# What type of annoying bird is this ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683 "2011-07-20T06:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/1 "2011-07-20T06:07:59Z")
There is an annoying bird in my back yard, which has the an obnoxiously plain chirp. Instead of having a pleasant song like most other birds, it just does a ‘chirp … chirp … chirp …’ ad nauseum. And it’s rather loud too. I’m curious if any of you can identify what bird this is, so I recorded it and you can listen to it [here](http://soundkey.com/hswejh). If you also need a picture of it, I can take a picture of it tomorrow, though it’s a bit hard to see through all the leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/2 "2011-07-20T07:16:55Z")
Chirp seems kind of nice to me. I have monster sized crows in my hood and they are vocal. Your bird seems downright pleasant and musical. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/3 "2011-07-20T07:22:38Z")
Sparrow maybe. [male](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/wp-admin/images/researchpics/ylrbirds/House_Sparrow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/%3Fpage_id%3D1558&usg=__nCeTR1kcAaDa9NtDKwQI5Zv49mY=&h=365&w=470&sz=15&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=kRXu1g0704mgcM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=181&ei=rYEmTtWXNNKDsAKNjtiJDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsparrow%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Dngm%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D625%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=721&vpy=320&dur=3457&hovh=198&hovw=255&tx=153&ty=170&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0) [female](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://wanamassa.us/birds2006/images/PICT0755SongSparrow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wanamassa.us/birds2006/2006/04/sparrows.html&usg=__dV8hn1_oXVNUGjQN9rebfMRDd7A=&h=375&w=600&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=mqAabxiDkPcJuM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=192&ei=rYEmTtWXNNKDsAKNjtiJDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsparrow%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Dngm%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D625%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=138&vpy=292&dur=3052&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=174&ty=131&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0) [Here](http://house-sparrows.com/sounds/) are some stock house sparrow chirps. Yours might sound a little more high pitched and stacatto. Can’t tell myself. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/4 "2011-07-20T07:27:20Z")
Where do you live? Might help. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/5 "2011-07-20T07:33:22Z")
i tried to train a crow to say “nevermore” but i guess a got a slow one. keeps hollering in a sing-song manner with a tempo similar to edgar allan’s bird. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/6 "2011-07-20T08:52:29Z")
Just be thankful its not one of these buggers [http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx](http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/7 "2011-07-20T10:41:37Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > Just be thankful its not one of these buggers > [http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx](http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx) Yeah, they’ve got to win the award for the most annoying birdsong in the world… persistent and loud. For those interested, there’s an MP3 [here](http://birdsinbackyards.net/images/audio/eudynamys-scolopacea.mp3). And that sound goes on for hours on end. Days if you’re lucky. Day and night. Still, at least they’re melodious, not like the [Channel Bills](http://birdsinbackyards.net/images/audio/scythrops-novaehollandiae.mp3) They sound like someone in the terminal stages of tuberculosis trying to scream for help while gargling broken glass. That audio really doesn’t do justice to the full awfulness of their “song”. It just doesn’t capture the gurgling, raspy quality. First cuckoos of spring, my arse. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/8 "2011-07-20T10:48:53Z")
Dunno, but my cats are running around the living room looking for the damn birds now. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/9 "2011-07-20T11:19:35Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > Just be thankful its not one of these buggers > [http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx](http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/call-of-the-koel-driving-dickson-residents-cuckoo/1720937.aspx) Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we love the Aussies. Here is their character in a nutshell. This is Australia, land of everything kill-y, maim-y and hurt-y and they are complaining about a noisy bird. Were this a 6 feet tall, poisonous bird with razors for a beak and flick-knife under its wing you can bet it would be shrugged off as a minor inconvenience, you have to love that. Australia…I tip my stereotypical and borderline racist cork-tipped hat to you. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/10 "2011-07-20T13:03:42Z")
Sounds like a [Cardinal](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sounds) to me. Check out sound clip #4, labeled “Call”. I’m assuming you don’t have an adult male, because otherwise you would have mentioned that it was BRIGHT RED; the females and juveniles are much more drab. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/11 "2011-07-20T15:20:19Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Yeah, they’ve got to win the award for the most annoying birdsong in the world… persistent and loud. For those interested, there’s an MP3 [here](http://birdsinbackyards.net/images/audio/eudynamys-scolopacea.mp3). It sounds like one of those generic “jungle” noises from adventure flicks. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/12 "2011-07-20T15:30:58Z")
