Hello! I have been hearing this bird in my back yard for the past couple of weeks but have been unable to see it. I was able to capture this audio recording of it with my DSLR. I am hoping someone may be able to identify it by its call. It sounds very much like someone whistling. I have tried to find a match on some of the bird reference sites, but there are so many I cannot listen to them all and was unable to find it. Hopefully you can hear it clearly enough in the sample since there is some background noise.
Here is a link to a .wav file with a small sample of its call:
That's the classic song of the White-throated Sparrow. Males sing like this to advertise their territory to other males and to attract females. In the fall, many songbirds go through a period when their sexual hormones are in a heightened state- called autumnal recrudescence- and this is why they sing, from a proximate standpoint anyway. The ultimate evolutionary explanation as to why they do this is a little unclear but there are various theories, including the obvious one of reinforcement of territory ownership so that next spring the male will have an easier time reestablishing himself.
Thanks so much John! It has had me and my family very curious and we were anxious to see what the mystery species was. I really think it is a beautiful song, and for a while there I thought it was a distant neighbor whistling away. I have been seeing white throated sparrows in the yard the last couple of weeks so it makes perfect sense, though I never suspected this song to come from this species. Appreciate your reply!
Need Bird call ID Please - from Audio file
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