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

A Nightingale Fairy Tale
March 18, 2015 — There's a legend that the bird's song saved a Chinese emperor from the cusp of death.
A Bad Climate for Wood Storks
March 13, 2015 — Stork colonies are being squeezed dry.
Three Cheers for Birders
March 13, 2015 — When it comes to conservation, birders take the cake.
Rediscovering a Lost Babbler
March 10, 2015 — A small songbird from Myanmar hadn’t been spotted for decades.
Bird Songs and Baby Babble
March 09, 2015 — A recent genetic study reveals the parallels between birdsong and human speech.