Actually, one of the most annoying is also one of the most amazing - the mockingbird. On an intellectual level, it’s interesting. On a practical level, having the stupid thing providing a sampler of various noises at some wee hour of the morning is much worse than a repeated call that you can filter out. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/13 "2011-07-20T17:05:15Z")
> [@I\_Know\_Nothing](#): > > Sparrow maybe. > > [male](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/wp-admin/images/researchpics/ylrbirds/House_Sparrow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://ucsantacruz.ucnrs.org/%3Fpage_id%3D1558&usg=__nCeTR1kcAaDa9NtDKwQI5Zv49mY=&h=365&w=470&sz=15&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=kRXu1g0704mgcM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=181&ei=rYEmTtWXNNKDsAKNjtiJDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsparrow%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Dngm%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D625%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=721&vpy=320&dur=3457&hovh=198&hovw=255&tx=153&ty=170&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0) > > [female](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://wanamassa.us/birds2006/images/PICT0755SongSparrow.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wanamassa.us/birds2006/2006/04/sparrows.html&usg=__dV8hn1_oXVNUGjQN9rebfMRDd7A=&h=375&w=600&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=mqAabxiDkPcJuM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=192&ei=rYEmTtWXNNKDsAKNjtiJDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsparrow%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Dngm%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D625%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=138&vpy=292&dur=3052&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=174&ty=131&page=1&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0) > > [Here](http://house-sparrows.com/sounds/) are some stock house sparrow chirps. Yours might sound a little more high pitched and stacatto. Can’t tell myself. > [@MikeS](#): > > Sounds like a [Cardinal](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/northern_cardinal/sounds) to me. Check out sound clip #4, labeled “Call”. I’m assuming you don’t have an adult male, because otherwise you would have mentioned that it was BRIGHT RED; the females and juveniles are much more drab. Unfortunately, none of the above sound like the bird in my yard, though clip#4 from **MikeS** comes close. In terms of looks, I think it’s either black or dark brown, and quite plain looking. In terms of geographical area, I’m in the SF Bay Area. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/14 "2011-07-20T17:23:27Z")
My guess is a dark-eyed junco. Check out the “chip notes” audio clip on this page: [http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed\_junco/sounds](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/dark-eyed_junco/sounds) ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/15 "2011-07-20T19:46:37Z")
[It could be worse.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D2VdaM8OcM) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/16 "2011-07-20T20:14:18Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It sounds like one of those generic “jungle” noises from adventure flicks. If you’re thinking of the same sound I am, that would be the “red-tailed hawk” – cliche for “uh, oh, I think we’re lost”. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/17 "2011-07-20T20:23:53Z")
Maybe a [California Towhee](http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/california_towhee/sounds)? Check out the call, rather than the song, on that link. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/18 "2011-07-20T20:34:00Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Yeah, they’ve got to win the award for the most annoying birdsong in the world… persistent and loud. The Brown Jay fits this description, though 99.9% of its range is in Mexico and Central America (one or two have been spotted around MacAllen, Texas). In their great tome _The Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America_, Howell and Webb departed from their otherwise sober, scientific text only once: in their description of the Brown Jay’s voice: [QUOTE=Steve Howell] Monotonous and obnoxious, an all-too-soon familiar loud screaming _kyeeah!_ or _k’yaah!_ and\* kaah! kaah!\*, etc., often repeated mercilessly. [/QUOTE] (Am I right, **Colibri**?) ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/19 "2011-07-20T23:21:08Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > Actually, one of the most annoying is also one of the most amazing - the mockingbird. On an intellectual level, it’s interesting. On a practical level, having the stupid thing providing a sampler of various noises at some wee hour of the morning is much worse than a repeated call that you can filter out. I’ll second that. A former girlfriend had one living outside her place, and sleeping past sunup was pretty much impossible. [Song link here.](http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=4) ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683/20 "2011-07-21T00:39:38Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > This is Australia, land of everything kill-y, maim-y and hurt-y and they are complaining about a noisy bird. Heh. You go through winter happy as, almost forgetting what they sound like. Then one day, you hear it - the opening salvo. Your heart sinks, your legs turn to rubber. For what lays ahead - for 8 or more hours a day, week after week, month after month - is the same monotonous pointless crap over and over and over and over and over again. Bloody loud too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-annoying-bird-is-this/589683.md?page=2)