There are a few night birds that are known for making calls that sound similar to a squeaky toy. The most common night bird that produces a squeaky sound is the Common Nighthawk.
Common Nighthawk
The Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a medium-sized nightjar found throughout North America. It is best known for its loud, nasal “peent” call that sounds like a squeaky toy being squeezed. Male nighthawks make this call repeatedly as part of their breeding display during summer nights.
The peent call is thought to communicate the male nighthawk’s location to females in the area. It also establishes the male’s territory and wards off rival males. The peent call consists of a single note lasting about a second in duration. It has been described as sounding like “peent” or “beer”, which are onomatopoeic words meant to phonetically mimic the call.
Here are some key facts about the Common Nighthawk’s squeaky toy-like call:
- Made primarily by males during the breeding season
- Part of aerial courtship displays
- Loud, nasal sound that carries long distances
- Call consists of a single “peent” or “beer” note
- Used to attract females and defend territory
- Easily identifiable and very distinctive
The Common Nighthawk is widespread across North America and found in a variety of open habitats like grasslands, savannas, deserts, scrublands, urban areas, and recently logged forests. Its squeaky peent call is most actively made on warm summer nights starting in late spring.
Whip-poor-will
Another night bird that makes squeaky sounds is the Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus). This medium-sized nightjar is named for its song that consists of repetitively calling out “whip-poor-will.”
Each call rises in pitch and volume, then quickly falls off, lending a rhythmic and squeaky quality to the vocalization. Here is how the bird’s song breaks down:
- “Whip” – First lower pitched note
- “Poor” – Second slightly higher pitched note
- “Will” – Third highest pitched note that drops off in volume
Males sing this repetitive whip-poor-will song during summer nights to attract mates and establish territories. The song can be repeated hundreds of times throughout the night. This constant vocalizing gives the Whip-poor-will its name.
Other key facts about the Whip-poor-will’s squeaky song include:
- Made primarily by males during the breeding season
- Song has a rhythmic, trilling quality
- Each call rises in pitch then drops off
- Song carries well through the night air
- Used to attract females and defend territory
- Very recognizable vocalization
Whip-poor-wills are found throughout eastern North America in wooded or shrubby areas. Their squeaky whip-poor-will song can be heard on warm early summer nights in rural areas.
Eastern Screech Owl
The Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) is known for its squeaky, whinnying song. Its most common call is a plaintive, trembling whinny that sounds like a squeaky wheelbarrow or rusty swing set.
Eastern Screech Owls use this eerie, wailing song to establish territories and attract mates. Both males and females sing, with males calling most often during the late winter and early spring breeding season. Here are some characteristics of the Eastern Screech Owl’s squeaky song:
- Described as a shivering whinny or whistling trill
- Song has a squeaky, trembling quality
- Made by both males and females
- Most common during breeding season
- Used to attract mates and defend territory
- Easily identifiable vocalization
The Eastern Screech Owl is found throughout eastern North America in wooded areas, parks, and suburban backyards. Its squeaky tremolo song can be heard on quiet nights.
Barn Owl
Barn Owls (Tyto alba) are known for their eerie, raspy calls that have been likened to squeaky doors or rusty pumps. These nocturnal owls make shrill screeches and other vocalizations that contribute to their spooky reputation.
One common Barn Owl call is a long, drawn-out shriek. This piercing scream starts at a high pitch then drops sharply in tone. It sounds like a squeaky pump being rhythmically pumped. Here are some characteristics of the Barn Owl’s squeaky shrieking call:
- Loud, raspy screaming vocalization
- Call starts at high pitch then drops sharply
- Drawn-out, shrieking quality
- Often repeated in a series
- Used by females seeking mates
- Also used in territorial displays
- Eerie, squeaky sound that carries far
Barn Owls are found worldwide in agricultural areas, grasslands, and other open habitats. Their unnerving, squeaky calls can be heard mainly during nighttime hours.
Short-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is another night bird known for its odd squeaking vocalizations. These owls make a variety of weak, raspy calls described as “squeaky gate” sounds.
One distinctive Short-eared Owl call is a repetitive squeaking bark. Males make this call during courtship flights or while defending territories. The barks start low then quickly raise in pitch, giving them a punctuated, squeaky quality. Here are some key features of the Short-eared Owl’s squeaky calls:
- Weak, raspy vocalizations
- Squeaky, punctuated barking calls
- Barks start low in pitch then quickly raise
- Made by males during courtship and territorial displays
- Squeaky gate-like sound
- Not as loud or carrying as other owl calls
The Short-eared Owl can be found worldwide in open country like prairies, marshes, and agricultural areas. Its squeaky territorial calls can be heard on quiet nights during the early spring breeding season.
