What the Robin Knows: Bird Language Audio Library
Audio Tracks, Listed by Species
Audio Tracks, Listed by Vocalization Type (this page)
Introduction to the Audio Library
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).
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.
You can also peruse this library by species.
Thanks to Dan Gardoqui of White Pine Programs, audio and science editor for the book, for producing this compilation.
All recordings used with permission of Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio 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
5. Typical song: a high, metallic trill (sometimes confused with chipping sparrows).
6. Two-parted song and chips: a variation on a typical song, then contact calls.
Song Sparrow
9. Typical song: usually begins with 2 to 3 clear notes, then a complex array of notes follows.
Bewick’s Wren
13. Song: regional variation of song is normal in this species.
14. Variation on song: males have a complex repertoire; here’s an example with nasal notes.
Carolina Wren
17. Song: this classic loud, clear song says “tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle.”
18. Song: another typical variation says “che-wortel, che-wortel, che-wortel.”
19. Song with female chatter: a male sings while a female pipes in with raspy calls.
House Wren
23. Song: an example of this unique outburst of song.
Common Yellowthroat
25. Song: a wavering series of melodic notes (variation in song is normal with this species).
Red-winged Blackbird
28. Male songs: a wetland chorus of conk-a-ree.
29. Female calls and song: chack calls and high-pitched chatter song of females.
Northern Cardinal
32. Song: examples of loud, clear whistles of cardinal songs; variation is common.
33. Chit and song: typical contact calls, then a “cheer-cheer, whoit, whoit…” song with a “chrrrr” call at tagged into the end (the chrrrr is likely meant a as display of fitness, as it’s believed to be a very sound difficult to make.
Spotted Towhee
35. Songs: two examples of their song.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
38. Song: examples of this loud, complex song from one of the tiniest birds in North America.
Hermit Thrush
40. Song: examples of one of the most celebrated songs of all North American songbirds.
White-Throated Sparrow
43. Song: this easily recognized whistle song says “Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada.”
American Goldfinch
45. Song: typical long, warbling song of the American Goldfinch.
Black-Capped Chickadee
49. Song: the song of the black-capped chickadee is a loud, clear, whistled fee-bee.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
58. Bob-white!: made mostly by unmated males in the spring (like a “song”).
Calls
American Robin
2. Whinny calls†: may be used when agitated, in aggressive encounters, or as a mild alarm.
Dark-eyed Junco
6. Two-parted song and chips: a variation on a typical song, then contact calls.
7. Kew-kew-kew: calls often used during and after aggressive encounters.
Song Sparrow
10. Chip calls: calls often used as an alarm call or when agitated.
11. Seep calls: high, clear contact calls used in families and flocks.
12. Zee calls: calls given by fledglings.
Bewick’s Wren
16. Calls: often vary by age and gender.
Carolina Wren
20. Ti-dink! calls: loud notes used as contact calls between birds.
Common Yellowthroat
27. Aggressive chatter: used when combating others of its kind.
Red-winged Blackbird
29. Female calls and song: chack calls and high-pitched chatter song of females.
30. Contact: loud chack! calls used within the flock.
Northern Cardinal
33. Chit and song: typical contact calls, then a “cheer-cheer, whoit, whoit…” song with a “chrrrr” call at tagged into the end (the chrrrr is likely meant a as display of fitness, as it’s believed to be a very sound difficult to make.
Spotted Towhee
36. 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).
37. More mew and chip calls: slightly different variations of #36.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
39. Chi-dit calls: used mostly as a contact call (both in flight and when perched); also used occasionally in aggressive male chases.
Hermit Thrush
41. 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
44. 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
46. Po-ta-to-chip: a contact call given both in flight and when stationary.
48. Chip-pee: a begging call given by persistent fledglings as they follow parents around.
Black-Capped Chickadee
50.Chick-a-dee: a variable vocalization 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 as a food source is located.
Killdeer
52. Kill-deer: known primarily as a flight display call often in alarm situations, sometimes simply as an assembly call.
California Quail
56. Assembly or rally call: a common call, chi-CA-go, usually given more than 10 times.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
59. Scatter call: one of the most common contact calls used to locate and coordinate movement of flock members.
Blue Jay
63. 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
64. 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
69. 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
70. Harsh nasal calls: used as both an alarm and in nonthreatening social situations.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
71. Social calls: typical squeaky, wheezy social calls of prairie dogs.
Alarms
American Robin
3. Peek! and tut! alarms†: used as alarm calls, often near nest (can also be used as aggressive voice in intraspecies encounters).
4. 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
8. Tsit! Tsit! Tsit! alarm: subtle, quiet alarm vocalizations of the Junco.
Bewick’s Wren
15. Alarm: listen to the harsh, raspy notes of this alarm call.
Carolina Wren
21. Dit-dit alarm: urgent alarm calls given by females.
22. Male alarm: persistent, raspy calls like this mean trouble for the wrens.
House Wren
24. Alarm: persistent, raspy, scolding alarm calls sound similar to other wren alarms.
Common Yellowthroat
26. Alarm: loud tschat! calls indicate trouble is nearby.
Red-winged Blackbird
31. Cheer alarm: one of many loud, whistled alarms given by red-wings.
Northern Cardinal
34. Alarm: tink! alarm calls (louder and more urgent than chit call notes).
Spotted Towhee
36. 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
41. 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.
42. Weeh: this raspy vocalization is mostly used by agitated birds as an alarm call.
White-Throated Sparrow
44. 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
47. 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
51. 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
53. Te-dit-dit: an alarm call given by wary birds; often head bobbing is associated with this call.
54. Deet!: an alarm call given by birds on the ground, usually near nest.
55. Aggressive trill: a sputtering alarm call given by a bird chasing predator from nest.
California Quail
57. Pit-pit-pit: an alarm call given when a predator is detected; can be mixed in with a rally call.
Northern Bobwhite Quail
60. Alarm: bobwhites use a variety of alarm calls, starting softly and increasing in frequency and intensity as a predator draws nearer.
American Crow
61. Alarm: in this example, the crows are mobbing a human (who is making field recordings of birds).
62. Alarm: here the crows are mobbing a red-tailed hawk.
Blue Jay
63. 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
65. Alarm: the alarm begins with owl vocalizing and bill snapping (agitation), then magpie scolding calls, more owl hoots, magpie scolds, and so on.
Chipmunk
66. Terrestrial threat: a repeated loud, sharp chip!-chip!-chip! warns of ground predators and threats.
67. Aerial threat: a repeated low, dull cluck-cluck-cluck warns of aerial predators and threats.
68. Chip! trill: usually given by a chipmunk diving for cover from threat.
Red Squirrel
69. 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
70. Harsh nasal calls: used as both an alarm and in nonthreatening social situations.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
72. Alarm: typical high-pitched barks of agitated prairie dogs
White-tailed Deer
73. Alarm: a deer snort sequence, then snorting while bounding away.
Northern Mockingbird
74. Alarm: a mockingbird mobs a barn owl while making harsh, raspy vocalizations.
Purple Finch
75. Alarm: with a Cooper’s Hawk nearby, a purple finch belts out a very strange alarm – a vireo song.