# Help with bird call identification **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 9, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420 "2020-04-09T12:28:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/1 "2020-04-09T12:28:26Z")
1. The call in question: Descending D5 C A A A Long long short short short. Sometimes an extra short A at the end. If the long notes are one beat and the short are half, it was maybe 85 bpm. Raspier than, say, a cardinal. 1. Is there a standard way to do this by text? 2. I tried some website that was effectively a flow chart, but no luck absent listening to every file they have. [Guide to North American BirdSongs](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/migratorybirds/education/nasongkey.pl) I hear a lot more birds than I see. If they’re on the ground or a low branch and I can see them belting it out, then I can match them. But often they’re too high or too backlit, or I can’t even see them. Looks like there are some apps that do this. I’ll have to see if their privacy settings are tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/2 "2020-04-09T13:32:26Z")
Where are you located? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/3 "2020-04-09T13:41:04Z")
Location says DC. I’ve been trying to improve my “caller ID” 😉 for some time, and do not have a good answer. I believe there are somewhat recent apps where you can record the sound and they will ID the bird (similar to unknown songs), but I haven’t looked into them. Not an app person. Several years back, the tech was not there yet. My approach has been to learn the sounds of the birds I expect to hear around me. That way, I am more likely to hear something different. Then combine it with lists of birds you can expect to see in your area. Difficulty will be compounded during migration times. Then I got several CDs of calls which I listened to during my commute. Helped me ID a few. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/4 "2020-04-09T14:34:54Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > 1. The call in question: > > Descending > D5 C A A A > Long long short short short. Sometimes an extra short A at the end. > If the long notes are one beat and the short are half, it was maybe 85 bpm. > Raspier than, say, a cardinal. Do you have a smart phone? Just record it and post it, like [this](https://www.sendspace.com/file/tnbepw). ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/5 "2020-04-09T15:04:17Z")
I strongly suspect from your description that it’s a [White-Throated Sparrow](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/sounds). Their call can either be ascending or descending; listen to the second “Song” clip at the above link and see if it matches what you’re hearing. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/6 "2020-04-09T15:31:38Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > I strongly suspect from your description that it’s a [White-Throated Sparrow](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-throated_Sparrow/sounds). Their call can either be ascending or descending; listen to the second “Song” clip at the above link and see if it matches what you’re hearing. Bingo, thanks. I saw what I thought were maybe white-throateds, but then I thought no, they’re song sparrows. But we may have both. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2020, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-bird-call-identification/851420/7 "2020-04-09T15:47:33Z")
Lack of glasses combined with a dog who thinks birds are hopping and flying murdertoys also makes for less careful study.