Other Birds with Squeaky Sounds
While the above birds are most noted for their squeaky vocalizations, other bird species also make sounds resembling squeaky toys:
- Northern Flicker: Makes a loud squeaking call that descends in pitch.
- Red-headed Woodpecker: Gives sharp, squealing calls.
- Fish Crow: Makes a nasal squeal or whine.
- Tufted Titmouse: Sings a whistled song with a squeaky quality.
- White-breasted Nuthatch: Communication calls sound like a tin horn or squeaky toy.
These are just a few examples of birds whose vocalizations could be likened to squeaky toys. The unique environments and evolutionary pressures birds live with shape the amazing variety of songs and calls they use to communicate and survive.
Why Birds Make Squeaky Sounds
There are a few key reasons why some birds evolved to make squeaky vocalizations:
- Attracting mates – Squeaky sounds stand out at night when many birds are breeding. This helps attract females.
- Defending territories – Squeaky territorial calls are easily localized to scare off rival males.
- Camouflage – Some squeaky calls mimic small mammals to disguise the bird’s presence.
- Carrying over distances – High, piercing notes travel farther through vegetation and night air.
- Fitting habitat – Squeaky notes contrast with background noise in open environments like grasslands.
In summary, squeaky bird vocalizations often play an important role in breeding displays and territory defense. Additionally, some of the acoustic properties of squeaky sounds allow them to transmit well in certain environments. These factors combine to make squeaky calls effective for communication by night birds.
Conclusion
The Common Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will, Eastern Screech Owl, Barn Owl, and Short-eared Owl are among the most well-known night birds to make vocalizations resembling squeaky toys. Their “peent”, “whip-poor-will”, shivering whinnies, raspy shrieks, and squeaky barks serve key purposes like attracting mates and proclaiming territories during the breeding season.
While many birds use unique squeaks and squeals to communicate, the night birds profiled here are most strongly associated with squeaky toy-like sounds. Listening for their distinctive squeaky calls during summer nights is a great way to identify these remarkable nocturnal birds.
Understanding bird vocalizations provides insight into avian behavior and ecology. Ornithologists continue studying bird sounds to learn more about how different species interact and adapt to their environments through unique forms of communication like squeaks and squeals.
Related Questions
What other night birds make unusual sounds?
Some other nocturnal birds known for their weird and wonderful sounds include:
- Potoo – Makes haunting, mournful cries
- Northern Mockingbird – Mimics noises like car alarms and cell phone rings
- Northern Saw-whet Owl – Makes an eerie, continuous series of tooting hoots
- Common Loon – Gives an iconic, wailing yodel call
- Wilson’s Snipe – Makes a winnowing sound by vibrating its tail feathers in flight
These night birds all have distinctive vocalizations well-suited to their nocturnal habitats and lifestyles.
How can I identify night birds by their calls?
Here are some tips for identifying night birds by their vocalizations:
- Get to know the common night bird sounds in your area
- Note timing – some birds only call at certain seasons
- Describe sound characteristics like pitch, rhythm, squeakiness
- Record calls and compare to bird call references
- Pay attention to where sound is coming from
- Use bird call playback apps like Merlin Bird ID
- Go on bird watching trips with experienced birders
Learning night bird call identification takes patience and practice. But familiarity with nocturnal bird sounds allows you to match unique calls to their sources.
Why are some bird calls so loud?
Birds often make loud, far-carrying calls for the following reasons:
- Attract distant mates
- Defend large territories
- Communicate across obstacles like dense vegetation
- Compete with background noise like rushing water or wind
- Broadcast alarm calls to warn flock mates
- Locate flocks when widely dispersed
Additionally, some physical adaptations like large sound chambers in certain bird species allow them to produce extremely loud, noisy calls. Loud bird vocalizations serve many important functions related to territory, mating, predator evasion, and flock communication.
References
- The Cornell Lab. “Common Nighthawk Life History.” All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Nighthawk/lifehistory
- The Cornell Lab. “Listen to Whip-poor-will Songs.” All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whip-poor-will/sounds
- The Cornell Lab. “Eastern Screech-owl Life History.” All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/lifehistory
- The Cornell Lab. “Barn Owl Species Account.” All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barn_Owl
- The Cornell Lab. “Short-eared Owl Overview.” All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-eared_Owl/overview
- Boidron, Kendal. “Why Birds Sing at Night.” Audubon, 8 July 2016, https://www.audubon.org/news/why-birds-sing-night
- Koenig, Walter D. and Andrew M. Liebhold. “Why Ornithologists Study Night Calling in Birds.” The Auk, vol. 132, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-2.