Song Memory Phrases
(i.e., Mnemonic* Devices To Aid Recall of Birds’
Identities;
*
= Mnemonic = assisting or intended to assist memory)
by Daniel Edelstein , 12 Kingfisher Court, Novato, CA 94949, 415/382-1827
(voice), edelstein@earthlink.net, http://home.earthlink.net/~edelstein
Bird
Species
Acadian
Flycatcher
peet-seet
or peet-suh or peet (i.e., pizza!)
Alder
Flycatcher
fee-bee-oh
American
Avocet
wheek or
kleet (repeated in flight)
American
Bittern
gulp-a-pump;
woonk-a-chunk
American
Black Duck
quack
quack quack (lower than a Mallard)
American
Black Oystercatcher
wheep-wheep-wheep (rapid; clipped)
American
Coot
ka-ha;
ka-ha kuh-uk!; kuh-uk! (loud; clear)
American
Crow
caw-caw-caw-caw-koodle-yah; koodle-yah (trilly voice)
American
Golden Plover
looo-eee!
poo-too-eee!; poo-too-eee!
American
Goldfinch
pa-chip-chip-chip per-chick-a-ree
po-ta-to-chip (and dip {in flight})
American
Kestrel
klee;
klee; klee; or….killy-killy-killy
American
Pipit
chwee;
chwee; chwee (thin) pipit-pipit
American
Redstart
tzee-tzee-tzee-tzeeeo
American
Robin
cheer-up;
cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o; whinny
American
Wigeon
squeaky;
nasal whistle
American
Woodcock
peeent,
peeent, peeent (nasal; on ground); whistling
vibration
(structural body sound) during ascension while
performing
spring "sky dance"; chirping sound while descending
during
"sky dance"
Anna's
Hummingbird
chee-ik-ee-ik-ee-ik (grating; squeaky learned song)
Ash-throated Flycatcher
ka-brick
ka-wheer prrrrrt (buzzy)
Bachman's
Sparrow
highly
variable - clear; liquid; whistled phrases
Bachman's
Sparrow
seeeee;
slip-slip-slip-slip-slip
Baltimore
Oriole
flute-like; disjointed series of brief notes
here;
here; come right here; dear
Barn Owl
screeeeeee (hissing - long)
Barn
Swallow
twittering (rapid)
tit-tit-tit-tit (rapid staccato)
Barred
Owl
who-cooks-for-you; who-cooks-for-you-all
Bay-breasted Warbler
tee-zee-tee-zee-tee-zee-tee (very rapid; hp)
Belted
Kingfisher
stuttering; non-musical; dry rattle in-flight
Bewick's
Wren
like Song
Sparrow; but thinner; more rapid
Black
& White Warbler
wee-zee;
wee-zee; wee-zee (like a squeaky, revolving wheel)
Black
Rail
kicky-chew; kiki-krrr; pee-pee-toe
Black
Skimmer
kaup;
kaup; kaup (clear-noted)
Black-bellied Plover
pee-a-wee!; whee-er-wee!
Black-billed Cuckoo
ku-ku-ku
Black-billed Magpie
maaagh?!
wenk-wenk
or wenk-wenk-wenk
Blackburnian Warbler
see-say;
teetsa-teetsa-teetsa- zee-zee-zee
Black-capped Chickadee
hey-sweetie (song); chick-a-dee-dee-dee (call: rapid;
higher-pitched than Carolina)
Black-chinned Hummingbird
tchew
(soft; flat)
Black-crowned Night Heron
quawlk
Black-headed Grosbeak
ik
(sharply) robin-like; but more musical;
call:
spik
Black-legged Kittiwake
kitty-waaak
Black-necked Stilt
kyip;
kyip; kyip
Blackpoll
Warbler
chipping
trill
Black-throated Blue Warbler
beer-beer-beer-beeee! (raspy)
zur-zur-zur-zree!
please;
please; please squeeeeze
I am so
laz-eeeeee
Black-throated Gray Warbler
zeedle-zeedle-zee-zeet-cha
Black-throated Green Warbler
trees-trees-murmuring-trees
zee-zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee (typical daytime song);
zee-zee-zee-zoo (atypical, aggressive dawn/dusk song)
Black-whiskered Vireo
Tim Kelly
or Whip Tim Kelly
Blue
Grosbeak
chink;
house finch-like; but lower
Blue Jay
fee-der-de-lurp
jay-jay-jay
queedle-queedle-queedle-
Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher
zpeee (very high pitched; a bit raspy)
Blue-winged Warbler
beee-buzzz; blue winged! (second syllable buzzy)
Bobolink
plink,
plink, plunk, plink (like an broken banjo strings playing)
Bobwhite
toot-sweet! (two notes: first lower than the next);
bob-white!
