Bird watching is a popular hobby that allows people to connect with nature and appreciate the diversity of avian species around them. A key skill for any birder is being able to identify birds by their calls and songs. However, with hundreds of bird species and thousands of vocalizations to learn, identifying bird calls can seem daunting for beginners. Thankfully, there are many free resources available online to help you learn bird calls quickly and easily.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to identify bird calls for free. First, we will go over the basics of bird vocalizations and why they are important for identification. We will then provide tips on how to train your ear to recognize different bird sounds. Finally, we will recommend the best free websites, apps, and audio resources to help you master bird call identification.
Whether you are just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills, this guide will give you the tools to identify the winged musicians in your backyard and beyond.
Why Do Birds Sing and Call?
To understand how to identify bird vocalizations, it helps to first understand why birds make these sounds. Birds have a syrinx vocal organ instead of a larynx like mammals. They use their syrinx to produce all kinds of sounds, ranging from simple chip notes to complex songs.
Birds use vocalizations for:
– Communicating with other birds
– Defining territory
– Attracting mates
– Warning of predators
– Keeping social groups together
– Expressing alarm or excitement
Since birds rely so heavily on vocal cues to go about their daily lives, learning to decipher their calls provides a window into understanding bird behavior. Identifying vocalizations helps birders get to know which species are present without even seeing the birds.
Why Identifying Bird Calls is Important
There are several key reasons why learning to identify bird vocalizations is an essential skill for birders:
– It allows you to detect the presence of hard-to-see birds like those that stay under dense cover. Many birds are heard more often than they are seen.
– It enables you to identify birds at a distance or while hidden. You can put a name to the musician even when the bird is too far away to see details.
– It permits identification of nocturnal flight calls. Many migrating songbirds vocalize at night as they travel.
– It facilitates bird species detection in dense habitats. Calls are sometimes the only indication of birds in thick vegetation.
– It helps census and survey birds. Identifying vocalizations allows easy tracking of bird populations.
– It improves success attracting birds for observation. You can learn which sounds will draw different species nearer for better viewing.
The more familiar you become with the typical bird calls in your area, the more adept you will become at knowing which birds are present without even needing to lay eyes on them.
Tips for Learning Bird Calls
When you are first getting started with identifying bird vocalizations, it can be difficult to interpret the many unfamiliar sounds. Use these tips to train your ears to become an expert in bird call recognition:
Start with common backyard birds
Focus first on learning the calls of the birds regularly seen in your backyard or at common bird feeders. Starting with a small group of similar vocalizations makes it easier to train your ears without getting overwhelmed.
Some examples of backyard birds to start with include:
– Northern Cardinal
– Black-capped Chickadee
– American Robin
– Mourning Dove
– Blue Jay
– American Crow
– European Starling
Once you feel confident identifying these frequent backyard species, you can gradually add more birds to your repertoire.
Use audio recordings and spectrograms
It is much easier to learn bird calls by listening to recordings rather than relying solely on written descriptions. Additionally, spectrographic images visually represent sounds on a graph, making subtle distinctions easier to pick up on.
Many of the free resources covered later utilize audio recordings and spectrograms to help you identify key characteristics of each species’ vocalizations.
Focus on frequently heard calls
Each bird can make a diverse array of sounds, but they tend to have a few commonly heard calls. When getting started, focus on learning the 2-5 most frequent vocalizations made by each target species.
For example, the Northern Cardinal’s common calls include a “cheer cheer” song, a metallic “chip”, and high-pitched “wheeee” whistles. Master these core sounds for each species before moving on to less common ones.
Pay attention to rhythm and pitch
Tune your ears to pick up on the unique rhythms and pitch patterns of each bird vocalization. Note characteristics like speed, cadence, tone, inflection, and more. With practice, you can learn to identify birds by call patterns alone.
Use mnemonic clues
Memory devices like mnemonic clues help associate bird sounds with memorable phrases. For example, the Eastern Towhee’s song sounds like it is saying “drink your tea.” Come up with silly phrases or words that help jog your memory for each bird call.
