Sibley Guides

Bird songs Part 5: Describing Quality

David Sibley — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:48:15 +0000

Part 5 of my introduction to learning bird songs is now up (click here).

Many of the words that we use to describe the quality of a bird song also carry information about pitch and tempo. For example, only sounds in a certain pitch range can be described as whistled, and we tend to call lower-pitched whistles “rich” or “full”, and higher-pitched whistles ”thin” or “squeaky”. Similarly, certain descriptive words tell us about the tempo of the song. Words like relaxed and lethargic describe a slow tempo, and a buzz is just like a trill, only faster.
—>Read more…

Singing Prothonotary Warbler. Pencil sketch from the field in Arkansas, May 2005, copyright David Sibley.

Trees in their spring colors

David Sibley — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:49:49 +0000

I’ve been neglecting trees in my posts recently, but here in Massachusetts spring is the best time of year for tree-watching, and today the sun was out offering some good photo opportunities.

Five species of trees in Concord, MA, click to enlarge, and read below for identification; 11 May 2012. photo copyright David Sibley.

Here’s a typical field edge scene in Massachusetts now (early May), with five species of trees visible and identifiable.

The dark grove on the horizon is all Eastern White Pine, with branches forming long upswept sprays.
In the center are some Quaking Aspens, with the brightest green leaves and white trunks. (Bigtooth Aspen is just beginning to leaf out now, so we can be confident these are Quaking).
The slightly reddish tree just right of center is a Red Maple, a female, putting all of her energy into making seeds (which are red) and not putting out leaves yet (which will be green). Most of the trees visible in this scene are Red Maples, and most have green leaves, but the slightly orange-tinged tree farthest right is another female Red Maple showing a blend of orange-red fruit and green leaves.
The tall tree in the center with pea-green color is a red oak just leafing out, and the leaves arranged in rounded clumps is typical of oaks (and very different from Red Maple, for example).
Finally, there is one American Elm, just right of the reddish Red Maple, showing rich green leaves and you can just make out the bouquet-shaped form.

Trees in Concord, MA; 11 May 2012. Click to enlarge. Photo copyright David Sibley.

This photo shows another scene with seven identifiable species of trees. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge or just to learn the answers.

Spring Trees in Massachusetts

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Question 1

The leafless tree at the left is:

	Ash
	Oak
	Elm
	Maple

Question 1 Explanation:

The relatively stout, straight twigs all pointing up is characteristic of Ash, and they are one of the latest trees to leaf out, so that offers a supporting clue.

Question 2

The large tree left of center with pale greenish foliage is:

	Elm
	Maple
	Oak
	Ash

Question 2 Explanation:

This is actually a Scarlet Oak, in the red oak group, which all show a strong central trunk, rounded crown, and this time of year a "haze" of pale green or whitish emerging leaves and flowers. This would be a good place to look for migrating warblers, as a lot of early insects hang around in flowering oaks.

Question 3

The smaller, bright green, leafy trees in the center are:

	Red Oak
	Quaking Aspen
	American Elm
	Red Maple

Question 3 Explanation:

Aspens are one of the earliest trees to leaf out, with intensely green leaves, and for weeks in the spring they can be identified by that fact alone. Another clue is that they usually grow in groves like this, with all of the visible trees being "clones" of the same plant, from a single root system. This explains why they are all at the identical stage of leaf development, most species of trees show a lot of variation in timing.

Question 4

The round-topped dark green tree just right of center is:

	American Elm
	Eastern Black Oak
	Pitch Pine
	Eastern White PIne

Question 4 Explanation:

We can tell it's a conifer because of the dense and dark green foliage on this date, and a Pitch Pine because of the relatively neat oval crown and needles looking like they are in small clumps.

