Many birds are named by the call they make. Chickadee and Phoebe come to mind.
Some birds almost sound like they are saying something. For example the Long-tailed Duck keeps repeating “owl-omelet – owl-omelet.”
Learning a little phrase helps us to learn bird calls. When I tell groups that a bird is “saying something” I get confused looks. But with some imagination the following birds are “speaking.”
NORTHERN BOBWHITE
WHIP-POOR-WILL
KILLDEER
We hear a lot of “kill” in this video but no really good “kill-deer.”
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
This one repeats “Quick! Three Beers!” My grandmother preferred “Quick! Three Cheers!”‘
LEAST FLYCATCHER
“Quebec – Quebec – Quebec”
CAROLINA WREN
“Tea-kettle tea kettle tea kettle”
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER
“Cheese cheese cheese no more cheese”
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
“Beer beer beer beeeee”
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER
“Please please please to meet’cha”
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
“Wichita Whicita Whicita”
OVENBIRD
“Teacher teacher teacher”
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
“Dear sweet Canada Canada Canada”
In Québec it is ”Où es-tu ? Fréderic Fréderic Fréderic”
Miles Hearn