At 09:03 AM 5/25/2008, you wrote:
>John V. Moore, you wrote,
>
> > Yep..the "tink" is California Towee..not so sure on the Song
> > Sparrow. Pretty
> > sure it is NOT White-crowned.
>
>Thanks. I listened to some song sparrow samples from identification
>CDs. They're all different! How can you tell?
>
>-Dan
Song sparrows have a particular "style" that they all use. It's a
combination of the high, clear piping notes and "burry", or "slurred"
notes, and usually a rapid trill. Not only do the birds in different areas=
sing different songs, but a single individual may go through 20 or so
variations in one performance. They usually sing the same song through 5-10=
iterations, then switch to another, then another, etc. But in any case, the=
song is a combination of piping, burry notes and trill that taken together=
are diagnostic of the species. Also the habitat is a strong indicator,
since Song Sparrows inhabit marshy areas, and most birds that can be
mistaken for them (Bewick's Wren, for instance) do not. The Song Sparrow's=
call (that slurred, nasal single tone) is diagnostic of the species.
By the way, the Red-wings sound a little odd, are you sure they weren't
Tri-colored Blackbirds? Do the birds on your recording sound typical for
Red-winged in that area?
Doug
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Doug Von Gausig
Natural Sounds and Photos at:
http://naturesongs.com
More Photos at:
http://www.criticaleyephoto.com
Clarkdale, Central Arizona, USA
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