Listening to a Continent Sing

A northern parula in dawn mode, chipping between songs. Two complex phrases start the song, followed by four ascending raspy notes: twee-de-de-de twee-de-de-de zhree zhreee zhreee zhreee; he hustles through the twee-de-de-de notes and lingers on the zhreee notes. A western bird, to be sure, given that we are far west of the transition zone in Kentucky, and I wonder whether the dawn songs of the western birds are also consistently different from those of the eastern birds.

Compare VA-46 if you wish to hear a daytime singer.

Background

Barely heard above the wind: eastern wood-pewee, Carolina wren.

Photo by John Van de Graaff