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Have you ever been birding with someone who is able to identify the birds they hear before you're sure you've even heard it?
Or maybe you hear birds that you never get to see and wonder what they are.
Well, birding by ear is a great skill to develop and most certainly will add a whole new level of enjoyment and interest to your time outdoors. But how to begin? How do I go about associating the sounds I hear with the bird which is its source?
Fortunately today's technology, especially apps using artificial intelligence (AI), can help and we'll offer some suggestions about that elsewhere on this site. But let's start with the dozen or so birdsongs you already recognize. Oh, I hear you, "But I don't know any birds by their sounds." Maybe not, but if you've spent any time outdoors at all this author believes there are plenty of birdsongs you've heard enough to recognize, you probably just haven't associated those songs with their singers!
So that's what this page is intended to help you do. A few notes:
This page is for those of us who are new to birding by ear. If you already recognize the songs of the birds listed below the site may be helpful as a review (especially in honing your ear as spring approaches), or you may want to go straight to the "Next Steps" and/or "Other Resources" sections to find what may be helpful to you.
The birds listed below are common and widespread across the part of Florida represented by Four Rivers Audubon in North Central Florida. The same birds may be common elsewhere, and others common there may not be heard as often here. And even in our area how commonly each is heard varies. So this is a sample, not an inclusive list!
We'll explore only the most common sound(s) of each species, not every sound it makes. But as you'll see in the links provided that you may learn more about the species and all its sounds as you are motivated to do so.
The idea is that you ALREADY know some or all of these sounds. Once you associate those sounds with their source you'll be on your way to identifying birds by ear!
So, how do you begin?
Review the list and see if any of the songs of the listed birds are already familiar to you. (If you know all of them, you may wish to review these and then go to the "Next Steps" page.)
Proceed one species at a time. Listen to the song of that species; birds may have alternate songs and many other call notes. Start with becoming familiar with the main/most common song of each. Later you'll want to expand your skill by learning other sounds.
Go out and listen for the song(s) you're working on. Spring is the best season for this, and dawn is the best time of day. But birds may sing any time, in season or out so it pays to keep listening.
As you become confident that you can identify the songs of these birds go to the "Next Steps" page to find more birds commonly heard in our area.
Finally, check out the "Additional Resources" page for books, sites, and smartphone apps that may help you learn to better identify these and the many, many more birds you'll hear once you begin to listen to them closely!
The birds we'll explore first:
Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Northern Parula
Mourning Dove
Great Crested Flycatcher
Red-shouldered Hawk
Pine Warbler
Tufted Titmouse
White-eyed Vireo
Eastern Bluebird
Pileated Woodpecker
Carolina Chickadee
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