Bonaparte's Gull
chrrr-chrrr-chrrr (rapid; buzzy)
Boreal
Chickadee
chick-che-day-day
Boreal
Owl
hooo-too-too-too-too...
Brewer's
Blackbird
ksh-eee
(creaky)
Brewer's
Sparrow
seeeep
(thin)
Bristle-thighed Curlew
cheew-iew-iew-it
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
chittering; thin, mixed with wing-hum
Broad-winged Hawk
peet-seeeeep (no pitch variation; a straight whistle)
Brown
Creeper
trill
(hp; rapid) always as individuals
Brown
Thrasher
varied
mockingbird-like phrases (repeated once or twice before
bird moves to next series of repeat phrases); sounds
like
drop-it;
drop-it; cover-it-up;
cover-it-up; pull-it-up; pull-it-up
Brown-headed Cowbird
bubble-bubble-zeeee!; also has a fast trill
Brown-headed Nuthatch
kit-kit-kit-..or ki-dit; ki-dit
(rapid)
Bufflehead (Fe)
quack quack quack
Bullock's
Oriole
varied;
rich whistles and mixed gutturals
chuck
chuck chuck-it-too-ee zhew zhew
Bushtit
lisp
(multiple; very hp)
tsit
(multiple; very hp)
California Quail
kurr
chi-ca-go; chi-ca-go
qua-quer-go; qua-quer-go
Canada
Goose
honk;
honk; honk
Canada
Warbler
chip-chupitty-swee-ditchety
Canyon
Wren
tewee;
tewee; tewee (slowing)
tsheee
(raspy; metallic)
Cape May Warbler
seet-seet-seet-seet (thin; hp)
Carolina
Chickadee
car-o-li-na (four notes compose song) or
fee-bee-fee-bay (song)
chk-a-dee-dee-dee (call)
see-dee-dee-dee (alternative call)
Carolina
Wren
brrrrrrr (a
brief; downslurred; rapid trill like thumbing comb tines)
chooble-dee (varied triplet phrases)
tea-kettle; tea-kettle; tea-kettle
Caspian
Tern
raaaah
(raspy; hoarse)
Cassin's
Finch
chitty-up
or chill-ee-up
Cedar Waxwing
has no
true song, but displays two
different calls: trill (hp; rapid) always in flocks;
or
zeee-zeee-zeee (hp trilled)
Cerulean
Warbler
chyoo-chyoo-chyoo-tseee (last syllable burry)
trill
(ending with buzzy-) beeee
Chestnut-sided Warbler
pleased-pleased-pleased-pleased-ta-meetcha;
see-see-see-Miss-Beech'er
Chimney
Swift
chit-chit-chit-chit (rapid staccato)
twittering (rapid)
Chipping
Sparrow
chipping
trill (mechanical; faster than Swamp Sparrow and
Dark-Eyed Junco)
Chuck
Will's Widow
chuck-will's-widow
Clapper
Rail
tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-.
