You may also enjoy reading 'How To Learn Bird Songs' by ...

You may also enjoy reading "How To Learn Bird Songs" by Georgann Schmalz at and her audio insights in "Bird Song Mnemonics and Phonetics" at

Technically, mnemonics are gimmicks we use to remember songs and calls, while phonetics are actually what the bird is saying. For example, pewees say "pewee" and Phoebes say "phoebe" so those are phonetics. Barred owls say "who cooks for you", but not really. That's a mnemonic. I think that we all use the two interchangeably. There are also comparative sounds, i.e., when we compare a song or call to something. For example, a red-breasted nuthatch sounds like a tin horn or a common grackle sounds like a rusty pump handle. Of course, all of this takes a great deal of imagination and creativity, but that's the fun of it, right?

Alphabetical - PHONETIC/Mneumonic CALLS AND SONGS

Are you awake? me too--Great Horned Owl A-weet, a-weet, a-weet-teo--Hooded Warbler Bee-buzz--Blue-winged Warbler Bee-buzz-buzz or Bee-buzz-buzz-buzz--Golden-winged Warbler Beeer--Common Nighthawk beer beer beer beeee or I am lazeee --Black-throated Blue Warbler Bob white, bob white--Northern Bobwhite Bubble, bubble, zee--Brown-headed Cowbird bzz-bzz" = Blue-Winged Warbler bzz- bzz, bzz, bzz" = Golden-Winged warbler Cay / Caw, caw, caw--American Crow Che-bek--Least Flycatcher cheer, cheerful, charmer" = Eastern Bluebird--" Cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily/ cheerup, cheerily, cheerily" = American Robin Chick-a-dee-dee-dee--Carolina Chickadee Chicki-tuki-tuck--Summer Tanager Chink--Rose-breasted or Blue Grosbeak Chip-burr--Scarlet Tanager Chick-per-a-weeo-chick or chick-per-a-weeo--White-eyed Vireo Chiva, chiva, chiva or Peter, peter, peter--Tufted Titmouse Chuck-will's-widow--Chuck-will's-widow Chup-chup TZEeeee---Seaside Sparrow Churr, churr, churr--Red-bellied Woodpecker Chur-ry, chur-ry, chur-ry--Kentucky Warbler Chur-wee or Cheer, cheerful charmer--Eastern Bluebird Conquereee--Red-winged Blackbird creep, creep" = Great Crested F/C Cu-cu-cu--Black-billed Cuckoo deeta deeta-whip'-poor-will" = Swainson's warbler Drink-your-teeeee--Rufous-sided Towhee Dtzee, dtzee, dtzeet--Eastern Kingbird Ee-o-lay--Wood Thrush feebee" = Black-Capped Chickadee--" Fee'-bee, or Fee-blee--Eastern Phoebe Fee-bee fee-bay--Carolina Chickadee Fee-bee-o--Alder Flycatcher Fitz-bew--Willow Flycatcher Here, here, here--Tufted Titmouse Here I am, over here, see me, where are you--Red-eyed Vireo Hip-hip-hurrah--King Rail I am lazeee" = Black-Throated Blue Warbler insect-like, dry trill = Worm-Eating warbler Jay / Jay, jay, jay--Blue Jay Jeeee---Wood Duck Ka ka ka...kowp kowp kowp--Yellow-billed Cuckoo Keeeeer--Common Tern and Forster's Tern Keeeeeer--Red-tailed Hawk Kee-yer, kee-yer, kee-yer--Red-shouldered Hawk Kerwee...kerwee--Sora Kid-ik, kid-ik, kid-ik--Virginia Rail Kik, kik, kik--Pileated Woodpecker Kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee--Killdeer Kip...kip--Common Moorhen Kleeyer--Northern Flicker look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here" = Red-eyed Vireo--" buzzier look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here =Yellow-Throated Vireo slower, sour look-up, over-here, see-me, up-here= Solitary Vireo Maids, maids, maids, put on your tea, kettle, kettle, kettle--Song Sparrow Meeoow--Gray Catbird

