bird and then hearing the song. . . we need something that lets us record a song and have the app tell us what we're hearing. . .) We'll be adding more posts about these programs and how they work for us.
Wendy also reminded us that some folks will be meeting at Boxerwood on Saturday the 12th at 8 am to practice - everyone is welcome. We'll 'see' what we 'hear.'
Update - 4/14/2014 - Here is Donna's list of mnemonics and phonetics;
MNEMONICS FOR COMMON BIRDS
Carolina Chickadee--"feebee feebay, chick'adee-dee-dee"
Black-Capped Chickadee--"feebee"
Tufted Titmouse--"peter, peter, peter" or “Here, Here, Here”
White-Breasted Nuthatch--"yank yank"
Carolina Wren--"virGINya, virGINya, virGINya"
Mockingbird--phrases repeated 3 or more times
Brown Thrasher--phrases repeated 2 times
Blue Jay – Jay Jay Jay! (and squeeky clothesline)
American Crow--"caw" Fish Crow—“Eh eh
-
American Robin--"cheerup, cheerily, cheerily"
Scarlet Tanager – Like Robin with sore throat. Call “CHIP-bird”
Eastern Bluebird--"cheer, cheerful, charmer"
Northern Cardinal--"Right cheer', Right cheer', birdy birdy birdy'"
Rufous-Sided Towhee--"drink-your-teeee'"
White-Throated Sparrow--"poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body"
American Goldfinch--"per-chik'-o-ree", "baybeee?'"
Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher--"spee spee"
Red-eyed Vireo--"look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here"
Yellow-Throated Vireo--same as red-eyed but buzzier
Solitary Vireo--same as red-eyed but slower, sour
White-eyed Vireo -- Chick- a-per-weeo-CHICK
FLYCATCHERS:
Great Crested--"wheep! wheep!"
Eastern Phoebe--"feee'-bee"
Acadian--"peet'-suh"
Alder--"fee-bee'o"
Willow--"fitz'-bew"
Least--"che-bek'"
Eastern Wood Pewee--"pee-oo-wee"
WARBLERS:
Black-and-White--"wheezy, wheezy, wheezy"
Swainson's--"deeta deeta-whip'-poor-will"
Worm-Eating--insect-like, dry trill
Golden-Winged--"bzz- bzz, bzz, bzz"
Blue-Winged--"bzz-bzz"
Parula--"zeeeee-up!”
Yellow--"sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"
Magnolia--"wheet-wheet'eo"
Black-Throated-Green--"zay zay zay zoo zee?"
Black-Throated Blue--"I am lazeee"
Chestnut-Sided--"please, please, please to meet'cha!"
Ovenbird--"teacher teacher teacher"
Kentucky--"toree' toree' toree'"
Hooded--"wheeta wheeta WHEET'eo"
Prothonotary Warbler -- Zweet-zweet-zweet
American Redstart -- Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo
PHONETIC CALLS AND SONGS
Bee-buzz--Blue-winged Warbler
Bee-buzz-buzz or Bee-buzz-buzz-buzz--Golden-winged Warbler
I am lazeee or beer beer beer beeee--Black-throated Blue Warbler
Che-bek--Least Flycatcher
Chink--Blue Grosbeak
Chup-chup TZEeeee---Seaside Sparrow
Cu-cu-cu--Black-billed Cuckoo
Fee-bee-o--Alder Flycatcher
Fitz-bew--Willow Flycatcher
Hip-hip-hurrah--King Rail
Jeeee---Wood Duck
Ka ka ka...kowp kowp kowp--Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Keeeeer--Common Tern and Forster's Tern
Kerwee...kerwee--Sora
Kid-ik, kid-ik, kid-ik--Virginia Rail
Killdeer killdeer! - Killdeer
Kip...kip--Common Moorhen
Peent--Common Nighthawk
Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher
Peet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper
Please please pleased to meet'cha--Chestnut-sided Warbler
Quick, three beers--Olive-sided Flycatcher
Scaipe--Common Snipe
See-bit see-bit see-bit, see-see-see-see--Nashville Warbler
