Birding by Ear

There's a lot to look forward to in spring for birders.

The flowers are blooming, old friends are returning,  and birdsong is at its peak. The sheer volume of songs and calls can often feel overwhelming for birders, but these sounds offer an opportunity and a challenge. With our birding-by-ear series you can learn how to better ID birds through their vocalizations. 

Pt. 1: Start Listening for Songs and Calls
Pt. 2: Learn the Most Common Kinds of Sounds
Pt. 3: Connect Noises With Pictures That Stick
Pt. 4: Grow Familiar With Neighborhood Voices
Pt. 5: “Read” Sounds on Spectrograms
Pt. 6: Know If It's a Mimic or the Real Deal
Pt. 7: Learn Different Regional Accents
Pt. 8: Eavesdrop on Nature's Orchestra
A Few of Our Favorite Sounds
Adopt a Bird
American Bittern
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
! Priority Bird
Varied Thrush
Thrushes
Red-tailed Hawk
Hawks and Eagles
Pied-billed Grebe
Grebes

More Birding Advice

The 12 Best Bird Books of 2015
December 23, 2015 — Our favorite reads of the year include a guide to the world of gonzo birds, a best-selling falconry memoir, field handbooks, and more.
Books
48 Hours of Birding (and Other Things): Cleveland, Ohio
December 16, 2015 — As the big freeze sets upon this industrial city, so do the raptors, finches, and waterbirds.
48 Hours of Birding
How to Find Treasure With a Honeyguide's Help
December 15, 2015 — Follow this bird and it might lead you to sweet gold!
Podcast
6 Other Birds (Beyond the Bunting) That Make People Go Nuts
December 11, 2015 — They could be vagrants or they could be regulars—there's no wrong reason for getting stirred up about a bird.
News
No, It’s Not Actually a Murder of Crows
December 01, 2015 — Okay, technically it is, but we should still abandon absurd—and antiquated—terms of venery.
News