Peent--Common Nighthawk Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher Peet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper Pee-a-wee / pee-ee / pee-oo-wee --Eastern Wood-Pewee Peeeeeeeeee--Broad-winged Hawk Peent, peent, peent--American Woodcock Peet-suh--Acadian Flycatcher per-chik'-o-ree", "babeee' = American Goldfinch--" " peter, peter, peter" = Tufted Titmouse--" phrases repeated 2 times = Brown Thrasher phrases repeated 3 or more times = Mockingbird-Please please pleased to meet'cha--Chestnut-sided Warbler Plink, plink--Bobolink Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody--White-throated Sparrow Purty, purty, purty--Northern Cardinal Queedle, queedle, queedle---Blue Jay Queer, queer--Red-headed Woodpecker Quick, three beers--Olive-sided Flycatcher Scaipe--Common Snipe See-bit see-bit see-bit, see-see-see-see--Nashville Warbler See-see-see-sisi-see--Brown Creeper Skeeow--Green Heron Speee speee--Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Spring of the year--Eastern Meadowlark squeaky toy noises = Brown-Headed Nuthatch-Sweet, sweet, sweet, I'm so sweet--Yellow Warbler Teacher, teacher, teacher / teach, teach, teach, teach --Ovenbird Tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle--Carolina Wren Tee-shaay--Sharp-tailed Sparrow Tee-si, tee-si, tee-si--Bay-breasted Warbler Three-a, three-a--Yellow-throated Vireo Tic-tic, tic-tic-tic--Yellow Rail Tika, tika, tika-swee, swee, swee-chay, chay, chay--Tennessee Warbler toree' toree' toree' = Kentucky Warbler Tow-weeee--Rufous-sided Towhee Trees, trees, murmuring trees, or Zay, zay, zay, zoo, zee--Black-throated Grn Warbler Tseer, tseer--Red-winged Blackbird Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo--American Redstart Vee-a--Gray-cheeked Thrush Veer--Veery Weesa, weesa, weesa--Black-and-white Warbler Weeta-weeta-weeteo--Magnolia Warbler Weet-weet-weet-weet--Spotted Sandpiper Whip-poor-will--Whip-poor-will What-cheer, what-cheer, what-cheer, or cheer, cheer, cheer--Northern Cardinal Wheep, wheep--Great Crested Flycatcher Wheer--Orchard Oriole wheeta wheeta wheet'eo = Hooded Warbler wheet-wheet'eo = Magnolia Warbler wheezy, wheezy, wheezy" = Black-and-White Warbler Whit, whit--Swainson's Thrush Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all--Barred Owl Wicka, wicka, wicka--Northern Flicker Witchety, witchety, witchety--Common Yellowthroat Yank, yank, yank--White-breasted Nuthatch zay zay zay zoo zee = Black-Throated-Green Warbler fsZeee, zeee--Cedar Waxwing Zree--House Finch Zeeeee-up--Northern Parula Zweet-zweet-zweet--Prothonotary Warbler

Rough Groups -

Corvids, slar American Crow--"caw" or Caw, caw, caw Blue Jay--"jay" or Jay, jay, jay or Queedle, queedle, queedle Bobolink = Plink, plink-Black-billed Cuckoo = Cu-cu-cu-Yellow-billed Cuckoo = Ka ka ka...kowp kowp kowp-Mockingbird--phrases repeated 3 or more times

Gray Catbird = Meeoow-Northern Bobwhite = Bob white, bob white-Brown-headed Cowbird = Bubble, bubble, zee Red-winged Blackbird = Conquereee / Tseer, tseer Eastern Meadowlark = Spring of the year--

Finches/Sparrows White-Throated Sparrow--"poor Sam Pea'body, Pea'body, Pea'body" Chup-chup TZEeeee---Seaside Sparrow Sharp-tailed Sparrow = Tee-shaay-American Goldfinch--"per-chik'-o-ree", "babeee'" Song Sparrow = Maids, maids, maids, put on your tea, kettle, kettle, kettle-White-throated Sparrow = Poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody-House Finch = Zree-Cedar Waxwing = Zeee, zeee-Rufous-Sided Towhee--"drink-your-teeee' / Tow-weeee

FLYCATCHERS: Acadian--"peet'-suh" Alder--"fee-bee'o" or Fee-bee-o-Eastern Phoebe--"fee'-be" or Fee-bee, or Fee-blee-Eastern Wood Pewee--"pee-oo-wee" Great Crested--"creep, creep" or Wheep, wheep Least--"che-bek'" Olive-sided Flycatcher = Quick, three beers Willow--"fitz'-bew" Eastern Kingbird = Dtzee, dtzee, dtzeet-Eastern Wood-Pewee = Pee-a-wee or pee-ee--

