That’s what I’ve been asking myself for the last week, except there’s usually more cursing thrown in. Some sort of bird has made its home RIGHT NEXT TO MY WINDOW, and every night it joyously starts up with its amazingly loud imitations of car alarms and crosswalk chirps (along with other random bird noises) around midnight, just as I’m going to bed.
At first I thought it was just the full moon, but it hasn’t stopped… am I in for an entire summer of this? Please say it ain’t so! An open window is the only cooling system this room has, and I’m getting cranky from the lack of decent sleep.
Holy feces, that’s probably the most apt and relevantly in-depth use of song lyrics to answer a question I’ve ever seen. Bravo, cerberus (and Ms. Case, of course).
I’ve encountered lots of mockingbirds in various location; so far all have (mercifully) been active during the day and quite at night. Your location might help with the identification.
Definitely mockingbird. I lived in Arlington VA for some time, and every night after 12 the sucker sang until the morning light. I got up a few nights and hosed him with water. He left afer a few days.
If you live in the US, I agree that it is almost certainly a Northern Mockingbird. Aside from nocturnal birds like nightjars and owls, it is by far the most likely species to be heard singing in the middle of the night.
If you are in Europe, the Nightingale is the most likely culprit (a habit that is the origin of the name). Here in Panama, the Clay-colored Thrush begins singing in the middle of the night in the dry season.
I once had a “problem” with a bird in my old front yard (big front yard, with a large scrubby area)-durned thing would sing all night long and keep me up. Once I found out what it was (chuck-will’s-widow), I accepted his right to be there and let him serenade me to sleep. Learn to live with your new neighbor.
We have robins that start REAL early in the morning, but there’s dim dawn. I was once camping, however, when I heard a whipoorwill calling at about 1 am. I heard, “Whipoorwill…whipoorwill…whipoorwill…whip…AWK…EEK…awk.” Never heard any more calls all night.
Oh, wow, sorry, I forgot all about this thread! (comes from posting in the middle of the night, I guess.)
I live in Northern California. Mockingbird sounds most likely, thanks for the answers. Now… how do I get rid of this fucker? I’m thinking high-powered squirtgun… of course, this is somewhat of a moot point as the stupid thing could be sitting almost anywhere in the cul-de-sac, and also I’m really lazy, but I’m seriously not relishing the idea of this continuing long-term. “Learning to live with my new neighbor” is all well and good in theory, but earplugs are mondo uncomfortable.
Those things outside your house? Animals. Animals live “outside” - the “outside of your house” is their house.
The last thing those stupid things/fuckers need is to be further displaced by the residents of cul-de-sacs that have already disturbed their natural habitats - kindly leave unmolested the few remaining animals/fuckers/stupid things that have successfully adapted to current habitats, cul-de-sacs and all.
The singing is most likely to become less frequent later in the spring and summer. Right now the guy is looking for a mate. Once he finds one, he won’t need to put so much effort into advertising.
You’ll have to be a little more descriptive than that. Nightjars, rails, and some other birds call at night, and other songbirds besides mockingbirds (especially thrushes) may sing as well.
I live in Southern California (L.A. suburbs) and there is some kind of bird we get here that sings very loudly at night, but just in the summer I think. I do not think it is a mockingbird. It does not seem to be imitating other types of sound. I have never managed to actually see one of them, although it is easy to tell which tree they are in.