Clark's
Grebe
kreeet
(burry)
kriiik
(burry)
Clark's
Nutcracker
kraa-a-a-a (long; drawn-out);
or
kra-kra-kra-kra
Common
Eider
ow-oo-urr
whoo-ooh;
whoo-ooh
Common
Goldeneye
pee-ik
(raspy); when flies wings make structural
whistling sound
Common
Loon
cooo-leee; cooo-leee (slow; plaintive)
whinny
Common
Merganser
ah; ah;
ah; ah (low; even croaking in flight)
Common
Moorhen
kip-kip-kip-
Common
Nighthawk
beeer
pee-eet
(nasal)
Common Poorwill
poor-will; poor-will; poor-will
Common
Raven
cruck
(harsh; raspy and more guttural than Common Crow's call);
tawk
(metallic)
Common
Ringed Plover
poo-eep
(in-flight)
Common
Screech Owl
woooooooo (warbled)
Common
Snipe
skaip
wicka-wicka-wicka-
Common
Tern
kee-arr
(trilly)
Common
Yellowthroat
witchety-witchety-witchety (slow) (Western race);
call
sounds like tchep (flat and raspy and scolding)
Connecticut Warbler
chee-pa-chuh; chee-pa-chuh;
chee-pa-chuh; chee chik-a-too-ee; chik-a-too-ee
Cordilleran Flycatcher
pseet;
tri-i-i-ip; seet (thin; squeaky)
Dark-eyed
Junco
dit
(repeated occasionally)
smack
(repeated occasionally)
chipping
trill (musical; tinkling)
Dickcissel
dick-dick-cissel
Downy
Woodpecker
pik
(sharply; softer than Hairy's); whinny
Eastern
Bluebird
pew or
mew (sharply)
chatter (harsh; brief)
Eastern
Kingbird
t-t-tseeep (electrical sputtering)
Eastern
Meadowlark
but-I-DO-love-you;
spring-of-the-year
Eastern
Phoebe
fee-beee
(last syllable raspy)
Eastern
Towhee
too-wheee! drink-your-teeeee!
hot dog;
pickle-ickle-ickle
Eastern
Wood Pewee
pee-a-weee (morning) and pee-yer or pee-oh
(alternative
song often heard mid-day)
Evening
Grosbeak
chirp or
chiirrrp (burry)
Field Sparrow
twee-twee-twee,
tea-tea-tea-tea-tea (like a dropped
pong
ball)
Fish Crow
eh-eh;
eh-eh (two-noted phrases)
Forster's
Tern
keeeeeeeeer
zaaaah
(raspy; nasal)
Gadwall
(Ma)
bek
(buzzy)
(Fe quacks like mallard)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
see-see-see
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Oh; dear
me!; three blind mice
Golden-winged Warbler
beeee(buzzy trill)-bz-bz-bz
Grasshopper Sparrow
pee-trip-treee (last syllable a raspy trill)
Gray
Catbird
meeeee-ew
or maaaaaanh (nasal)
varied
mocker-like phrases (seldom repeated)
Gray-cheeked Thrush
whee-wheeo-titi-whee (thin; nasal)
Great-crested Flycatcher
wheep…..or…..whit (4X)
Great
Blue Heron
squawking
or croaking (very raucous)
Great
Gray Owl
whoo-whoo-whoooo
Great
Horned Owl
hoot-a-hoot; hoo-hoo;
(i.e.,
who's awake? me too)
Great
Kiskadee
Qu'est-ce
qu'il dit? Qu'est-ce qu'il dit?
("What's
he saying?")
Great-crested Flycatcher
prrreeeet
(burry); wheeep
Greater
Yellowlegs
dear;
dear; dear (sharply)
klee-klee-klee
tu-tu-tu
(whistled, 3 or more notes vs.
2 notes
of Lesser Yellowlegs)
Green
Heron
skelp
skelp skelp
Green-tailed Towhee
weet-churrr-chee-churrr (mixed sweet and burry notes)
Gull-billed Tern
kay-week
and za-za-za
Hairy
Woodpecker
peek
(flat & harsher than Downy's); whinny
Hammond's
Flycatcher
chip-chewy or chip-chewy-chew (hp and a bit burry)
Heerman's
Gull
kowok
Henslow's
Sparrow
tsip-a-tik (non-musical; repeated occasionally)
Hermit
Thrush
veer-veer-veer-veer;
Why
don'tcha come to me?;
Here I am
right near you
Hooded
Warbler
a-weeta-weeta-weet-tee-o
Horned
Lark
pit-sit;
tee-seep
House
Finch
zreee!
(included in varied,
warbling, "messy,"
haphazard song)
House
Sparrow
chiddik;
chiddik (dry; rackety, complaining; non-musical)
House
Wren
stuttering; gurgling; musical; repetitive
Inca Dove
no hope
Indigo
Bunting
varied,
raspy, strident phrases (in couplets)
fire;
fire; where? where? here; here; see it? see it?
