Mnemonic Winter Bird Calls

Mnemonic: “assisting or intended to assist memory” is a way that some learn bird calls — most of us have heard the Barred Owl’s “Who Cooks for You?” or the White-throated Sparrow’s “Peabody Peabody Peabody” or “O Canada, O Canada, O Canada.”   Since we have so few birds around, for me it’s a good time to get going on sharpening recognition skills because the warblers are down south, starting to think about heading northward.  At least I hope they are.

So I listed some of the species we are seeing around Vermont this winter and included their mnemonic description and in some cases, a recording.  Note that our friends at Cornell have on their wonderful About Birds site not only descriptions but calls.

American Goldfinch
pa-chip-chip-chip per-chick-a-ree
po-ta-to-chip (and dip {in flight})

American Kestrel
klee; klee; klee

American Robin
cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o, whinny
AMRO_song_mp3

Belted Kingfisher
stuttering; non-musical; dry rattle in-flight
BEKI call

The rattling call of the Belted Kingfisher is unmistakeable. photo by mikebaird

Black-capped Chickadee
chk-a-dee-dee-dee (rapid; higher-pitched than Carolina); fee-bee
BCCH_song_mp3

Bohemian Waxwing
Bzeee-bzeee-bzeee-bzeee
BOWA flight call

Brown Creeper
trill (hp; rapid) always as individuals
BRCR Call

Common Redpoll
a chatter of several sharp, zapping notes; a nasal, rising whistle lasting nearly half a second; and a rattle or trill that lasts nearly a second
CORE call 1 (.mp3)  CORE call 2 (.mp3)

Cooper’s Hawk
normally silent except for breeding season kac-kac-kac, kuck, kuck kuck, kuck
COHA call

Dark-eyed Junco
dit (repeated occasionally); smack (repeated occasionally); chipping trill (musical; tinkling)
DEJU_song_mp3 (mp3)

Downy Woodpecker
peeek (sharply) whinny

Golden-crowned Kinglet
see-see-see- (hp)
GCKI call

I hear the high-pitched call of the Golden-crowned Kinglet high in the trees but can’t spot the little guy/gal. photo by Seabarium

Hairy Woodpecker
pik (flat) whinny
HAWO call

House Sparrow
chiddik; chiddik (dry; non-musical)
HOSP call mp3

Mourning Dove
hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo; chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo

Pine Grosbeak
tew tew tew, or pui-pui-pui  whistled
PIGR_flight_call_mp3

Pine Siskin
zreeeeeee! (buzzy)

Purple Finch
warbling – varied phrases; fast; lively; brief

Red-breasted Nuthatch
ank-ank-ank (nasal monotone)
RBNU_call_mp3

Red-tailed Hawk
keeeeeeeeer

Tufted Titmouse
cheeva; cheeva; cheeva fer-da; fer-da; fer-da
here; here; here peter-peter-peter-

White-breasted Nuthatch
anh-anh-anh-anh- (nasally); tooy-tooy-tooy-tooy
wee-wee-wee-wee-who-who-who-who-
WBNU call

Winter Wren
varied; complicated; bubbly and busy
WIWR call

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