# Can you ID this bird from a poorly described sound? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083 "2009-07-06T15:05:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/1 "2009-07-06T15:05:07Z")
I have a bird outside my window that I can’t see, but can hear. It is making me nuts. It sort of sounds like eeeep eep. A long and then short eep. It starts early in the morning. I hear it less as the day passes and in the evenings it is gone (thank og.) Knowing what it is won’t make me any less nuts, but I’m curious. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/2 "2009-07-06T15:38:09Z")
The first one that springs to mind is a [black-capped chickadee](http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/039/galleries/audio), which does a fairly distinct two-tone call in addition to its eponymous “chick-a-dee” call. (Hopefully that link is accessible — check out the second sample.) Beyond that, more information would be helpful. Are the notes clear and piercing, or rough and hoarse? Are they on the same pitch, or do they ascend or descend? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/3 "2009-07-06T15:54:37Z")
Alas, the link requires a subscription. Thanks for the answer though. I have seen birds like that - not in my yard, but close by where I walk - so you may be right. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/4 "2009-07-06T19:11:48Z")
[Here’s](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id) a free link to a chickadee call. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/5 "2009-07-06T19:30:35Z")
Thanks, **Athena** — I keep forgetting that “All About Birds” is free, and “Birds of North America” is subscription-only. The “typical call” in the “Sounds” section of that link is pretty close to the one I linked to, though it has the lower note repeated (i.e., a three-note call instead of a two-note call.) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/6 "2009-07-06T19:39:31Z")
Hard to tell from the description, since there’s no relative pitch or direction to go on. One morning bird that could match that description is a phoebe, however. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/7 "2009-07-06T20:01:00Z")
**Athena** , thanks for the link. It isn’t that. > [@CC](#): > > Hard to tell from the description, since there’s no relative pitch or direction to go on. One morning bird that could match that description is a phoebe, however. Yeah, I know, you are right of course. None the less, you nailed it. Going to **Athena’s** link and typing in phoebe brings up a pic of the bird and its noise. (I refuse to call it a song.) Specifically the _Eastern Phoebe_ (as opposed to the Black Phoebe). It says it is a fly catcher, so I guess it does do me some good, even if it annoys me every morning. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-bird-from-a-poorly-described-sound/502083/8 "2009-07-07T00:19:08Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > [Here’s](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/id) a free link to a chickadee call. That’s the _Hamburger bird_!! Back when I was a kid, I found that its song sounded like it was saying “Haam-burger.” Ever since, That’s what it’s been to me. 😃 ETA: betcha won’t be able to listen to it again, without hearing “Haam-burger.” 😛 S^G