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
Adopt a Bird
American Bittern
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
! Priority Bird
Varied Thrush
Thrushes
Red-tailed Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Pied-billed Grebe
Grebes

More Birding Advice

I Think My First Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Was Tipsy
November 22, 2016 — Their specialized diets make these woodpeckers the botanists of the bird world, but it can also cause them to get boozy on occasion.
Kenn Kaufman's Notebook
Why You Need to Start Digiscoping
November 18, 2016 — Add a camera or a cellphone to a scope and discover a whole new way of documenting nature. Here are some tips to get started.
Tips and How-Tos
Noah Strycker's Global Big Year Record Has Been Broken
November 17, 2016 — And here’s what the former birding champ has to say about it.
News
Fearless and Well-Fed, New York City's Red-Tailed Hawks Are Flourishing
November 16, 2016 — A rise in resident raptors is helping some New Yorkers get a glimpse of nature, while putting others, like pet owners, on edge.
News