Question 5

The mostly leafless tree near the right is:

	Red Maple
	American Elm
	Ash
	Red Oak

Question 5 Explanation:

There is tremendous variation in timing and appearance of Red Maples in early May. Some have nearly full-grown green leaves, some (like this one) are just beginning to leaf out. The species can be identified by the form of the twigs, which grow out in long sprays in all directions. I think of them as a cluster of fireworks, and only Red and Silver Maples have this form.

Question 6

The dark green tree at the far right is:

	Black Cherry
	Pitch Pine
	Eastern White Pine
	Eastern Black Oak

Question 6 Explanation:

Another conifer, but notice how different the overall shape is compared to the Pitch PIne. Branches form characteristic long tapered sprays that are upswept at the tips making a very irregular shape to the crown.

Question 7

BONUS QUESTION: The seventh species of tree is just barely identifiable. One grows between the Ash and the Red Oak, against the backdrop of the leftmost Pitch Pine, and another is just visible above the tallest aspens. It is:

	Black Cherry
	Gray Birch
	American Elm

Question 7 Explanation:

The one on the left is easiest to identify. Clues are: crooked, dark gray trunk and branches, with the trunk dividing low; leaves scattered throughout crown, not clumped or arranged in sprays.

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 7 questions to complete.

Part 4: Understanding Quality in bird song

David Sibley — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:30:11 +0000

Part 4 of my introduction to learning bird songs is now up (click here).

In the narrowest sense, the quality of a bird’s voice would refer strictly to the tonal quality of the sound. Musicians call this “timbre”, and it allows us to distinguish a trumpet from a violin from a flute, even when all are playing the same note, and even though we cannot describe the differences in words. There are such differences in bird’s voices, but when birders refer to the “quality” of a bird song, we are almost always using it in a broader sense to mean our overall impression of the song (including the timbre of the voice along with everything else)….
—>Read more…

Black-capped Chickadee

Quiz 36: More Warblers

David Sibley — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:55 +0000

Today’s quiz features a bonus

And we have a winner! Congratulations to Laramie, and thanks to everyone who entered!

There will be another quiz giveaway next week – stay tuned.

Everyone who submits a perfect score by 9 PM Eastern Time on Thursday May 10th, will be entered in a drawing to win a prize.

The prize this week is a signed copy of my poster “Waterfowl of North America” Or take your pick of any of my other posters – Trees, Hummingbirds, Raptors, Owls, etc.) Of course, even if you don’t win, you can still order the posters from Scott & Nix.

After you get all five questions correct, just be sure to click the “Get Results” button at the end of the quiz and then submit your results.

There is no limit to how many times you can attempt the quiz, so feel free to keep trying until you get all five questions right.¹

Scroll down to take the quiz, and good luck!

As in the last quiz this one shows warblers as they are so often seen in the field – with just the underside of the body visible. Clues such as tail shape, overall size, behavior and other subtleties can be very helpful with experience. In this quiz I focus on the more objective features of plumage.

When all you can see is the belly, flanks, and tail of a warbler, you will have to rely on tail pattern, any streaking, and the overall pattern of dark/light and bright/drab. Leg color can also be helpful. You should be able to identify most species by matching those patterns to the pictures in the guide, and with practice you will recognize more and more warblers from these small clues.

With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website.

Still more warblers from below

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Congratulations - you have completed Still more warblers from below. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%

Your answers are highlighted below.

Question 1

	Prairie Warbler
	Magnolia Warbler
	Prothonotary Warbler
	Canada Warbler

Question 1 Explanation:

Question 2

	Black-throated Green Warbler
	Magnolia Warbler
	Yellow Warbler
	Prairie Warbler

Question 2 Explanation:

Question 3

	Magnolia Warbler
	Wilson's Warbler
	Prairie Warbler
	Canada Warbler

Question 3 Explanation:

Question 4

	Chestnut-sided Warbler
	American Redstart
	Bay-breasted Warbler
	Painted Redstart

Question 4 Explanation:

Question 5

	Black-throated Green Warbler
	Black-and-white Warbler
	Blackpoll Warbler
	Black-throated Gray Warbler

Question 5 Explanation:

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 5 questions to complete.

