Stuff about birds.
A small collection of feathered wonders.
Take a moment. Pick a bird. Hear its voice.
European robin
Erithacus rubecula
- Look for
- The adult has a red-orange breast against a brown back.
- Listen for
- Flowing whistles and trills, in short phrases separated by clear pauses.
Recording & field notes
Erithacus rubecula.ogg ↗ · Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov (Arkhivov). CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Great tit
Parus major
- Look for
- A black head, white cheeks and yellow belly with a dark central stripe.
- Listen for
- A repeated two-note phrase, often remembered as “teacher, teacher”.
Recording & field notes
Parus major song.ogg ↗ · Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov (Arkhivov). CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Eurasian blue tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
- Look for
- A blue cap, white face and dark eye stripe above a yellow chest.
- Listen for
- A few high notes leading into a quick, lower trill.
Recording & field notes
Cyanistes caeruleus - Eurasian Blue Tit XC121562.ogg ↗ · Adrienne Eaton. CC BY-SA 3.0. The recordist removed street sounds. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Northern cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
- Look for
- The male has a red body, pointed crest and black mask around a thick bill.
- Listen for
- Clear, strong whistles repeated in phrases that can sound like “cheer, cheer”.
Recording & field notes
Cardinalis cardinalis - Northern Cardinal XC75501.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
American goldfinch
Spinus tristis
- Look for
- The breeding male is bright yellow with a black forehead and black wings marked with white.
- Listen for
- A common contact call has an even rhythm often remembered as “po-ta-to-chip”.
Recording & field notes
30goldfinch.ogg ↗ · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain (United States). MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Black-capped chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
- Look for
- A black cap and bib frame white cheeks above a gray back and pale buff sides.
- Listen for
- A simple whistled “fee-bee”, with the second note lower than the first in much of its range.
Recording & field notes
Poecile atricapillus - Black-capped Chickadee XC70185.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Eastern bluebird
Sialia sialis
- Look for
- The male is blue above with a rusty throat and chest.
- Listen for
- A soft, relatively low warble made of several short phrases.
Recording & field notes
Sialia sialis - Eastern Bluebird XC79976.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Source recording includes filtering by its creator; see the original file notes.
Tufted titmouse
Baeolophus bicolor
- Look for
- A gray crest, large dark eye and peach-colored flanks stand out on this small bird.
- Listen for
- Nasal, scratchy calls; the separate familiar song is a clear repeated “peter-peter”.
Recording & field notes
Tufted Titmouse call.ogg ↗ · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Public domain (United States). MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Song sparrow
Melospiza melodia
- Look for
- Heavy breast streaks often meet in a central dark spot; the face has brown stripes.
- Listen for
- Spaced opening notes lead into a more varied phrase ending with a buzz or trill.
Recording & field notes
Melospiza melodia - Song Sparrow XC75500.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Baltimore oriole
Icterus galbula
- Look for
- The adult male has an orange body, black head and back, and a broad white wingbar.
- Listen for
- Rich whistles rise and fall through a few short phrases.
Recording & field notes
Icterus galbula - Baltimore Oriole XC101614.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2012 Jonathon Jongsma
Indigo bunting
Passerina cyanea
- Look for
- The breeding male is blue all over, with a compact body and short conical bill.
- Listen for
- Bright, high whistles, with notes and phrases often repeated in pairs.
Recording & field notes
Passerina cyanea - Indigo Bunting XC59831.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
© 2010 Jonathon Jongsma
House finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
- Look for
- The male has a rosy face and upper breast, with brown streaks on the belly and flanks.
- Listen for
- A jumbled warble of short notes, often ending with a rising or falling slur.
Recording & field notes
Haemorhous mexicanus - House Finch XC99546.ogg ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0. MP3 encoding only; no other changes by Songbird.
Painted bunting
Passerina ciris
- Look for
- The adult male has a blue head, green back and red underparts.
- Listen for
- Its song has short, sweet, high musical phrases; calls are soft “plik” notes.
Recording & field notes
Passerina ciris 1435567.ogg ↗ · Pablo F. Domínguez (AMANTEDESAURIOS). CC BY 4.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
A field recording of a painted bunting. The source does not distinguish song from call.
© Pablo F. Domínguez
Common yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
- Look for
- The male has a black face mask, yellow throat and olive-brown upperparts.
- Listen for
- A repeated, rolling phrase often remembered as “witchety-witchety-witchety”.
Recording & field notes
Geothlypis trichas - Common Yellowthroat XC101611.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Natural song from a male seen in shoreline vegetation in an urban park. Embedded source comment lists Black-capped Chickadee and American Crow in the background.
© 2012 Jonathon Jongsma
Blackburnian warbler
Setophaga fusca
- Look for
- The adult male has an orange throat and face, a black crown and a dark triangular cheek patch.
- Listen for
- A rapid series of thin notes can finish with an exceptionally high final note.
