Birding by Ear

There's a lot to look forward to in spring for birders.

The flowers are blooming, old friends are returning,  and birdsong is at its peak. The sheer volume of songs and calls can often feel overwhelming for birders, but these sounds offer an opportunity and a challenge. With our birding-by-ear series you can learn how to better ID birds through their vocalizations. 

Pt. 1: Start Listening for Songs and Calls
Pt. 2: Learn the Most Common Kinds of Sounds
Pt. 3: Connect Noises With Pictures That Stick
Pt. 4: Grow Familiar With Neighborhood Voices
Pt. 5: “Read” Sounds on Spectrograms
Pt. 6: Know If It's a Mimic or the Real Deal
Pt. 7: Learn Different Regional Accents
Pt. 8: Eavesdrop on Nature's Orchestra
A Few of Our Favorite Sounds
American Bittern
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
! Priority Bird
Varied Thrush
Thrushes
Red-tailed Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Pied-billed Grebe
Grebes

More Birding Advice

When to Expect Hummingbirds in Your Yard This Spring
May 21, 2020 — Flowers are beginning to bloom, and hummingbirds are starting to return from their southern winter sojourns. Here’s a regional guide for when they should arrive and the food they’re seeking.
In Quarantine, I Finally Understood the Magic of Birds
May 14, 2020 — It took a pandemic for me to see what my mother had been trying to show me my whole life.
Why Birding From Home Is Not An Equal Opportunity Activity
April 30, 2020 — Poorer neighborhoods often harbor less quality green space and a lower diversity of birds—an inequity that the pandemic makes hard to ignore.
It’s Me, Your Birder Friend—Help Me Help You Identify That Species
April 24, 2020 — Saw a bird but you're not sure how to describe it? Here are the details to include in that text to your bird-nerd buddy.
How to Tell Apart Sound-Alike Warblers
April 17, 2020 — Migrants have started arriving—and with them, plenty of confusion. This guide to commonly confused songs will help.