What The Robin Knows Audio Library – by Vocalization Type
The following is a listing of the audio tracks by vocalization type, so that you can compare each of the five voices across species. (Jon Young also shares more in-depth nuances of how to interpret these five voices in What the Robin Knows). You can also peruse this library by species or get an overview of the Five Voices of bird language here.
Click a link to scroll down to each section:
Songs – Typically denote a “baseline” harmony
Calls – May be used to maintain pair contact, in aggressive encounters, and other situations
Alarms – Listen for tone, frequency, and “feeling” to help separate alarm from territorial aggression or other call patterns.
Special thanks to Dan Gardoqui, audio and science editor for the book, for editing this compilation (revised 02.2025)
All recordings used with permission of Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studios in conjunction with What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2012). All recordings © Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio, All Rights Reserved.
Songs
American Robin
1. Typical song: rhythmic, melodic phrases.
Dark-eyed Junco
2a. Typical song: a high, metallic trill (sometimes confused with chipping sparrows).
2b. Two-parted song and chips: a variation on a typical song, then contact calls.
Song Sparrow
3. Typical song: usually begins with 2 to 3 clear notes, then a complex array of notes follows.
Bewick’s Wren
4a. Song: regional variation of song is normal in this species.
4b. Variation on song: males have a complex repertoire; here’s an example with nasal notes.
Carolina Wren
5a. Song: this classic loud, clear song says “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle.”
5b. Song: another typical variation says “che-wortel, che-wortel, che-wortel.”
5c. Duetting Song: a male sings while a female pipes in with her raspy calls.
House Wren
6. Song: an example of this unique outburst of song.
Common Yellowthroat
7. Song: a wavering series of melodic notes (variation in song is normal with this species).
Red-winged Blackbird
8a. Male songs: a wetland chorus of conk-a-ree.
8b. Female calls and song: chack calls and high-pitched chatter song of females.
Northern Cardinal
9a. Song: examples of loud, clear whistles of cardinal songs; variation is common.
9b. Chit and song: typical contact calls, then a ‘cheer-cheer, whoit, whoit…’ song with a ‘chrrrr’ call tagged into the end (the chrrrr is likely meant as a display of fitness, as it’s believed to be a very sound difficult to make).
Spotted Towhee
10. Songs: two examples of their song.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
11. Song: examples of this loud, complex song from one of the tiniest birds in North America.
Hermit Thrush
12. Song: examples of one of the most celebrated songs of all North American songbirds.
White-Throated Sparrow
13. Song: this easily recognized whistle song says “Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada.”
American Goldfinch
14. Song: typical long, warbling song of the American Goldfinch.
Black-Capped Chickadee
15. Song: the song of the black-capped chickadee is a loud, clear, whistled here-sweet-ie.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
16. Bob-white!: two-parted (sometimes three-parted) call made mostly by unmated males in the spring (similar purpose as a song).
Calls
American Robin
1. Whinny calls†: may be used when agitated, in aggressive encounters, or as a mild alarm.
Dark-eyed Junco
2a Two-parted song and chips: a variation on a typical song, then contact calls.
2b. “Thht!-Thht-Thht!” series: alarm calls for ground predators or as a general alarm call (esp in winter).
Song Sparrow
3a. Chip calls: calls often used as an alarm call or when agitated.
3b. Tsip calls: high, clear contact calls used in families and flocks.
3c. Zee calls: calls given by fledglings when begging parents for food.
Bewick’s Wren
4. Varied Calls: used a varity of social situations – including aggression and mild alarm
Carolina Wren
5. Ti-dink! calls: loud notes used as contact calls between birds.
Common Yellowthroat
6. Aggressive chatter: used when combating others of its kind.
Red-winged Blackbird
7a. Female calls and song: chack calls and high-pitched chatter song of females.
7b. Contact: loud chack! calls used within the flock.
Northern Cardinal
8. Chit and song: typical contact calls, then a “cheer-cheer, whoit, whoit…” song with a “chrrrr” call tagged into the end (the chrrrr is likely meant as a display of fitness, as it’s believed to be a very sound difficult to make).
Spotted Towhee
9a. Mew and chip: Mew call used for a variety of purposes (as an alarm when scolding or mobbing, as a contact call when feeding, and in some male-to-male aggressive situations). Chip calls usually given in moderately alarming situations (e.g., handling by humans).
9b. More mew and chip calls: slightly different variations of #36.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
10. Chi-dit calls: used mostly as a contact call (both in flight and when perched); also used occasionally in aggressive male chases.
Hermit Thrush
11. Chup-chup and vreee: the functions of these calls are not entirely known, but the chup-chup is often an alarm used in hostile situations, while vreee may be both an alarm and a contact call.
White-Throated Sparrow
12. Seep and pink! : the quieter seep vocalization is used mostly as contact call; the louder pink! is primarily a general alarm call (but can be heard when going to roost as well).
American Goldfinch
13. Po-ta-to-chip: a contact call given both in flight and when stationary.
14. Chip-pee: a begging call given by persistent fledglings as they follow parents around.
Black-Capped Chickadee
15. Chick-a-dee: variable calls with multiple functions, including predator mobbing (in this case, the more dees at the end, the more threatening the predator); as an “all clear” call after the predator has left; or when a food source is located.
Killdeer
16. Kill-deer: known primarily as a flight display call often in alarm situations, sometimes simply as an assembly call for wayard chicks.