Kentucky
Warbler
p'chee;
p'chee; p'chee
Kildeer
kill-deeeeer or kee-dee; kee-dee; kee-dee
King Rail
hip-hip-hurrah
(dry; rattly)
Lark
Sparrow
tsip
(sharp)
Laughing
Gull
haa-haa-haa-haa (loud; laugh-like)
laughter
(raucous; clear-noted)
Lazuli
Bunting
zzzzzzd
(buzzy)
Least
Bittern
wuff;
wuff; wuff; wuff; wuff
ku-ku-ku
(lower and throatier than B-B Cuckoo)
Least
Flycatcher
che-bek
Least
Sandpiper
kreeet
(thin; somewhat burry)
Least
Tern
zreeeeek
Lesser
Goldfinch
tee-yee!
or tee-yer
Lesser
Yellowlegs
quu-quu
(whistled - in pairs)
tyooo-tyoo
yoo-yoo;
yoo-yoo-yoo
Limpkin
kraaaaaah
(loud; piercing; usually repeated)
Long-billed Curlew
ker-lee
Long-billed Dowitcher
keeeeek (in flight - may be repeated)
Louisiana
Waterthrush
tree;
tree; tree terwitter-witter wit (more twittering and varied
at
end than sound-alike Northern Waterthrush's ending);
call:
chink
MacGillivray's Warbler
chiddle-chiddle-chiddle-turtle
chip-chewy or chip-chewy-chew (hp; clearer than Hammond's Flyc.)
tsik
(low; sharp)
Magnolia
Warbler
weeta-weeta-weetsee
weeta-weeta-wit-chew
(I'm-I'm-I'm-so-sweet
one; two;
three; four; six)
Mallard
quack
quack quack
Marbled
Godwit
god-wit
or ker-whit
raddika;
raddika; raddika
Marsh
Wren
varied;
complicated; fast; bubbly and busy
Mountain
Chickadee
tsik-a-zee-zee-zee (raspier than Carolina)
Mourning
Dove
hooo-ah
hoo-hoo-hoo;
chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo
Mourning
Warbler
turdle;
turdle; turdle; two-to-you
Nashville
Warbler
trill in
two parts - 2nd trill is faster and lower in pitch
see-bit-see-bit-see-bit;
see-see-see-see (2-pt.)
Northern
Cardinal
cheer-cheer-cheer-purty-purty-purty (siren-like sound)
Northern
Flicker
kleeeyer;
and
wik-wik-wik-wik (courting)
squeechu-squeechu-squeechu
Northern
Mockingbird
varied
phrases (three or more repeated before he
moves
to next three or more repeated phrases and so on)
Northern
Parula Warbler
zzzzipp…..or: trill! (fast rising; ending with)-tsyoo; or--
zeeeeeeeeeeeeeee(buzzy)-chyoo
Northern
Pintail (Ma)
prrrip;
prrrip (low; stuttery)
Northern
Pygmy Owl
too-too-too (clear notes)
Northern
Saw-whet Owl
too-too-too (clear notes)
Northern
Shoveler (Ma)
chik-chik; chik-chik (Fe quacks like mallard)
Northern
Waterthrush
twit-twit-twit; sweet-sweet-sweet;
chew-chew-chew
Oak
Titmouse
tsik-a-dee (often has raspy quality)
Oldsquaw
ow-ow-ow-a-la
Olive-sided Flycatcher
pip-pip
or pip-pip-pip
(quick;
sounds like "three-beers")
Orange-crowned Warbler
trill
(ascending/accelerating; then tumbles at end)
Orchard
Oriole
warbling
- varied phrases; incl. guttural notes
Osprey
kyew;
kyew; kyew; kyew; kyew
Ovenbird
p'cheer -
p'cheer - p'cheer
t-cheer;
t-cheer; t-cheer
(sounds
like "teacher, teacher, teacher")
Pacific
Loon
kwa-wee!
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
see-a-weeeet!
seeet
(sharp, slightly ascending in pitch)
Palm
Warbler
trill
(weak and buzzy)
Pectoral
Sandpiper
krick
(low-voiced)
Pied-Billed Grebe
gulp;
gulp; gulp
kuk-kuk-kow-kow-kow-kowp-kowp
Pileated
Woodpecker
kik-kik-kik-kik-kik (rate & pitch rise then fall;
has
laughing quality at times and more hysterical
in
personality than the sound-alike Northern Flicker)
Pine
Siskin
zreeeeeee!