Many people enjoy birdwatching as a hobby. An important part of birdwatching is being able to identify birds by their appearance and their calls. However, remembering the calls of different bird species can be challenging, especially for beginners. Having a good memory for bird vocalizations takes time and practice. In this article, we’ll explore some techniques birdwatchers use to help memorize the songs and calls of birds.
Focus on common backyard birds first
For beginning birders, try to learn the calls of the most common birds you’re likely to see in your area first. Backyard birds like chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, and robins are a good starting point. Learn to recognize their common vocalizations before moving on to more unfamiliar birds. Trying to learn too many bird calls at once can get confusing. Build up your memory in small steps, mastering a few key species at a time.
Associate bird calls with mnemonics
Memory techniques like mnemonics can help cement bird vocalizations in your long-term memory by associating a bird call with a phrase or word that sounds similar. For example, the chickadee’s familiar “chick-a-dee-dee” call can be associated with the phrase “Hey sweetie.” Thinking of these mnemonics when you hear a bird call can help remind you of the species. Come up with fun, silly, or memorable mnemonics to help calls stick better in your brain.
Use recordings and repetition
Listening to recordings of bird vocalizations repeatedly will help strengthen your memory for the sounds. Many field guide apps and websites provide recordings of bird calls that you can play over and over. The more times you hear a call, the more likely you’ll be able to remember it later. Try quizzing yourself by playing various bird calls and trying to name the species without looking. Repetition is key to cementing those sounds into your long-term memory.
Take notes in the field
When you hear an unfamiliar bird call while out birdwatching, take detailed notes about the vocalization, describing elements like tone, pitch, rhythm, etc. Note the bird’s appearance and behavior as well. Being able to associate a sound with visual details will provide mental reinforcement. Review your notes later and research possible ID matches for the bird you heard. Connecting the sound with a visual memory and species identification will help solidify it in your mind.
Mimic bird vocalizations
Trying to mimic the calls and songs of birds can also be a memorable way to learn them. By listening carefully and then attempting to replicate the sounds yourself, you engage auditory, verbal, and physical memory. The motor memory of reproducing the call helps reinforce it. You may get some funny looks, but it can be an effective memorization technique.
Use flashcards and games
For younger birders, making flashcards with a different bird call on each one can build memory through repetition and game-play. Match pairs of cards with the same species when flipped over. Or listen to a card’s call and try to name the bird. Adding games engages kids’ minds and makes learning bird vocalizations more fun. Apps and websites with recorded calls can provide content for homemade flashcards.
Focus on the habitat
Remember that habitat and range can provide clues to bird identity too. Try to associate species with where they are most likely to be found. For example, cardinal calls will come from backyards, chickadees from woods and forests. If you hear an unknown call, think about the bird’s habitat and range to help narrow down possibilities. This provides additional memory cues beyond just the vocalization alone.
Write descriptions in a notebook
Keeping written notes, descriptions, and memories in a dedicated birdwatching journal can help reinforce bird calls in your mind. Date each entry and include details about appearance, habitat, behavior, and vocalizations of birds you identify. Sketch pictures too if possible. Describing and drawing birds engages different parts of your brain to help solidify auditory memories. Flip through your journal later to refresh your memory.
Pair auditory and visual learning
Since most people have a dominant learning style, utilize auditory and visual techniques together. Listen to recordings while looking at photos of the birds in your field guide. Draw and color pictures of birds while playing their calls in the background. Linking the auditory call with a visual image provides two types of sensory memory cues.
Practice while birdwatching
Actively test yourself when you are out birdwatching by listening to bird vocalizations and trying to identify the birds making them. Don’t immediately look up the answer. Let your brain puzzle it out based on what you’ve previously memorized. Active recall while in the field will engage your memory and help reinforce correct identifications.
Learn bird families and genera
Recognizing shared characteristics of broader bird groupings can provide helpful clues. Learn the typical traits and vocalizations of families like woodpeckers, chickadees, sparrows, etc. If you can identify a bird as a type of sparrow by its call, you’ve narrowed down the possibilities. Focus on the genera too, like recognizing a specific call as a Junco or Titmouse.
Use audio quizzes and games
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides online quizzes like Bird Song Hero to test your recall of bird sounds. Games like these can help identify gaps in your knowledge while reinforcing what you already know. Apps like Larkwire let you practice with randomly generated quizzes covering a wide range of species. Repeatedly testing yourself strengthens neural connections.
Focus when hearing a new call
Pay close attention the first few times you hear an unfamiliar bird vocalization. Block out distractions and carefully analyze the tone, pitch, rhythm, etc. The first time forms the strongest memory, so consciously focus on connecting the sound with a visual bird image in your mind. Associate any mnemonics too, like “teacher, teacher, teacher” for an Ovenbird call.
Stick to a consistent daily study time
To memorize a lot of bird calls, set aside deliberate practice time every day. Brief, consistent daily study sessions are more effective than long occasional ones. Fifteen minutes a day listening to recordings while reviewing notes or flashcards can steadily build your memory. Daily practice develops strong neural pathways that embed information in long-term memory.
Practice call association with flying birds
It’s easier to connect a call with a bird species if you first develop the visual identification skills to recognize birds while flying. Work on spotting field marks and silhouettes of flying birds, then associate their appearance with the calls you hear. See if you can identify flying birds just by their calls, which requires integrating auditory, visual, and memory skills.
Listen to bird song compilations
Recordings of multiple bird species vocalizing together can train your ear to distinguish different calls and songs. Sorting out and recognizing individual voices in a cacophony engages your auditory discrimination skills. This lays the foundation for memorizing specific vocalizations by individual species in mixed flocks.
Learn call types by behavior
Calls can often be categorized by the behavior they are associated with, like songs, companion calls, flight calls, alarm calls, etc. Connecting meaningful context helps provide memory cues. For example, you’re more likely to recall a bird’s contact call when remembering shared behaviors. Focus on how different vocalizations are used.
Visualize bird behavior as they vocalize
Try picturing what the bird is doing as it makes particular sounds. Associate a mental image of appearance and behavior with vocalizations like singing, calling, begging, etc. Visualizing meaningful bird behaviors that match various call types makes them easier to remember. It provides a vivid context to embed sounds into your memory.
Chart progress with checklists and logs
Checklists allow you to track birds whose calls you’ve learned successfully. Logging new vocalizations and updating your lists provides a sense of progress and achievement. Use logs to record current ability levels and plan out next steps. These tools motivate ongoing learning and reinforce retention through use.
Conclusion
Memorizing bird vocalizations takes practice, but these various techniques allow birdwatchers to gradually build up an extensive mental library of bird calls. Integrating auditory, visual, written, verbal, and physical memory exercises helps reinforce bird sounds. Anyone can develop a good memory for bird vocalizations with consistent applied practice in the field and at home. Start mastering your local common species first, then grow your knowledge bird by bird. Before long you’ll be impressing fellow birders with your bird call identification skills. So get out there, listen intently, and happy birding!