Thank you to the gardeners who referred me to the Birders' Group!

[femmocrat]

How is it that I did not know about you?!

Does anyone know which bird makes a distinct "tweet, tweet, tweet" song? It pauses, then repeats. It's very clear. I am in western PA but have also heard them in southern VA. I tried searching bird song sites, but was unsuccessful.

I am hoping it is a migrator and a sign of an early spring. Thanks!

[CrispyQ]

1. I stand in the backyard & record birds with my phone.

Then when I'm online I try to figure out which bird it is. I think there are even phone apps for it. I had no idea blue jays had so many different calls.

[TuxedoKat]

9. I wish there was an app

where you could record the bird call, then have an app identify it. I've had some good luck with one called BirdTunes (paid version). I've taught myself to identify quite a few birds that way. It's so gratifying to hear certain calls and know exactly what bird it is.

[herding cats]

13. Cornell University has a pretty amazing app.

It's called Merlin Bird ID. I love it.

Top of the page here on your mobile. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse.aspx?shape=3,24

It uses your location, bird size, color range and then provides you choices to pick from for your region. They also have their calls and songs for you to hear!

Added bonus, it helps them track migration patterns!

[TuxedoKat]

14. Hmmm

I have another bird app called iBird Pro. It's not always that good at helping me figure out a particular bird though. I will check this one out -- thanks!!!

[herding cats]

15. I love it.

I hope it's as helpful to you as it's been for me.

They also have the largest recorded database of bird sounds in the US. It dates back for decades. If nothing else, that alone makes it an amazing app.

[TuxedoKat]

16. Did you see

my post below, "The Caw of the Wild"? I also made it a separate thread in Birders. It's an old article from the NY Times about identifying bird calls. It's pretty entertaining!

I always get a thrill when I can start recognizing another bird call after matching the bird with the call. I see many more birds that way too, i.e., hear a bird call I recognize, then look for the bird. We live in an area with Pileated Woodpeckers but I would rarely see them but would hear them drumming often. Then about six years ago or so I happened to see one flying and calling at the same time. Now I see them regularly in the spring, summer and fall, and sometimes in winter at my suet feeder.

[drray23]

2. My wife was trained in ornithology when she went

To Mary Baldwin. At this time it was an all women college. She can id almost any bird by ear. Every morning she sits on our back porch and write in a logbook what she observes and hear. We have over a decade of observations about which birds are there, what was the weather. Etc...
A few years ago she got me a dvd set (i think audubon. I will have to look it up) for song bird ear training. Was pretty fun to listen to that while commuting to work.

[femmocrat]

3. My sister was both a biologist and a musician.

She could ID so many birds and knew the verbal cues, like "cup a tea" etc. On the other hand, I have a tin ear and can ID about 3 birds. LOL

I tried the sites that I found through Google, but all those sparrows, finches, etc. sounded the same to me. No "tweet, tweet, tweet" bird.

[drray23]

4. Here is a video of a robin doing the 3 tweet call

[femmocrat]

5. That's not it. (Plus that is a European robin.)

This is a distinct "tweet-tweet-tweet". You can actually hear the word.

[drray23]

6. Can you record it with your cellphone if it comes back ? Nt.

[femmocrat]

7. I'll try.

Thanks for your help.

[TuxedoKat]

8. I have a Bird Tunes App

Called BirdTunes. It has a free version and a paid version. I use it quite a bit if I see a bird and I'm not quite sure what it is but hear its call then I can sometimes verify the bird. I've taught myself to recognize quite a few different bird calls this way, especially Bluebirds. Even if I don't see one I immediately recognize its call -- its extremely gratifying when this happens.

If you get one and use it, be very careful not to play it if you see a bird of prey in the area. You wouldn't want to call a bird out into the open and have a bird of prey swoop down upon it.

[csziggy]

10. Go to Cornell's All About Birds site

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/browse.aspx?shape=3,24

This page will let you select birds by shape if you see them - but best of all for each shape they list the most common birds with quick links and with a button that plays their song without having to go to a different page for each.

I'm thinking your bird might be a titmouse - tufted titmouse is what we get here but there are a number of varieties that all have slightly different calls.

The Cornell bird sites are among my favorites - they have clear information, pictures of the species and of similar birds and they throw in the sounds, too.

They've recently added the Merlin Bird ID app that can be put on a smart phone. You can take a photo of a bird and it will often be able to ID it from your picture. Since the app is still learning and improving, the more people use it, the better it will get!

[femmocrat]

11. Thank you!

That is a great site!

[TuxedoKat]

12. The Caw of the Wild

This is a really interesting and FUNNY (!) article about bird calls!!! Enjoy everyone!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/23/magazine/endpaper-the-caw-of-the-wild.html

[jpak]

17. Tufted Titmouse?

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tufted_Titmouse/sounds

[femmocrat]

18. That's it, I think!

It was the second option... the arrow marked just "Song". Thanks so much. I did search tufted titmouse, but I guess it makes a variety of songs and calls!

It has a loud voice for such a pipsqueak! I hear it just about every morning now.