Itty-bitty's/ Tits etc. Carolina Chickadee--"feebee feebay, chick'adee-dee-dee" Fee-bee fee-bay Black-Capped Chickadee--"feebee" White-Breasted Nuthatch--"yank yank" Brown-Headed Nuthatch--squeaky toy noises Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher--"spee spee" Brown Creeper = See-see-see-sisi-see-Blue-gray Gnatcatcher = Speee speee-White-breasted Nuthatch = Yank, yank, yank-Tufted Titmouse = Chiva, chiva, chiva or Peter, peter, peter-- Here, here, here

Nightbirds Common Nighthawk = Peent-or Beeer Great Horned Owl = Are you awake? me too-Chuck-will's-widow = Chuck-will's-widow-Barred Owl - Who cooks for you, who cooks for you'all-American Woodcock = Peent, peent, peent--

Misc. Migrants Orchard Oriole = Wheer-No.Cardinal = What-cheer, what-cheer, what-cheer/cheer, cheer, cheer/Purty, purty, purty Summer Tanager = Chicki-tuki-tuck-Blue/Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Chink--

THRASHER/THRUSHES Brown Thrasher--phrases repeated 2 times American Robin--"cheerup, cheerily, cheerily" Gray-cheeked Thrush = Vee-aSwainson's Thrush = Whit, whit-Eastern Bluebird = Chur-wee or Cheer, cheerful charmer-Wood Thrush = Ee-o-lay-Veery = Veer

Raptors Broad-winged Hawk = Peeeeeeeeee-Red-tailed Hawk = Keeeeeer-Red-shouldered Hawk = Kee-yer, kee-yer, kee-yer--

Vireos Red-eyed Vireo = look-up,over-here,see-me,up-here/Here I am,over here,see me,where are you Yellow-Throated Vireo--same as red-eyed but buzzier / Three-a, three-a

Solitary Vireo--same as red-eyed but slower, sour White-eyed Vireo = Chick-per-a-weeo-chick or chick-per-a-weeo--

WARBLERS: American Redstart = Tzee, tzee, tzee, tzeeo-- Bay-breasted Warbler = Tee-si, tee-si, tee-si-- Black-and-White--"wheezy, wheezy, wheezy/ Weesa, weesa, weesa Black-throated Blue Warbler =I am lazeee or beer beer beer beeee-Black-throated Green Warbler =Trees, trees, murmuring trees or Zay, zay, zay, zoo, zee Blue-winged Warbler = Bee-buzz, "bzz-bzz" Chestnut-sided Warbler = Please please pleased to meet'cha-Common Yellowthroat = Witchety, witchety, witchety-Golden-winged Warbler = Bee-buzz-buzz or Bee-buzz-buzz-buzz- or bzz- bzz, bzz, bzz" Hooded Warbler = A-weet, a-weet, a-weet-teo or "wheeta wheeta wheet'eo" Kentucky--"toree' toree' toree' or Chur-ry, chur-ry, chur-ry Magnolia Warbler = Weeta-weeta-weeteo or "wheet-wheet'eo" Nashville Warbler = See-bit see-bit see-bit, see-see-see-see-Northern Parula = Zeeeee-up-Ovenbird--"teach teach teach teach / Teacher, teacher, teacher Parula--"zeeeee-up'" Prothonotary Warbler = Zweet-zweet-zweet-- Swainson's--"deeta deeta-whip'-poor-will" Tennessee Warbler = Tika, tika, tika-swee, swee, swee-chay, chay, chay-Worm-Eating--insect-like, dry trill Yellow--"sweet sweet sweet, I'm so sweet"

Water Birds King Rail=Hip-hip-hurrah-- Wood Duck =Jeeee--Common Tern and Forster's Tern = Keeeeer-- Kerwee...kerwee--Sora Virginia Rail = Kid-ik, kid-ik, kid-ik-Yellow Rail= Tic-tic, tic-tic-tic-Common Moorhen = Kip...kip-Spotted Sandpiper = Peet-weet-- Common Snipe = Scaipe-Spotted Sandpiper = Weet-weet-weet-weetKilldeer = Kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee-Green Heron = Skeeow--

Woodpeckers Red-bellied Woodpecker = Churr, churr, churr Red-headed Woodpecker = -- Queer, queer Pileated Woodpecker = Kik, kik, kik-- Northern Flicker = Kleeyer / Wicka, wicka, wicka--

Wrens Carolina Wren = Tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle--

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