Learning birdsong given an advantage when looking for birds
Everybody knows at least a few bird calls. As kids we learned that turkeys go "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble" and ducks go "Quack, Quack." With a bit of practice you can learn dozens more songs and calls, a real boon to birding in the late spring and summer, when birds are often hidden among the leaves of trees and brush.
Early morning in the spring and summer are excellent times to hear birds "sing," when they perch out in the open and sing to attract a mate. Songs may be complicated and long, as opposed to bird calls, which are usually shorter and much simpler. Calls are frequently used by birds to locate each other. Although early morning is usually the best time to hear birds, some will sing throughout the day in spring and summer, and will call throughout the year.
The best way to learn birdsong is repetition - get out, listen, and observe them singing. Another good way is to listen to recorded songs on a phone app like Sibley or iBird. Below are the songs or calls of a dozen readily identifiable birds of southern Illinois.
• The Barred Owl is our most common owl, and while primarily nocturnal, it can often be heard calling "Who, who, whoo-ah" on overcast days. These birds are very common at Oakwood Bottoms and LaRue Swamp.
• The Eastern Whip-poor-will is another nocturnal species, and has an onomatopoeic (the name describes the song) rapid call of "Whip Poor Will, Whip Poor Will." These are fairly easy to hear at Ferne Clyffe State Park in the predawn hours.
• If you live in a wooded neighborhood, listen for the following birds. In the breeding season you may see the rufous, black, and white Eastern Towhee singing from a perch "Drink your tea"; throughout the year it calls out his name from cover "Tow heeee."
• The black-capped Grey Catbird is generally hidden in tangles, and has a mewing call that sounds just like a cat.
• The small Eastern Wood Pewee calls out a plaintive "Pee Weee," often from an exposed perch as it hunts for small insects to snag.
• One of our most beautiful neighborhood birds is the red, crested Northern Cardinal; it sings a lovely series of high, slurred whistles.
• Out in the country along hedgerows listen for the distinctive onomatopoeic call of the bobwhite "Bob white." It's probably the first bird song I learned, and one of the few birds that I can imitate by whistling.
• Some bird calls have absolutely no musical quality whatsoever. The blue and white Belted Kingfisher has a hoarse rattle.
• Green Herons call a short croak when disturbed or startled.
• We have two kinds of crows in our area. The American Crow caws, the Fish Crow calls a quick nasal "Ah Ah."
• And just when you think you've mastered these songs, beware of the Northern Mockingbird, which is an outstanding mimic, and imitates just about every song and call it hears (it even does cellphone ring tones)!
<h3 class="breakHead">Current regional sightings</h3>
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are showing up in lakes and ponds throughout the area, as they become regular breeders in southern Illinois - look for them in a pond near you! Anhingas have also been seen lately; watch for them at Oakwood Bottoms and along the Big Muddy Levee.
If you're looking for additional ideas about where to go birding in southern Illinois, please consider my new book, "Finding Birds in Southern Illinois." It's available in print and PDF versions at www.southwestbirders.com.
<h3 class="breakHead">About the author</h3>
Carbondale is my hometown, where I started birding over 50 years ago. I spent an exciting 16 years as a bird guide, and have penned bird-finding books for several Arizona and California counties. I currently reside in Arizona, where you can reach me at henrydetwiler@earthlink.net.