Learn bird vocabulary
Understand basic bird vocalization terminology, like:
– Song – Long, complex vocalization used to attract mates or defend territory
– Call – Short, simple vocalization used to communicate a message
– Chip – Very short, high-pitched call
– Trill – Rapid series of identical notes
– Whistle – Pure, sustained high-pitched call
Having vocabulary to describe what you are hearing will help you identify patterns.
Use recordings to test yourself
Once you have studied the calls of a species, test your knowledge by playing recordings of that bird and trying to identify it by sound alone before looking at the answer. Testing yourself will develop your recall and cement what you have learned.
Practice every day
Like any new skill, identifying bird calls takes regular practice before it becomes second nature. Try to listen to recordings or go outside to observe birds daily to strengthen your abilities. Consistent repetition is key for training your ears.
With diligent practice using audio recordings, descriptive clues, and self-testing, you will quickly become an expert at deciphering even the trickiest bird calls.
The Best Free Resources for Learning Bird Calls
One of the most useful tools in becoming a better bird call identifier is having access to a library of high-quality bird vocalization recordings. Thankfully, there are many fantastic free websites, apps, and audio resources available online to help you learn.
Here are the top free resources to boost your bird call identification skills:
websites
1. All About Birds Bird Identification Guides
All About Birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers detailed life history information and clear recordings for over 600 North American bird species. Their Bird Identification Guides include useful descriptions, range maps, photographs, and multiple audio recordings.
An example is their Northern Cardinal sounds page, with descriptive spectrograms analyzing features like frequency, pitch, and rhythm. Their quizzes for each species also let you test yourself.
2. Audubon Guide to North American Birds
The Audubon Guide provides photos, range maps, and several vocalization samples for over 800 species of North American birds. You can browse by bird name or use their search bar to quickly pull up a species and listen to its calls.
3. xeno-canto Bird Sounds Database
Xeno-canto has a massive crowdsourced collection of bird call recordings from around the world. You can filter audio files by species, country, recorder, or quality. Recordings have additional information like the bird’s age, time of year, and circumstances.
4. Bird-songs.net
Bird-songs.net features bird vocalizations organized by group such as backyard birds, birds of prey, shorebirds, and more. You can also search for a species to hear examples of its categorical sounds like calls, song variations, flight calls, etc.
Mobile Apps
1. Merlin Bird ID
Available for iOS and Android, the Merlin app lets you ID unknown birds by answering a few simple questions about size, color, behavior, habitat, and location. For known birds, you can save vocalizations to “Sound ID” and it will provide matches. The app includes over 400 North American species.
2. Audubon Bird Guide App
With over 800 North American species, this free app includes multiple recordings per bird along with id tips, range maps, and more. You can save favorite birds for quick reference, listen to quizzes to test yourself, and share observations.
3. Larkwire
Larkwire is a paid app but offers a free version covering 25 common species. It uses games and quizzes to help master bird songs and has recordings for over 400 North American birds. The paid version unlocks unlimited access.
Audio CDs and MP3s
While online and mobile resources are incredibly convenient, audio CDs can also be useful learning aids. MP3 files can also often be downloaded from birding websites. Recommended titles include:
– Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America
– Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Western North America
– Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region
– Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region
– Kaufman Field Guide to Bird Songs of North America
– mp3s from sites like xeno-canto
These CDs and mp3s allow you to study bird vocalizations anywhere, even without an internet connection. They break recordings into categories like flight calls, chip notes, and song variations.
Conclusion
Identifying bird calls by sound is an invaluable skill for birdwatching. Thankfully, there are now excellent free resources for learning bird songs and calls through convenient online platforms. By using audio recordings, spectrographic analysis, learning tips, and self-testing quizzes, birders can swiftly master vocal identification.
With consistent practice and utilization of these free websites, apps, and recordings, anyone can become an expert on the orchestra of bird sounds in their local habitats. Soon you will be able to put a name to every trill, whistle and warble in your backyard and beyond.
So equip yourself with these helpful resources and get ready to ace those bird call quizzes. The vibrant sounds of the bird world are ready for you to listen, learn, and identify wherever your birding adventures take you.