Enjoying Birds

Bird Listening

Learning to identify birds by their songs and calls can be fun. Imagine words being said by the birds. The following are some songs and calls of North American birds to help you get started.

Black-capped Chickadee: "chic-a-dee-dee-dee" or a whistle that sounds like "spring's here" or "fee-bee".

Blue Jay: "thief, thief" or "jay, jay", a musical "queedle, queedle", also mimics some hawks.

Cardinal: "What-cheer, cheer-cheer", "whoit, whoit, whoit" or "birdy, birdy, birdy", or "chip".

Cedar Waxwing: a high, thin "zeee".

Downy Woodpecker: "pick", high-pitched, downward, like whinny; or high pitched laughter - "he, he, he, hihi, he, he, he, ha".

Goldfinch: "potato chips" or "cheeeeep".

Redstart: with a lisp, "good morning, dear teacher".

Red-winged Blackbird: "drink your tea" or in French "au-jourd'hui", "check".

Robin: "cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheer-up", "tut, tut, tut".

Song Sparrow: "sweet, sweet, sweet", "Madge, Madge, Madge put on the tea kettle, ettle, ettle".

White-throated Sparrow: "I love Canada, Canada, Canada", or "old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody", "chink".

Yellow Warbler: (Often called wild canary) "sweet, sweet, sweet, sweeter than sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet".

Look at a bird carefully and use the following clues to help you identify one bird from another. Make notes and draw sketches so you will remember what you have seen.

"S"ize - the size of a robin, a sparrow, a crow?

"S"pecial Markings - look for wing bars, different coloured caps on heads, white eye rings, tail markings, belly and throat markings.

"S"hape - body.

"S"weep - how does it fly? Does is dart, soar, swoop or fly steadily?

"S"urroundings - in a tree (on the trunk, a branch or the top), on the ground, in a field, forest, marsh, bog, on a fence post, on or by fresh or salt water, by a house or a barn, at a bird feeder....

"S"tep - does it run, hop or walk?

"S"ongs and Calls - chip-chip, caw-caw, thief-thief, Peter-Peter, a trill, a peep, a quack?

"S"pecies Identification Book or Chart - Bird guide books can be difficult to use. Look for a simple one. Spend time going through it and learn how it is set up, or buy a bird chart.

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