Bird Sounds and Mnemonics: Tips for Birding by Ear

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Birding Tools Podcast.

In this episode, I get into the world of bird sounds and give a place to start learning how to bird by ear.

While there is a LOT that goes into learning birds by the sounds they make, the tips I give in today’s episode should help narrow down some of the sounds you’re hearing.

Oh, and I’d love to see you over at our Birding Tools Facebook Community! Connect with other birders and post your birding photos, wins, and questions – can’t wait to see you there.

Here’s how the episode goes

[3:13] The three kinds of bird sounds are songs, calls, and aural noises. The latter refers to sounds that aren’t songs, like a woodpecker drumming or a wing whistle during takeoff.

[5:36] I describe three different mnemonics to help remember bird sounds, including descriptive sounds, mnemonics, and say-my-name sounds.

[5:52] Using descriptive sounds can be really useful because your mind is associating another sound you already know with the sequence of notes that the bird is singing.

[10:20] Mnemonic phrases allow you to associate the sound of a song with a set of words to help you memorize that song.

[14:30] Say-my name birds, you guessed it, say their name in the sounds they make. These ones make it so easy to remember because they’re literally telling you exactly what they are named and is the reason why they are named what they are.

Click here to listen!

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