Birdsong Learning Resource

Hi folks!

As we embark on our performance art sound choir odyssey, I will post the resources I am drawing from to create the piece. This post contains a guide to some local bird songs to help you hear, learn, and mimic bird songs. Under each bird, I have included some phonetic break-downs of bird songs and a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology pages because they are excellent resources for identifying a bird, reading about its behavior, and hearing the sound it makes.

Birding Adventures is one of the best sources I found for bird song phonetics. I'm also interested in researching what birders who speak different languages use for the same songs. Why not try making up your own phonetics for the bird songs you hear, or other sounds in the city and nature?

The Vancouver Avian Research Centre Web Pages are another excellent source of information.

*Rufous Hummingbird: zee-chuppity-chuppity (buzzy) 

bzeet, bzeet bzeet chup chup, bzeet chuppity chuppity chup 

zeet zeet chook chook chook, chookity chookity chook
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/id

*Black-capped Chickadee: chik-a-dee-dee-dee 

(rapid; higher-pitched than Carolina); fee-bee
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id

*American Goldfinch: pa-chip-chip-chip per-chick-a-ree

"babeee"; po-ta-to-chip (and dip {in flight})
squireee, squiree, chip chip chip (first part is like a squeaky toy)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/id 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch/sounds

 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
ji-dit; ji-dit; ji-dit (rattly)
too-fritchyoo-fritchyoo-fritchyoo
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruby-crowned_Kinglet/id 

Golden-crowned Kinglet: see-see-see- (hp)

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/id

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Kinglet/sounds

 House Sparrow
tweet tweet tweet tweet, chiddik; chiddik (dry; non-musical)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/sounds 

*White-Throated Sparrow: "poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body"

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/id

Song Sparrow

Maids-maids-maids-put-on-your-tea-kettle-ettle-ettle

Hip; hip; hip hurrah boys; spring is here!
Madge; Madge; Madge pick beetles off; the water's hot
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Song_Sparrow/id

*Bewick's Wren
like Song Sparrow; but thinner; more rapid
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bewicks_Wren/id

*Nashville Warbler: trill in two parts - 2nd faster and lower in pitch

see-bit-see-bit-see-bit; see-see-see-see (2-pt.)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nashville_Warbler/id

*Olive-sided Flycatcher: Quick, THREE beers, quick quick quick

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Olive-sided_Flycatcher/id

*Yellow Warbler:"sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow_Warbler/sounds

*Nashville Warbler: See-bit see-bit  see-bit,  see-see-see-see

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Nashville_Warbler/id

MacGillivray's Warbler: chiddle-chiddle-chiddle-turtle chip-chewy or chip-chewy-chew (hp; clearer than Hammond's Flyc.) tsik (low; sharp) 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/MacGillivrays_Warbler/id  

Downy Woodpecker: shrill whinnying

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id

*Red-eyed Vireo: where are you? and here I am
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-eyed_Vireo/id

*Red-winged Blackbird
chortle-deeeeee (hp and drawn-out last syllable)
*conk-a-reeeeeeeee
tseer; tseer
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/

*Spotted Towhee: drink your teeee!; wack! wack!

 http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/id

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Spotted_Towhee/sounds 

*American Robin: "cheerup, cheerily, cheerily"

cheer-up; cheer-a-lee; cheer-ee-o, whinny: quick-wik wikwikwikwik
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/id

*Swainson's Thrush: rurrip; rurrip   whit; whit
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swainsons_Thrush/id 

Varied Thrush:  squeee!

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Varied_Thrush/id 

*Northern Flicker: Wicka, wicka, wicka

kleeeyer
wik-wik-wik
Northern Flicker (courting): squeechu-squeechu-squeechu
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/id 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Flicker/sounds 

*Cedar  Waxwing: Zeee, zeee

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/id

*European Starling: wolf-whistle (breathy), rattles, whirrs Whistle. Pop. Whirrrr. Zzzt. 
rack rack rack zeep!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/id 
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/European_Starling/sounds

Steller's Jay: chip chip chip chip; shaaaaack (drawn-out; grating); shook-shook-shook-shook-shook http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Stellers_Jay/id 

 *Mourning Dove: hooo-ah hoo-hoo-hoo; chirry-chirry-chirry-choreeo 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id

*American Crow: caw-caw-caw-caw-koodle-yah; koodle-yah (trilly voice)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Crow/id

Mallard: quack quack quack
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/id

*Pileated Woodpecker: kik-kik-kik-kik-kik (rate & pitch rise then fall)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id 

*Red-tailed  Hawk: Keeeeeer

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/sounds

*Bald Eagle: wika wika weeekeekeekeekicka

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id

*Pacific Loon: kwa-wee! Haw, kloo-eee!
awww awwww, coocooloolee coocooloolee, 
(described as a yodel)
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Loon/id 
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacific_Loon/sounds

 *Raven: cruk (harsh, raspy); tawk (metallic) 

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Raven/sounds

*Barred Owl: Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

*Great Horned Owl: Are you awake? me too; scree, scree

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/id

Western Screech-Owl: accelerating hollow whistles; constant pitch

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Screech-Owl/id

*Trumpeter Swan: sound of wings-swish; truggle, truggle

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Trumpeter_Swan/id

Canada Goose: honk; honk; honk

  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Goose/id

Killdeer: killdeer; dee, dee
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds

Celebrity Chefs Reveal Secret Ingredient: Kale!

Design a character who is a celebrity chef.

Name: what you wear and your famous dish.

Name of your restaurant and cookbook.

What style of cooking are you famous for? BBQ, decadent desserts, Malaysian, sushi, raw food, etc.

Signature Kale Smoothie

Ingredients: Presentation

Signature Kale Soup: Ingredients and Presentation

Other signature kale dish.

Let's Cheer for Kale!

Get into teams of four or three and develop a cheer about kale.  Try to make it interactive and physical. Use rhythm and rhyme, or approximate rhyme.

Here's an example:

Kale is cool,

kale is sweet,

good to drink and good to eat!

Drink it in a blueberry smoothie

put it in your chicken soup.

Vitamin A (repeat A)

Vitamin C (repeat C)

Vitamin K (repeat K)

Helps you work, helps you play.

Say Kale, times 3. (Kale! Kale! Kale) Whoop!

Health Benefits of Kale

Types of kale: Lacinato, (Dinosaur Kale)

Curly Kale, Purple Curly Kale, Red Russian, White Russian, Ornamental

Vitamins: A, C, and K.

Minerals: manganese, calcium, copper

Omega 3

Antioxidents prevent disease and strengthens the immune system

High fiber food: good for digestion

For healthy eyes, lungs, bones, muscles and blood

Kale thrives in cool weather and can be grown in the winter in BC, but you can eat it year round here. The frost makes it sweeter.