Some more rules: This contest is open to anyone, however, the prize must be deliverable by the United States Post Office to an address in the United States or Canada only. No shipments outside of this area will be made.
The winner will be notified by email.
Entering your email address means that you might receive occasional emails from me in the future about Sibley Guides news and events, but I will never give your email address to anyone else.

Tempo, and bird song identification

David Sibley — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:25:42 +0000

Part 3 of my introduction to learning bird songs is now up (click here).

In this discussion, tempo refers to the overall “pace” of the song, the number of notes or phrases per second. We describe this as fast or slow, and over the course of the whole song the tempo can be steady or variable. To be exact, tempo depends on the duration of notes, the duration of pauses between notes, the duration of different sections of the song, etc. For now, though, we will just be listening to the overall sound….
—>Read more…

Quiz 35 – More warblers from below

David Sibley — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:08:25 +0000

Like a previous quiz this one shows warblers as they are so often seen in the field – with just the underside of the body visible. Clues such as tail shape, overall size, behavior and other subtleties can be very helpful with experience. In this quiz I focus on the more objective features of plumage.

When all you can see is the belly, flanks, and tail of a warbler, take note of tail pattern, any streaking, and the overall pattern of dark/light and bright/drab. You should be able to identify most species by matching those patterns to the pictures in the guide, and with practice you will recognize more and more warblers from these small clues.

With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website.

More warblers from below

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Question 1

	Palm Warbler
	Yellow Warbler
	Prairie Warbler
	Wilson's Warbler

Question 1 Explanation:

The long tail, mostly dark with small white spots near the tip, is unique to Palm Warbler, and very different from any other species with all-yellow underparts.

Question 2

	Prairie Warbler
	Yellow Warbler
	Palm Warbler
	Wilson's Warbler

Question 2 Explanation:

Entirely bright yellow underparts and an unmarked grayish tail without white spots is a combination shown only by Wilson's Warbler and the Connecticut-Mourning-MacGillivray's group. Species in the latter group would show a bulkier tail and undertail coverts than Wilson's, darker olive wings, olive on the flanks, and some of the gray hood would be visible even in the partial view above.

Question 3

	Nashville Warbler
	Yellow Warbler
	Wilson's Warbler
	Prairie Warbler

Question 3 Explanation:

Yellow Warbler is the only species with bright yellow tail spots (the inner webs of most tail feathers). In addition, the entirely bright yellow underparts, without dark streaks, limits the possibilities, and the hints of reddish streaking on the flanks is shown only by Yellow.

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There are 3 questions to complete.

Pitch, and bird song identification

David Sibley — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:50:01 +0000

Pitch is simply our perception of the frequency (or wavelength) of a sound, which we describe as high to low. Birds’ range of hearing is similar to our own, and bird song covers the full range to the limits of human hearing, from the lowest hooting sounds of Great Gray Owl or Spruce Grouse to the highest songs of Blackburnian Warbler or Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Most bird vocalizations are complex, and cover a wide range of frequencies, and there is often considerable variation in pitch within a species, making it hard to use pitch alone as an identification clue. Even so, the actual pitch of a bird sound is useful for getting into the right “ballpark” for identification.

—>>Continue reading Pitch, and bird song identification

Learning to Listen to Bird Songs

David Sibley — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:30:42 +0000

A singing Golden-winged Warbler

The first post in a new series on identifying birds by sound:

To learn bird songs, it is first important just to notice bird sounds. Train yourself to hear them and to hear the differences. Take a minute periodically while you are birding to stop, relax, maybe close your eyes, and just listen. Don’t try to identify the species at first, but listen for patterns and try to distinguish the different sounds you are hearing. Even if you can’t identify the species, just knowing that three species are vocalizing is a very important bit of information and is the first step towards identifying those species.