California Quail
17. Assembly or rally call: a common call, chi-CA-go, usually given more than 10 times.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
18. Covey call: one of the most common contact calls used to locate and coordinate movement of scattered flock members.
Blue Jay
19. Jeer: used as a contact call as well as in mobbing and other alarming situations. Gradation of calls, ability to mimic, complex vocal abilities, and large vocabulary make classification of Blue Jay calls very difficult.
Steller’s Jay
20. Red-Tailed Hawk call: here the Steller’s Jay mimics the call of a red-tailed hawk. Exact function is unknown, but it’s often given by a hidden bird, maybe to manipulate other wildlife.
Red Squirrel
21. Various calls: begins with scold sequence alarm, followed by territorial chatter (also known as chatter-trill), interspersed with whining calls given in social encounters.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
22. Alarm Calls: Harsh nasal calls used mostly as a ground alarm. High-pitched calls at end use for aerial threats.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
23. Social calls: typical squeaky, wheezy social calls of prairie dogs.
Alarms
American Robin
1a. Peek! and tut! alarms†: used as alarm calls, often near nest (can also be used as aggressive voice in intraspecies encounters).
1b. High seeee alarm: an alarm call made in proximity to an aerial predator (usually hawk); the high-pitched call is difficult to locate.
Dark-eyed Junco
2. Tsit! Tsit! Tsit! alarm: subtle, quiet alarm vocalizations of the Junco.
Bewick’s Wren
3. Alarm: listen to the harsh, raspy notes of this alarm call.
Carolina Wren
4a. Dit-dit alarm: urgent alarm calls given by females and juvenile males.
4b. Male alarm: persistent, raspy calls like this mean trouble for the wrens.
House Wren
5. Alarm: persistent, raspy, scolding alarm calls sound similar to other wren alarms.
Common Yellowthroat
6. Alarm: loud tschat! calls indicate trouble is nearby.
Red-winged Blackbird
7. Cheer alarm: one of many loud, whistled alarms given by red-wings.
Northern Cardinal
8. Alarm: tink! alarm calls (louder and more urgent than chit call notes).
Spotted Towhee
9. Mew and chip: Mew call used for a variety of purposes (as an alarm when scolding or mobbing, as a contact call when feeding, and in some male-to-male aggressive situations). Chip calls usually given in moderately alarming situations (e.g., handling by humans).
Hermit Thrush
10a. Chup-chup and vreee: the functions of these calls are not entirely known, but the chup-chup is often an alarm used in hostile situations, while vreee may be both an alarm and a contact call.
Hermit Thrush (Continued)
10b. Weeh: this raspy vocalization is mostly used by agitated birds as an alarm call.
White-Throated Sparrow
11. Seep and pink! : the quieter seep vocalization is used mostly as contact call; the louder pink! is primarily a general alarm call (but can be heard when going to roost as well).
American Goldfinch
12. Bay-bee: an alarm call, given by distressed birds, often at or near the nest. Also mixed in are nasally “what-the-hell” calls, also made by the goldfinches.
Black-Capped Chickadee
13. Alarm: a small flock of chickadees vocalizes in the presence of a sharp-shinned hawk. Listen for all the high-pitched see and rapid fire zap notes mixed in with chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee (up to 9 dees in this example) alarm calls.
Killdeer
14. Te-dit-dit: an alarm call given by wary birds; often head bobbing is associated with this call.
15. Deet!: an alarm call given by birds on the ground, usually near nest.
16. Aggressive trill: a sputtering alarm call given by a bird chasing predator from nest.
California Quail
17. Pit-pit-pit: an alarm call given when a predator is detected; can be mixed in with a rally call.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
18. Alarm: bobwhites use a variety of alarm calls, starting softly and increasing in frequency and intensity as a predator draws nearer.
American Crow
19a. Alarm: in this example, the crows are mobbing a human (who is making field recordings of birds).
19b. Alarm: here the crows are mobbing a red-shouldered hawk.
Blue Jay
20. Jeer: used as a contact call as well as in mobbing and other alarming situations. Gradation of calls, ability to mimic, complex vocal abilities, and large vocabulary make classification of Blue Jay calls very difficult.
Black-billed Magpie
21. Alarm: the alarm begins with owl vocalizing and bill snapping (agitation), then magpie scolding calls, more owl hoots, magpie scolds, and so on.
Chipmunk
22a. “Chip” Alarm: a repeated loud, sharp chip!-chip!-chip! warns of ground predators and other terrestrial threats.
22b. “Chuck” Alarm: a repeated low, dull cluck-cluck-cluck warns of aerial predators and other threats from the sky.
22c. Chip-trill: usually given by a chipmunk diving for cover from threat.
Red Squirrel
23. Various calls: begins with scold sequence alarm, followed by territorial chatter (also known as chatter-trill), interspersed with whining calls given in social encounters.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
24. Alarms: Harsh nasal calls used mostly as a ground alarm. High-pitched calls at end use for aerial threats
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
25. Alarm: typical high-pitched barks of agitated prairie dogs
White-tailed Deer
26. Alarm: a deer snort sequence, then snorting while bounding away.
Northern Mockingbird
27. Alarm: a mockingbird mobs a barn owl while making harsh, raspy vocalizations.
Purple Finch
28. Alarm: with a Cooper’s Hawk nearby, a purple finch belts out a very strange alarm – a vireo song.