DOERING: Scientists estimate that there are around ten thousand or so different species of birds today, each with its own strange and wonderful calls. BirdNote®’s Michael Stein has more.
BirdNote®
Strange Sounds

[Call of Yellow Rail] Some bird calls can sound like somethin’ else altogether! For example, one could easily mistake the call of a male Yellow Rail, [Call of Yellow Rail] for someone tapping two small stones together.

What about this sound? [Turkey Vultures hissing] They’re Turkey Vultures hissing at one another over a carcass!

What about this plaintive whistle? [Call of a male Black Scoter] That’s the call of a male seaduck, a Black Scoter.

And what could possibly be going on here? [Caterwauling of Barred Owls] That’s a duet between a male and female Barred Owl!

And this one? [Call of Rhinoceros Auklet] Do we have a miniature cow with a chain saw? No, that’s the call of the Rhinoceros Auklet, a seabird, deep in its nest burrow.

Finally, what bird call resembles the howl of a wolf? [Wail call of the Common Loon] That’s the wail call of the Common Loon.

What an amazing array of sounds birds have to offer.

Ours are brought to you by arrangement with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Hear them all again at birdnote.org. [Wail call of the Common Loon]

DOERING: For pictures, flap on over to the Living on Earth website, LoE.org.