Birds use calls and songs to communicate with each other and defend their territories. The specific number of calls or repeats in a bird vocalization can be an important identifier of the species. So if you hear the same call repeated three times, what bird could it be?
Birds That Call 3 Times
There are a few common backyard and urban birds that vocalize in groups of three repeats. Here are some of the likely options:
- Northern Mockingbird
- Tufted Titmouse
- Common Nighthawk
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Cedar Waxwing
Let’s take a closer look at each of these birds that commonly call or repeat vocalizations three times.
Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is known for its varied song repertoire that often includes repeats of phrases three times. Both males and females sing complex songs made up of short musical phrases that are sometimes repeated three times. Their songs include imitations of the calls of other bird species as well.
Mockingbirds sing throughout the year, but the peak singing season is during spring and early summer when they are establishing and defending nesting territories. So listen for repeating three note phrases in mockingbird songs during the spring and summer months.
Tufted Titmouse
The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) has a readily recognizable call that is often repeated three times – “Peter Peter Peter.” They use this call throughout the year when communicating with other titmice and delineating territories.
The Tufted Titmouse is a small gray bird with a crest that is common at feeders and in mixed flocks with chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers. They breed in eastern North America and winter south to Florida and Mexico. So if you hear a repeated three note call of “Peter Peter Peter,” check for a tufted titmouse in your yard.
Common Nighthawk
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) makes a distinct vocalization as part of its breeding display during the spring and summer. Perched males give a repeated, nasal “peent” call that is often delivered as a series of three peents.
Listen for this “peent peent peent” call at dawn or dusk to spot Common Nighthawks as they perform graceful aerial displays over open habitats. The nighthawks breed across North America and migrate to wintering grounds in South America.
Eastern Wood-Pewee
The Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) is best known for its signature call – a slurred, whistled “pee-ah-wee” vocalization. During the breeding season, males will often sing this call as a series of three repeats – “pee-ah-wee, pee-ah-wee, pee-ah-wee.”
Listen for the Eastern Wood-Pewee’s triple call in summer when they are nesting across Eastern North America. They breed in deciduous and mixed forests, especially in areas with some open flycatching perches. Their winter range extends into Central America and northern South America.
Cedar Waxwing
Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) make high-pitched trilled calls and can extend these into triple repetitions. Listen for sequences like “zrrrrreep, zrrrrreep, zrrrrreep” when waxwings are feeding in flocks or perched together.
Waxwings breed across North America and into Eurasia. They nest in open woodlands, edges, and hedgerows. During winter they form large nomadic flocks that follow fruit sources across the landscape while keeping in contact with trilled calls.
How to Identify the Bird Calling 3 Times
If you hear a series of three repeated calls, here are some tips to help identify which bird it could be:
- Note the habitat – Is the bird calling in an urban yard, park, or more wild forest or meadow?
- Listen for other vocal clues – Does the call have a musical, whistled, nasal, or sharp quality?
- Try to spot the bird – Can you see any field marks to match with species possibilities?
- Consider the season – Is it during the spring and summer breeding season or winter months?
Combining the auditory clue of the triple call with the habitat, visual appearance, other components of the vocalization, and time of year can help zero in on which species it is. Apps like iBird Pro, Merlin Bird ID, and BirdNET can also help suggest bird ID possibilities from recordings.
Why Birds Call 3 Times
So why do some birds seem prone to calling or repeating vocalizations in series of threes? There are a few possible reasons:
- Defining territories – Calling repeatedly marks out a bird’s claim on a nesting or feeding territory and acts as a warning to intruders.
- Attracting mates – Persistent calling helps attract a mate during breeding season.
- Staying in contact – Calls keep the birds in contact with their mate or others in their flock or family group.
- Avoiding habituation – Varying calls by repeating them keeps other birds from tuning them out.
Species like Northern Mockingbirds may repeat calls three times because it helps keep the messages fresh. But for many birds, the exact number of repeats isn’t as important as persistently calling over a period of time. So don’t get hung up on the fact that it was delivered three times. The key is recognizing the unique quality of the call itself paired with when and where it was heard.
Mnemonic Tricks to Remember Bird Calls
Being able to identify birds by call takes patience and practice. But there are some mnemonic tricks you can use to help remember the vocalizations of birds that call three times:
Northern Mockingbird – “Look at me, look at me, look at me!”
Mockingbirds repeat different phrases as they show off their vocal skills. Imagine them calling “Look at me!” three times to get your attention.
Tufted Titmouse – “Peter, Peter, Peter”
The titmouse’s repeat call has a distinctive “Peter” quality. Visualize someone named Peter calling his own name to help cement this repeating three note vocalization.
Common Nighthawk – “Up, down, up”
As nighthawks do aerial displays, picture their repeating “peent” call mirrored in an up, down, up flight pattern.
Eastern Wood-Pewee – “Pee-ahWOODpeewee, Pee-ahWOODpeewee, Pee-ahWOODpeewee”
Draw out the “pee-ah” and emphasize the “woodpeewee” in this call to recreate the pewee’s lazy, slurred triple vocalization.
Cedar Waxwing – “Seet-seet-tweet”
Waxwings make high-pitched trilled notes that can sound like “seet.” Picture this call repeated three times and ending with a higher “tweet” to memorize the waxwing’s triple call.
Common Backyard Birds That Call 3 Times
In addition to the birds already mentioned, here are a few other common backyard birds that may repeat a call 3 times:
Downy Woodpecker
The Downy Woodpecker, North America’s smallest woodpecker, makes a short pik call that they often repeat in series of three.
Hairy Woodpecker
Similar to the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpeckers also repeat short peek notes in sets of three calls.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpeckers vocalize with a rolling churr call delivered as three repeats.
Red-headed Woodpecker
The Red-headed Woodpecker calls with a sharp, whinnying call, sometimes repeated three times.
Blue Jay
Blue Jays make a wide range of calls, with one being a fast, rising whislte of “thief, thief, thief” given in groups of three.
Other Bird Species to Consider
While less common in backyards, here are some other birds that may call with three repeats to be aware of:
Whip-poor-will
Whip-poor-wills are nocturnal birds that call their name repetitively from dusk into the night.
Chuck-will’s-widow
Related to Whip-poor-wills, Chuck-will’s-widows also sing their onomatopoeic name at night.
Killdeer
Killdeer have a shrill, piercing “kill-deer” call that they often give as a triple repeat.
American Woodcock
The display flight of the American Woodcock includes a series of nasal “peents” that are usually repeated 3 times.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Yellow-billed Cuckoos make a rolling “kowlp” call, sometimes repeating it three times.
Burrowing Owl
The raspy “skreigh” call of the Burrowing Owl often comes as three repeats.
Bird Identification Resources
Identifying birds by call takes practice. Here are some useful resources:
- Audubon Bird Sounds Database – browse bird calls alphabetically
- All About Bird Bird Academy – browse bird sounds topics
- Bird Studies Canada – Pacific Northwest Birds – regional bird sounds
- Merlin Bird ID App – identify birds by call recording
With attentive listening and a little practice, you’ll start connecting the sounds with the birds in your yard and beyond. Listening for signature features like calls given in threes will help narrow down the identification.
Conclusion
When birding by ear, listening for signature features in bird vocalizations provides helpful clues for identifying species. Paying attention when you hear the same call repeated three times can allow you to narrow down the caller to birds like Northern Mockingbirds, Tufted Titmice, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Wood-Pewees, and Cedar Waxwings. Combining auditory repetition clues with the habitat, season, and visual bird appearance helps pinpoint species. With practice, you’ll soon find yourself gaining a whole new awareness of the bird life around you through their vocalizations.