Squirrel or Bird?

BirdNote^®

Squirrel or Bird?

Written by Conor Gearin

This is BirdNote. 

[Fox Squirrel barks]

Identifying birds by ear means getting familiar with each species’ unique voice. And that means learning the other voices in the ecosystem, too. Like the Fox Squirrel’s barks:

[Fox Squirrel barks]
    
This squirrel’s alarm barks could at first sound like the calls of a Red-bellied Woodpecker:

    [Red-bellied Woodpecker calls]

But with enough practice, you can hear how the squirrel’s barks are more throaty, and more frequent than the woodpecker. Here’s the squirrel again:

    [Squirrel barks]

And the woodpecker:

    [Red-bellied Woodpecker calls]

That’s not the only voice that could trip you up in the forest — take a listen to this cute little trill:

    [Eastern Chipmunk chip-trill call]

While it might sound a bit like a kingbird, it’s really the chip-trill call of a chipmunk, given when they are telling another chipmunk to back off. 
    
[Eastern Chipmunk chip-trill call]

In comparison, Eastern Kingbirds sound more shrill, increasing in volume rather than decreasing as they continue:

    [Eastern Kingbird call]

Here’s the chipmunk again:

[Eastern Chipmunk chip-trill call]

And here’s the kingbird:

    [Eastern Kingbird call]

Eventually, you might recognize each species’ voice, like recognizing a friend. All it takes is time.

[Eastern Chipmunk chip-trill call]

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Red-bellied Woodpecker ML 230037631 recorded by Wil Hershberger, and Eastern Kingbird ML 534398 recorded by Wil Hershberger. 
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote     March 2023         
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# sound-33-2023-03-21    sound-33