See-see-see-sisi-see--Brown Creeper
Speee speee--Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Tee-shaay--Sharp-tailed Sparrow
Tee-si, tee-si, tee-si--Bay-breasted Warbler
Tic-tic, tic-tic-tic--Yellow Rail
Tika, tika, tika-swee, swee, swee-chay, chay, chay--Tennessee Warbler
Vee-a--Gray-cheeked Thrush
Weeta-weeta-weeteo--Magnolia Warbler
Weet-weet-weet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper
Whit, whit--Swainson's Thrush
Zweet-zweet-zweet--Prothonotary Warbler
Yank, yank, yank--White-breasted Nuthatch
A-weet, a-weet, a-weet-teo--Hooded Warbler
Bob white, bob white--Northern Bobwhite
Bubble, bubble, zee--Brown-headed Cowbird
Caw, caw, caw--American Crow
What-cheer, what-cheer, what-cheer, or cheer, cheer, cheer--Northern Cardinal
Cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily--American Robin
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee--Carolina Chickadee
CHIP-burr--Scarlet Tanager
Chick- a-per-weeo-CHICK --White-eyed Vireo
Chink--Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Chuck-will's-widow--Chuck-will's-widowChurr, churr, churr--Red-bellied Woodpecker
Chur-ry, chur-ry, chur-ry--Kentucky Warbler
Chur-wee or Cheer, cheerful charmer--Eastern Bluebird
Conquereee--Red-winged Blackbird
Drink-your-teeeee--Rufous-sided Towhee
Dtzee, dtzee, dtzeet--Eastern Kingbird
Ee-o-lay! --Wood Thrush
Fee-bee, or Fee-blee--Eastern Phoebe
Fee-bee fee-bay--Carolina Chickadee
Here, here, here--Tufted Titmouse
Here I am, over here, see me, where are you?--Red-eyed Vireo
Jay, jay, jay--Blue Jay
Keeeeeer--Red-tailed Hawk
Kee-yer, kee-yer, kee-yer--Red-shouldered Hawk
Kik, kik, kik--Pileated Woodpecker
Kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee--Killdeer
Kleeyer--Northern Flicker
Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all--Barred Owl
Maids, maids, maids, put on your tea, kettle, kettle, kettle--Song Sparrow
Meeoow--Gray Catbird
Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody--White-throated Sparrow
Pee-O-wee or pee-wee--Eastern Wood-Pewee
Peeeeeeeeee--Broad-winged Hawk
Peent, peent, peent--American Woodcock
Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher
Perchickaree or Babeee?--American Goldfinch
Peter, peter, peter--Tufted Titmouse
Chicki-tuki-tuck--Summer Tanager
Plink, plink--Bobolink
Wheep, wheep--Great Crested Flycatcher
Purty, purty, purty--Northern Cardinal
Queedle, queedle, queedle---Blue Jay
Queer, queer--Red-headed Woodpecker
Skeeow--Green Heron
Spring of the year--Eastern Meadowlark
Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet--Yellow Warbler
Teacher, teacher, teacher--Ovenbird
Tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle--Carolina Wren
Three-a, three-a--Yellow-throated Vireo
Tow-weeee--Rufous-sided Towhee
Tseer, tseer--Red-winged Blackbird
Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo--American Redstart
Veer--Veery
Weesa, weesa, weesa--Black-and-white Warbler
Wheer--Orchard Oriole
Whip-poor-will--Whip-poor-will
Are you awake? me too (6 hoots) --Great Horned Owl
Wicka, wicka, wicka--Northern Flicker
Witchety, witchety, witchety--Common Yellowthroat
Zay, zay, zay, zoo, zee? --Black-throated
Green Warbler
Zeee, zeee--Cedar Waxwing
Zree--House Finch
Zeeeee-up--Northern Parula
List compiled by:
Georgann Schmalz
Atlanta, Ga.
Bob Biersack
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