Introduction To Bird Voices
This outline is designed to accompany a cassette tape illustrating some basic criteria with which to distinguish the voices of different species. The general criteria below should aid you in learning to distinguish the voices of various species. The name of each species within the following lessons is linked to a recording of its song, but these recordings are a small subset of the many vocalizations given by each species. A more complete set of sounds can be found on the cassette tape, available in the Biology Library.
 
Continuous Song vs Broken Song    
  • Song is a continuous series of notes ("warble", e.g. Purple Finch)
  • Song is broken into short, distinct phrases (e.g. Tufted Titmouse)
Quality of the Notes
  • Voice is a whistle or musical in quality (e.g. Black-capped Chickadee)
  • Voice is harsh or nonmusical in quality (e.g. Eastern Phoebe)
Pace
  • Song is relatively slow with distinct pauses between the phrases (e.g. American Robin)
  • Song is relatively fast with much shorter pauses between the phrases (e.g. Rose-breasted Grosbeak)
Ascending or Descending Pitch
  • Voice is a series of notes going up the scale (e.g. Prairie Warbler)
  • Voice is a series of notes going down the scale (e.g. Downy Woodpecker)
Resembles Musical Instrument
  • Flute-like (e.g. Wood Thrush)
  • Bell-like with "tinkling" quality (e.g. Horned lark)
Miscellaneous Descriptions
  • Chirping: a monotonous series of single notes (e.g. House Sparrow)
  • Cooing: a series of low cooo notes (e.g. Mourning Dove)
  • Trilling: a very rapid series of notes at the same pitch (e.g. Chipping Sparrow)
  • Insect-like: buzzy notes resembling insect sounds (e.g. Grasshopper Sparrow)