Noisy neighbors: Birds you're hearing now
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Do you hear that? What could be making that sound? Is it a robin? Could it be an insect? Maybe a hawk?
From spring through summer, it gets loud outdoors. Let’s explore some of the sounds we are hearing!
If you’re an early bird and wake up early, you might be hearing something like this:
This is the call of a bluebird! The tone can be compared to a wet paper towel rubbing on a window. Bluebirds mostly nest in human-made bird boxes in prairies or grasslands. They love to eat the bugs that fly around and live in the tall grasses.
The male bluebird will call and flutter his wings by the hole of a bluebird box to attract a female bluebird. Once he has convinced a female to be his mate (for life!), she will make the nest with grasses, pine needles, feathers and anything soft that she finds.
If you stay up late, you might be hearing this call:
Great horned owls are making their homes in the suburbs more and more, so keep your ears open! These owls are nicknamed the “tiger of the sky,” and that could be for a couple of reasons. First, they have a camouflage pattern that looks a lot like tiger stripes.
They also earned this nickname because they are a top predator! Great horned owls are known to kick bald eagles out of their nests. They eat ospreys, peregrine falcons, rodents, frogs and even skunks! They tend to call most during mating season but will also call to claim their territory.
If you are more active during the middle of the day, this might be the bird you hear most:
This call is from the eastern towhee. It sounds like the bird is saying, “Drink your teeeeeeeeeeeaaaa!” or it could be saying its name, “Towheeeeeeeeeee!” Either way, it is easy to hear because these birds are loud.
Eastern towhees like to hang out in the leaves, scratching at the ground and throwing leaves about. They are looking for seeds and insects to eat. Once you hear their call, look to the leaf litter to find the culprit!
Last but not least, if you are hanging out by the water this month keep your ears peeled for this call:
That is the call of the majestic belted kingfisher. Usually, belted kingfishers make this call as they are chasing predators or other kingfishers out of their territory.
This bird is the king of fishing, taking a headfirst leap from a tree into the water to catch its prey. One of the most interesting things about the kingfisher is that the female is more brightly colored than the male. This is not very common among bird species.
Words to know
Flutter: To flap the wings rapidly.
Majestic: Stately; exhibiting majesty.
The next time you want to check out the wildlife in your area, open your ears! There are plenty of birds to hear this time of year. Some fun places to listen for the birds include Whalon Lake, McKinley Woods and Isle a la Cache. Have fun and happy birding!