—> Continue reading Learning to listen to bird songs

Quiz 34 – Brightly-colored Birds

David Sibley — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:24:43 +0000

Here are five species of intensely colorful spring birds. Can you identify them from just the small parts that are visible?

Today’s quiz features a bonus

We have a winner! Congratulations to Chuck, who will get the signed copy of Bright Wings. Thanks to everyone who played, there will be another chance next week.

Everyone who submits a perfect score by 6 PM Eastern Time on Thursday May 3rd, will be entered in a drawing to win a prize.

The prize this week is a signed copy of my collaboration with poet Billy Collins –
Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds – a fantastic collection of bird-related poetry with fifty of my illustrations. (It would make a great Mother’s Day present…. Alternatively, you can just order it from Amazon).

After you get all five questions correct, just be sure to click the “Get Results” button at the end of the quiz and then submit your results.

There is no limit to how many times you can attempt the quiz, so feel free to keep trying until you get all five questions right.¹

Scroll down to take the quiz, and good luck!

With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website.

Colorful Birds

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Congratulations - you have completed Colorful Birds. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%

Your answers are highlighted below.

Question 1

	Blackburnian Warbler
	Western Tanager
	Baltimore Oriole
	Yellow-throated Warbler

Question 1 Explanation:

Question 2

	Scarlet Tanager
	Painted Bunting
	Baltimore Oriole
	Blackburnian Warbler

Question 2 Explanation:

Question 3

	Eastern Bluebird
	Summer Tanager
	Northern Cardinal
	Painted Bunting

Question 3 Explanation:

Question 4

	Vermilion Flycatcher
	Painted Bunting
	Scarlet Tanager
	Northern Cardinal

Question 4 Explanation:

Question 5

	Yellow Warbler
	Eastern Meadowlark
	Prothonotary Warbler
	Baltimore Oriole

Question 5 Explanation:

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 5 questions to complete.

Some more rules: This contest is open to anyone, however, the prize must be deliverable by the United States Post Office to an address in the United States or Canada only. No shipments outside of this area will be made.
The winner will be notified by email.
Entering your email address means that you might receive occasional emails from me in the future about Sibley Guides news and events, but I will never give your email address to anyone else.

Quiz 33: Small songbirds by their wings

David Sibley — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:31:50 +0000

This quiz shows just the bodies of five species of small drab songbirds with wingbars. In other quizzes I’ve given a big clue in the form of telling you the family of the birds in the quiz (e.g. “More Warblers”), but in this quiz your challenge is to identify the family.

This level of identification – telling a warbler from a goldfinch from a kinglet – is something we learn to do automatically through experience. We memorize, and actively look for, field marks that distinguish Blackpoll Warbler from Bay-breasted. But distinguishing a female Blackpoll Warbler from a goldfinch? We “just know” from behavior, movements, proportions, calls, overall plumage colors, etc. There’s no need to know how the wing pattern of a goldfinch differs from the wing pattern of a warbler, so we don’t consciously memorize that.

I’m not sure if this quiz will be hard or easy. I suspect it will be easy for experienced birders, but I haven’t been able to come up with any concise explanations to add to the answers, which makes me think that less experienced birders might find it really challenging.

In any case, it is a good opportunity to step back and really think about what it is that distinguishes these unrelated groups of birds.

With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website.

Wing-barred Songbirds

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Question 1

	Kinglet
	Vireo
	Flycatcher
	Warbler

Question 1 Explanation:

White-eyed Vireo

Question 2

	Flycatcher
	Kinglet
	Vireo
	Warbler

Question 2 Explanation:

Blackpoll Warbler

Question 3

	Warbler
	Vireo
	Kinglet
	Flycatcher

Question 3 Explanation:

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Question 4

	Goldfinch
	Flycatcher
	Kinglet
	Vireo

Question 4 Explanation:

Least Flycatcher

Question 5

	Flycatcher
	Vireo
	Kinglet
	Goldfinch

Question 5 Explanation:

American Goldfinch

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 5 questions to complete.