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How to Identify Northeast Bird Calls

The Atlantic northern forest, Appalachian Mountains, rivers, estuaries, marshes and coastline in the Northeast United States are home to a wide number of bird species. Identifying their calls requires familiarizing yourself with the species of birds common to particular habitats and then listening out for them while in the field.

Instructions

- 1
  Select a site from which to identify bird calls. Narrowing it down to specific habitats reduces the number of possible birds. For example, the eastern phoebe lives in the Appalachian forests, the hooded warbler lives in the coastal woodlands, and sandy beaches are home to piping plover. If you live in the Northeast, the easiest place to practice is your own backyard. Common garden species include the red-winged blackbird, the dark-eyed junco, the northern cardinal and the black-capped chickadee.
- 2
  Familiarize yourself with the various calls of common Northeastern birds. For instance, the piping plover makes a short cheeping sound, the hooded warbler has a high, gentle call and the dark-eyed junco's call is insistent and repetitive, while the black-capped chickadee's call can be recognized by its two descending notes.
- 3
  Record the sound of the bird call, if possible, using a Dictaphone or similar device. If the bird is in view, make a note of its distinguishing characteristics. Cross reference this information with the bird calls listed on sites such as allaboutbirds.org.

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