Hi folks!
As we embark on our performance art sound choir odyssey, I will post the resources I am drawing from to create the piece. This post contains a guide to some local bird songs to help you hear, learn, and mimic bird songs. Under each bird, I have included some phonetic break-downs of bird songs and a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology pages because they are excellent resources for identifying a bird, reading about its behavior, and hearing the sound it makes.
Birding Adventures is one of the best sources I found for bird song phonetics. I'm also interested in researching what birders who speak different languages use for the same songs. Why not try making up your own phonetics for the bird songs you hear, or other sounds in the city and nature?
The Vancouver Avian Research Centre Web Pages are another excellent source of information.
*Rufous Hummingbird: zee-chuppity-chuppity (buzzy)
bzeet, bzeet bzeet chup chup, bzeet chuppity chuppity chup
zeet zeet chook chook chook, chookity chookity chook http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/id *Black-capped Chickadee: chik-a-dee-dee-dee
(rapid; higher-pitched than Carolina); fee-bee http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id *American Goldfinch: pa-chip-chip-chip per-chick-a-ree
"babeee"; po-ta-to-chip
(and dip {in flight})
squireee, squiree, chip chip chip (first part is like a squeaky toy)
squireee, squiree, chip chip chip (first part is like a squeaky toy)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/sounds
Ruby-crowned Kinglet ji-dit; ji-dit; ji-dit (rattly) too-fritchyoo-fritchyoo-fritchyoo http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/id
Golden-crowned Kinglet: see-see-see- (hp)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/sounds
House Sparrow tweet tweet tweet tweet, chiddik; chiddik (dry; non-musical) http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/sounds
*White-Throated
Sparrow:
"poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body"
Song
Sparrow
Maids-maids-maids-put-on-your-tea-kettle-ettle-ettle
Hip; hip; hip hurrah boys; spring is here! Madge; Madge; Madge pick beetles off; the water's hot http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Song_Sparrow/id *Bewick's Wren like Song Sparrow; but thinner; more rapid http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewicks_Wren/id
*Nashville Warbler: trill in two parts - 2nd faster and lower in pitch
see-bit-see-bit-see-bit;
see-see-see-see (2-pt.)
*Olive-sided
Flycatcher:
Quick, THREE beers, quick quick quick
*Yellow
Warbler:"sweet
sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/sounds
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/sounds
*Nashville Warbler: See-bit see-bit see-bit, see-see-see-see
MacGillivray's Warbler: chiddle-chiddle-chiddle-turtle chip-chewy or chip-chewy-chew (hp; clearer than Hammond's Flyc.) tsik (low; sharp)
Downy Woodpecker: shrill whinnying
*Red-eyed Vireo: where are you? and here I am http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-eyed_Vireo/id *Red-winged Blackbird chortle-deeeeee (hp and drawn-out last syllable) *conk-a-reeeeeeeee tseer; tseer http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/ *Spotted Towhee: drink your teeee!; wack! wack!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/sounds
*American
Robin:
"cheerup, cheerily, cheerily"
cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o, whinny: quick-wik wikwikwikwik http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id *Swainson's Thrush: rurrip; rurrip whit; whit http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Thrush/id
Varied Thrush: squeee!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Varied_Thrush/id
*Northern
Flicker:
Wicka, wicka, wicka
kleeeyer wik-wik-wik Northern Flicker (courting): squeechu-squeechu-squeechu http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/sounds
*Cedar
Waxwing:
Zeee, zeee
*European Starling: wolf-whistle (breathy), rattles, whirrs Whistle. Pop. Whirrrr. Zzzt.
rack rack rack zeep!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/sounds
Steller's Jay: chip chip chip chip; shaaaaack (drawn-out; grating); shook-shook-shook-shook-shook http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Stellers_Jay/id
*Mourning Dove: hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo; chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo
*American Crow: caw-caw-caw-caw-koodle-yah; koodle-yah (trilly voice) http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/id Mallard: quack quack quack http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/id *Pileated Woodpecker: kik-kik-kik-kik-kik (rate & pitch rise then fall) http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id
*Red-tailed
Hawk:
Keeeeeer
*Bald Eagle: wika wika weeekeekeekeekicka
*Pacific Loon: kwa-wee! Haw, kloo-eee!
awww awwww, coocooloolee coocooloolee,
(described as a yodel)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Loon/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Loon/sounds
*Raven: cruk (harsh, raspy); tawk (metallic)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/sounds
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/sounds
*Barred
Owl:
Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds
*Great
Horned Owl:
Are you awake? me too; scree, scree
Western Screech-Owl: accelerating hollow whistles; constant pitch
*Trumpeter Swan: sound of wings-swish; truggle, truggle
Canada Goose: honk; honk; honk
Killdeer: killdeer; dee, dee
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds
