This story comes to you through a partnership between Audubon and BirdNote, a show that airs daily on public radio stations nationwide.
Do you like to guess the bird before we identify it? Then here’s a short quiz for you. Listed along to the BirdNote podcast, and see Audubon's helpful hints for each call:
Bird One: Its eggs might be the bluest of blues, but its cheery carols will perk you right up.
Bird Two: Insects are its favorite snack; it's especially adept at plucking bees and other winged things out of the air.
All right, here comes Bird Three: It's a permanent resident in some parts of the country, flashing its signature tail as it sails overhead.
How about Bird Four: If you’re west of the Rocky Mountains, you’re most likely to hear this crested species. East of the Rockies, you’ll hear its fussy, cacophonous cousin.
And did you know that many birds have dialects, just like people do? But that’s for another day . . .
How’d you do? Let’s run through the IDs:
American Robin.
Olive-sided Flycatcher.
Red-tailed Hawk.
Steller’s Jay and Blue Jay.
To hear more sounds and read more facts about each species check out the Audubon Guide to North American Birds.
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. American Robin song recorded by W.L. Hershberger. Red-tailed Hawk call recorded by L.J. Peyton. Olive-sided Flycatcher call by T.G. Sander. Steller's Jay call by W.W.H. Gunn. Blue Jay recorded by M. Medler.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
Written by Chris Peterson
© 2012 Tune In to Nature.org August 2012 Narrator: Michael Stein