Two weeks ago I talked about bird song mnemonics, and how helpful they can be. Today being April 1, I thought we’d have some fun. Instead of my usual monthly bird quiz, I’ve assembled a list of 15 popular bird songs, translated into English. Can you identify the bird that says each phrase?
If that proves to be too much of a challenge, click on the “continued reading” button for a list of candidates. Answers are at the end, no fooling. Enjoy!
- “Drink your tea”
- “Who Cooks for You! Who cooks for you all?”
- “Quick, free beer!”
- “I’m so la-zee.”
- “Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody.” Or “Oh Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.”
- “Potato chip (and then they dip)”
- “If I sees you, I will seize you, and I’ll squeeze you till you squirt.”
- “Tea kettle, tea kettle, tea kettle.”
- “Pleased, pleased, pleased, pleased-ta MEETCHA.”
- “Who’s awake? Me too.”
- “Here I am. Where are you? Over here. Look up now. Do you see?”
- “Peter-peter-peter. Peter-peter-peter.”
- “Teacher teacher teacher teacher” (with each “teacher” progressively louder)
- “Spring’s here, spring’s here, plant it plant it, in the ground, in the ground, cover it up, cover it up…” (doublet after doublet; each doublet seldom repeated)
- “Very very very very pleased-to-meet-you” (quite fast)
Matching options:
- Barred Owl
- Great-horned Owl
- Carolina Wren
- Brown Thrasher
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Tufted Titmouse
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Warbling Vireo
- Eastern Towhee
- White-throated Sparrow
- Ovenbird
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Chestnut Warbler
- American Goldfinch
Click “continued reading” again for the answers
Answers
1-Eastern Towhee, 2-Barred Owl, 3-Olive-sided Flycatcher, 4-Black-throated Blue Warbler, 5-White-throated Sparrow, 6-American Goldfinch, 7-Warbling Vireo, 8-Carolina Wren, 9-Chestnut Warbler, 10-Great-horned Owl, 11-Red-eyed Vireo, 12-Tufted Titmouse, 13-Ovenbird, 14-Brown Thrasher, 15-Chestnut-sided Warbler.
Mountain Plover 