The Sounds of Nature

Today were going to be talking about the importance of learning the sounds of wildlife.  When folks go out to look for wildlife, often they only pay attention to what the animal that they are looking for looks like.  They often ignore the signs and sounds the animal makes either through vocalization or when it is moving around in its habitat.  This is a serious oversight in anyone who wants to truly experience the outdoors.

When going outside, often the first thing you hear, if you are in a relatively undeveloped area, are the sounds of the birds calling in the trees or at the bird feeder in the backyard.  But can you identify the birds that are calling based on sounds alone and not looking at where the sound is coming from?

This is a very important and beneficial skill particularly when it comes to birds because they are often very small, and move quickly, so even with binoculars, there is a good chance that by the time you find the bird it has already moved on to the next branch. Don’t even get me started with warblers.  If you have ever tried to find them in binoculars, you know what I mean.  Those tiny little birds do not sit still for more than a few seconds until they are off to their next spot.  

By learning the calls and songs of bird, because yes, the two are different, you will be able to know which birds are around in your backyard, or around you on a walk without needing to see them.  This opens a whole new world of possibilities of understanding what habitats different bird species use and where you can find them. 

Let’s start by differentiating a bird call from a bird song.  In simple terms, a bird call for most species in the Northeast is a short non-descript chirp or series of chirps that are hard to differentiate between species.  These serve as a way for the birds to communicate their location with one another and to stay in contact with one another and potentially warn against danger without being too loud to alert to their specific location.  Bird songs on the other hand are a series of notes that are typically much easier to identify between species.  A bird’s songs main purpose is for mating.  Bird songs are mostly sung by male birds during the breeding season in an attempt to attract a mate. 

Have you ever walked in a forest in late May or June, if you’re in the northern hemisphere?  If you have, you would likely have heard a variety of birds singing because it is breeding season.  Now if you walk in that same forest in late August or September, you will not hear nearly as many birds and they most likely won’t be songs.  This is because breeding season is over, and the birds are not singing anymore.

So, you’re thinking great I’ll just go learn the bird calls and songs that are in my area, and I’ll be all set!  But then when you go look, there are a couple hundred species of birds in your area, now what?

Start with the birds that are very common, especially the ones you find in your yard or at a local park.  The best way to learn a bird call and song is to watch the bird making the call or singing.  This reinforces the song in your mind and imprints it on that species.  That way even if you forget the name of the species, hopefully you will be able to remember the color or size and shape of the bird based on the song, and it will be much easier to look it up. 

 Now adays there are all kinds of apps that make it easier to learn the sound of birds around you.  One such app is the Merlin Bird ID app.  This app allows you to record the birds around you and it identifies them correctly for the most part.  Take caution when it identifies a rare bird, it may not be correct and should be double checked. 

If you are new to birding, using this app will open your eyes to the variety and number of species that are around you at any given time. 

 Once your ear becomes accustomed to the songs of the birds, you will gain a new appreciation for where birds can be found. 

 In the case of photography, it is very important to be able to identify birds based on sound to listen to where birds are located and moving toward so you can be in the correct location to get the photo.  Learning the calls and songs of birds also makes you feel a greater connection to these amazing animals.  Because birds move around a lot, they are also great at notifying those around if there is any danger in the area.  I have used bird calls many times to locate predators in areas where I would have never found them.  Last week’s post highlights this when I used the alarm calls of different species to locate an owl sitting in a tree.    

Now that’s enough about birds for a minute.  What about other wildlife?  Have you ever been in the forest and heard a noise that you could not identify.  It is kind of a scary experience, right?  Your all alone and a coyote howls.  Well, if you have never heard a coyote howl, that could be pretty terrifying.  I remember I was alone in the forest and heard a loud noise ahead of me.  I did not know what it was, and it was scary at first because suddenly your mind goes to some large predator that could hurt you.  Well, it turns out that in this case, the unknown noise was a wild turkey.  Yes, a turkey!  It had made a call that I had never heard, and it was not its typical gobble sound.  Sorry I circled back to birds again. 

But I made my point that knowing the sounds of nature will make nature more enjoyable.  The greatest way to increase your vocabulary in nature is to simply be out in it as much as you can.  The more time you are in the forest the easier it will be to discern the trampling of a squirrel in the leaves compared to the steps of a white-tailed deer or black bear. If you listen carefully you can hear a squirrel chewing on an acorn, the chirping alarm call of a chipmunk, and the hammering of a woodpecker on a dead log.   

In future posts, I will be discussing how to use the tracks and signs of wildlife to make you a better naturalist and understand wildlife behavior. 

If you would like more experience with this type of information, check out my YouTube channel linked above or in the link below.  In these videos, I do my best to incorporate these naturalist skills that will make you a better naturalist as well.  If you do go and check out those videos, be sure to subscribe to get the latest videos. 

https://www.youtube.com/@ToddDeWaldPhotography

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