Listening to a Continent Sing

the companion website to the book by Donald Kroodsma

AMERICAN ROBIN WY-244

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

May 31, 5:51 a.m.

Sunrise at 5:45 a.m.

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About 20 yards away up in the top of a spruce tree he sings, racing through his repertoire of carols and hissellys. The norm is two or three carols followed by one or two hissellys, about a song every second, 60 per minute.

As I watch the sonagrams fly by on the computer monitor, I can pick out both carols and hissellys that recur, and I marvel at all that he has in his head and how he has chosen to play it all out.

Background

Wilson's snipe winnows, and general songbird chorus in the background.