# Peep peep peep brrrrrrrr - what bird is waking me up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265 "2018-04-28T15:26:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/1 "2018-04-28T15:26:14Z")
I moved last summer from Western Canada to Eastern (Ontario) and haven noticed a bird waking me up in the wee morning hours that I had not heard before. I attempted through some YouTube videos to find it, but haven’t been able to pinpoint it - it sounds like peep, peep, peep (then a trill) brrrrrr! Any bird experts able to identify from my terrible description? If t helps, I live backing onto a wooded area, creek and park so it could be anything! ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/2 "2018-04-28T15:38:58Z")
red wing blackbird? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1g_Q1ru-TVE/maxresdefault.jpg "A male red-winged blackbird sings in early spring") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g_Q1ru-TVE) ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/3 "2018-04-28T15:42:56Z")
No, but I definitely hear that one too. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/4 "2018-04-28T15:55:57Z")
I heard a bird like that a couple weeks ago and thought it was interesting and unusual. I liked how it had a pattern to it - exactly three chirps and a trill every time. I couldn’t see the bird but it was somewhere in the trees behind my house. I walked back there and took a video to get the sound so I could send it to my friend who is an avid birder (like, she goes birding every day). She told me it was a Robin! ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/5 "2018-04-28T15:59:21Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I heard a bird like that a couple weeks ago and thought it was interesting and unusual. I liked how it had a pattern to it - exactly three chirps and a trill every time. I couldn’t see the bird but it was somewhere in the trees behind my house. I walked back there and took a video to get the sound so I could send it to my friend who is an avid birder (like, she goes birding every day). > > She told me it was a Robin! Hmmm I found some on YouTube, and none had that pattern, but I am open to the possibility. More research. ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/6 "2018-04-28T16:24:10Z")
Does it sound like the opening notes of Beethoven’s 5th? That’s the [song sparrow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_sparrow), which we hear all the time here on Long Island, New York. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/7 "2018-04-28T16:51:22Z")
My guess would be a towhee, and given that you are in eastern Canada probably a [eastern towhee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWVa08fpnXg) The first birdsong I learned was the spotted towhee precisely because he would wake me up every morning. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/8 "2018-04-28T16:53:02Z")
Cardinal? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3dLaeG6WCj0/maxresdefault.jpg "Northern Cardinal Calling - 4 different calls") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLaeG6WCj0) ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/9 "2018-04-28T16:57:11Z")
[quote=“jz78817, post:8, topic:813265”] Cardinal? [/QUOTE] That’s it! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/10 "2018-04-28T19:23:16Z")
Coincidentally, we had [a thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=853383) very recently asking about an app to ID bird songs. In it, **Ashtura** linked to an iPhone app called [Song Sleuth](https://www.songsleuth.com/#/) which looks pretty cool (the Android version should be out in May). Edit: In that thread, **gren** says to get the app store version, not the one on the website. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/11 "2018-04-29T19:49:14Z")
(Damn it, this was supposed to be the board magic I’m used to. Have a question and within 48 hours someone else posts it.) What about three descending notes the last one turning into a ‘trill’? CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/12 "2018-04-29T20:43:39Z")
Thank your lucky stars that you’re getting a mellifluous wakeup from the birds. For the past two days we’ve been awakened by turkeys. “Gobble - gobble - gobble” is a weird bird alarm. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peep-peep-peep-brrrrrrrr-what-bird-is-waking-me-up/813265/13 "2018-04-29T20:51:06Z")
[Field Sparrow](https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Field_Sparrow/sounds)?