Ontario is home to a diverse range of bird species, some of which produce calls that sound similar to a car alarm going off. When heard from a distance, the vocalizations of certain birds can bear an uncanny resemblance to the repetitive, high-pitched sound of a car alarm.
Northern Flicker
One bird that is well-known for its car alarm-like call is the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). This medium-sized woodpecker breeds throughout Ontario and is identified by its brownish barred plumage and black-spotted belly. The Northern Flicker’s most distinctive sound is a loud, repeating vocalization that rises and falls in pitch. This “kleer” call is often given by the birds when in flight or perched on top of a tree.
The typical car alarm-like call of the Northern Flicker is a loud, emphatic “klee-yer! klee-yer! klee-yer!”. When calling, the bird opens its beak wide and throws its head back as it emits the sound. To human ears, the bird’s voice can sound almost identical to a car alarm chirp echoing through a neighborhood. This species tends to be most vocal during the spring breeding season.
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is another Ontario bird capable of sounding like a car alarm. Blue Jays are intelligent, noisy songbirds found throughout the province. They have diverse vocalizations, including alarm calls, contact calls, and mimicry of other species. One of their more mechanical-sounding vocalizations resembles the repetitive beeping of a car alarm.
When feeling threatened or aggressive, Blue Jays will sometimes give a harsh, buzzing “thief! thief! thief!” call. The avian version of a car alarm often speeds up toward the end and has a shrill, piercing quality similar to a vehicle’s security system. This species can perfectly mimic sounds, so their car alarm imitation is no coincidence.
Red-winged Blackbird
Male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are also notorious for their grating alarm calls that parallel the sound of a car alarm. Found in marshes and wetlands across Ontario, male red-wings are highly territorial during breeding season. Sitting atop cattails and reeds, they’ll sound off with aggressive “conk-la-ree!” vocalizations to proclaim their territory and signal danger.
The “conk-la-ree!” calls are often strung together in sets, similar to a car alarm chirping repetitively. The birds tend to make these calls when disturbed by predators or intruders. Their sharp, electric buzzing can carry quite a distance. The car alarm-esque calls of the Red-winged Blackbird can be a familiar springtime sound in Ontario wetlands.
Killdeer
The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a shorebird species found in open habitats throughout Ontario. It is known for its piercing, far-carrying call that bears an uncanny resemblance to a car alarm. Killdeer have a two-part breeding call that they repeat over and over again – a shrill “keeeer” rising note followed by a loud, abrupt “did he do it!” dropping note.
When strung together rapidly, the Killdeer’s vocalizations sound nearly identical to a car alarm chirping loudly and repeatedly. The birds will call this way to sound an alarm if their nest or young are threatened. The Killdeer’s car alarm call can be heard day and night in the province’s fields, parking lots, and gravelly areas where they nest and feed. Of all Ontario’s birds, their call provides the closest replica of the repetitive beeping of a car alarm.
Gray Catbird
The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is a medium-sized songbird found throughout southern Ontario. It prefers shrubby, brushy habitat. Though not as close of a car alarm soundalike as the other birds mentioned, the Gray Catbird does have a call that resembles a car alarm to some degree. Its alarm call is a harsh, grating “mew” note that gets repeated in strings.
When agitated, Gray Catbirds will emit series of these raspy “mew” notes from a concealed perch in shrubs or trees. The repetitiveness and shrillness bears a decent resemblance to a car alarm chirp, though it is less of a spot-on imitation than the other birds’ alarm calls. The cat-like vocalization helps give this species its name.
Audio Comparisons
Listening to audio recordings provides the best sense of how similar these Ontario birds’ calls are to car alarms:
- Northern Flicker car alarm call: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-flicker# (Listen for the “kleer” call)
- Blue Jay car alarm call: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/blue-jay (Listen for the “thief” alarm call)
- Red-winged Blackbird car alarm call: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-winged-blackbird# (Listen for the buzzing “conk-la-ree!”)
- Killdeer car alarm call: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/killdeer (Listen for the “keeeer did he do it!” call)
- Gray Catbird car alarm call: https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/gray-catbird (Listen for the cat-like “mew” calls)
Conclusions
In summary, there are a number of bird species in Ontario that make alarm or territorial calls similar to a car alarm, including the Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, Killdeer, and Gray Catbird. Of these species, the Killdeer’s vocalization provides the most convincing car alarm soundalike. This shorebird’s loud, repetitive two-part call can easily be mistaken for the chirping of an actual car alarm. So next time you hear a car alarm sound coming from a field or wetland in Ontario, take a closer look as it may just be a vocalizing Killdeer!