Recording & field notes
Setophaga fusca - Blackburnian Warbler XC134439.ogg ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Two songs from an unseen bird in an urban park. Source says playback not used.
Prothonotary warbler
Protonotaria citrea
- Look for
- A bright golden-yellow head and breast contrast with an olive back and blue-gray wings.
- Listen for
- Its song repeats high, ringing notes; calls are shorter, sharp “tisk” or “tschip” sounds.
Recording & field notes
Prothonotary Warbler.ogg ↗ · G. McGrane. Public domain (dedicated by copyright holder).
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
The complete field recording is presented here. The source does not distinguish song from call.
Golden-crowned kinglet
Regulus satrapa
- Look for
- A tiny bird with a striped black-and-white face and a yellow crown; males also have orange in the crown.
- Listen for
- Very thin, high “tsee” contact notes, often grouped in twos or threes.
Recording & field notes
Regulus satrapa - Golden-crowned Kinglet XC93427.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Two or three kinglets chasing through spruce in a mixed flock with Black-capped Chickadees. Source says bird seen and playback not used.
© 2012 Jonathon Jongsma
Wood thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
- Look for
- Reddish-brown upperparts and bold dark spots on a white breast and belly.
- Listen for
- Clear, flute-like phrases lead into a more complex, higher trill.
Recording & field notes
Hylocichla mustelina - Wood Thrush XC311811.mp3 ↗ · Tom Austin. CC BY-SA 4.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
The recordist applied a high-pass filter for traffic/aircraft noise and removed some songs because of noise and length. Source says bird unseen and playback not used. Embedded comment also lists American Robin, Carolina Wren and Eastern Phoebe.
© 2016 Tom Austin
Dark-eyed junco
Junco hyemalis
- Look for
- The male slate-colored form is gray above with a white belly, pale bill and white outer tail feathers.
- Listen for
- This source describes a quiet, jumbled song; juncos also sing soft whistles, trills and warbles alongside their familiar even trill.
Recording & field notes
Junco hyemalis hyemalis - Dark-eyed Junco - XC96803.ogg ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
A quiet, jumbled song from a slate-colored junco in a small hackberry tree. This song variant differs from its familiar even trill. The recording has not been amplified.
© 2012 Jonathon Jongsma
Eastern towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
- Look for
- The male has a black head and back, rusty sides, a white belly and a long tail.
- Listen for
- A sharp opening followed by a trill—the familiar “drink-your-tea” pattern.
Recording & field notes
Pipilo erythrophthalmus - Eastern Towhee XC81298.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Source says bird seen and playback not used.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Red-winged blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
- Look for
- The adult male is black with red shoulder patches bordered in yellow.
- Listen for
- An abrupt start opens into the ringing, trilled “conk-la-ree” song.
Recording & field notes
Agelaius phoeniceus - Red-winged Blackbird XC75497.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Source says bird seen and playback not used. Embedded source comment lists Canada Goose in the background.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Northern mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
- Look for
- A slender gray bird with a long tail, pale underparts and conspicuous white wing patches.
- Listen for
- A varied sequence of whistles and imitations, with phrases repeated several times before changing.
Recording & field notes
Mimus polyglottos.ogg ↗ · ZooFari. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
A northern mockingbird singing from a tree. The complete recording is presented here.
Gray catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
- Look for
- Gray overall with a dark cap, a long tail and cinnamon feathers beneath the tail.
- Listen for
- A shifting mix of whistles, squeaks and nasal notes, with little phrase repetition.
Recording & field notes
Dumetella carolinensis - Grey Catbird XC79975.mp3 ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Song, with a common yellowthroat noted in the background by the recordist.
© 2011 Jonathon Jongsma
Brown thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
- Look for
- Reddish-brown above with dark streaks below, a yellow eye and a long, slightly curved bill.
- Listen for
- A long, varied song whose phrases are typically repeated twice before moving on.
Recording & field notes
Toxostoma rufum - Brown Thrasher XC136053.ogg ↗ · Jonathon Jongsma. CC BY-SA 3.0.
MP3 encoding only; no trimming, normalization, filtering, rate or channel changes.
Male singing from young oaks and bushes in prairie, sometimes from the top of a tree. Bird seen and playback not used. Recordist filtered frequencies below 1 kHz for wind and aircraft noise. Kept complete at about 62 seconds.
Meet the collection.
Choose a bird to look and listen.
Listen before you look.
Step outside for a quiet minute. Notice the nearest sound, then the farthest. You don’t need to know a bird’s name to enjoy its song.
Let wild birds sing undisturbed. Enjoy these recordings here, rather than playing them back to birds outdoors.
There’s always a little more to notice.Original AI-assisted illustrations for Songbird. Songs and calls are real field recordings; individual credits are beside each player. Illustrations show selected plumages and are not to scale.
A shared song.
A little connection.
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