Avian Beauty Podcast #19

09/06/19 • 2 min

Bird Songs - Hummingbirds

Birds are like mother nature's juke box. Their songs and sounds fill the morning air.

Birds have different kinds of calls. Just as you and I will change our tone, delivery and volume depending on what we're doing or trying to communicate, birds - especially hummingbirds, have many ways of doing this.

LET'S START WITH THE HUM

You can't take the hum out of the hummingbird, but then again - that has nothing to do with the bird's song. The hummingbird's wings are responsible for that sound. More on that in a minute.

Some of the sounds a bird makes are vocal sounds which are made by a special organ only birds possess called the syrinx. These sounds are usually made to defend or to impress. Hummingbirds are especially territorial, so a majority of the sounds they make are warnings to other birds. The syrinx is small and generally not capable of creating complex vocalizations.

Hummers have regular calls, aggressive calls, and they do sing songs. Mostly they just chirp.

Many hummingbird sounds are produced by the feathers of the wings or tail vibrating against the air. The male broad-tailed hummingbird of the Rocky Mountain region has an especially impressive sound. You can always tell when an adult male broad-tail flies past, because of the high, metallic trilling of his wings.

Some of the sounds you hear from hummingbirds come from the males fighting for territory. They duel with their beaks, clicking a distinct clicking sound.

While they sound very much alike to humans, there are distinct differences between the sounds made by different hummingbird species. Some hummers squeak, still others make a whirring sound or a shrill wing whistle.

What's your favorite hummingbird sound?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.

Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.

If you’d like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott’s bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.

Bird Songs - Hummingbirds

Birds are like mother nature's juke box. Their songs and sounds fill the morning air.

LET'S START WITH THE HUM

You can't take the hum out of the hummingbird, but then again - that has nothing to do with the bird's song. The hummingbird's wings are responsible for that sound. More on that in a minute.

Hummers have regular calls, aggressive calls, and they do sing songs. Mostly they just chirp.

Some of the sounds you hear from hummingbirds come from the males fighting for territory. They duel with their beaks, clicking a distinct clicking sound.

What's your favorite hummingbird sound?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.

Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.

If you’d like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott’s bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.

Previous Episode

Again Beauty Podcast #18

Last week we talked about why birds matter. But some people have birds that they just don't like. What are some of the least popular birds in the USA?

It may seem unusual to find someone who hates birds of any kind but it's common to at least dislike certain bird species. Most of us who are birders spend our time looking for our favorites and don't give much thought to the species we don't enjoy. But there are people who really don't like some birds. Call it a bird phobia - still others just find themselves disinterested in certain species.

On the least favorite list would be Couch's Kingbird (a bird that is very successful in south Texas but doesn't travel to other part's of the country and therefore isn't very popular. The MacGillivray’s warbler is near the bottom of the list because it is very shy. It skulks under thick vegetation most of the time. You will most likely never see one in your lifetime unless you are really searching for one.

The European Starling is universally disliked because it is one of the most prevalent species in the USA and it's an invasive species. It's very destructive to native wildlife. For instance, these birds can damage crops and their waste can spread invasive seeds and spread disease.

One more unpopular bird is the Lucy's warbler. It's a small, dull-colored homebody, that hates social interaction. Those aren't necessarily factors that make birds popular.

Another bird that is low on the list - and I confess, one of my personal least favorite is the obnoxious plain chachalaca, a pheasant-like bird with ugly brown feathers. Its favorite activity is hopping up into a tree and screaming at the top of its lungs. At best these birds are a nuisance.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.

Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.

If you'd like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott's bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.

Next Episode

Avian Beauty Podcast #20

Today's Avian Beauty podcast will be a departure. Instead of talking about a specific bird, I'll be sharing some basic tips on how to enjoy birdwatching, or birding as those of us in the trenches call it.

The first thing you need to do is get yourself a set of binoculars. Don't worry if you can't afford the fancy kind. Just look for something from Celestron if you're on a budget. If you can spare the change, the more you spend, the better your results. My favorite pair come from Olympus and in today's show notes, I've linked to an article I wrote about the Olympus binoculars that will help you select a pair, regardless of your brand preference

https://avianbeauty.com/2019/04/08/olympus-10x42-pro-binocular-first-look/

Next you'll need a good hat, some sun screen and the all important field guide. A field guide is a book that helps you identify birds. While there are plenty of apps for this, I like to encourage beginners to use an actual book they can take anywhere, regardless of access to wifi.

My favorite for beginners is The New Birder's Guide to Birds of North America by Bill Thompson III. He passed away recently and was much loved in the birding world. His book is his legacy and will help anyone interested in the hobby. https://amzn.to/2Ut4GjK

If you do want to use an app on your phone, the free Merlin Bird ID is the best there is. It's from The Cornell Lab and the link to find it is in the show notes http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org

You don't need to go to an exotic place to start birding. Head to the back yard, set up a few feeders, add a simple bird bath, sit down on the porch with your binoculars and field guide and you'll begin to see birds in a new light.

You'll want to build a list of birds you see (called a life list) and you may even want to snap a few photos of the birds that visit your backyard.

Lastly, I'd suggest going to some bird meetups. They are available almost everywhere and you can find other birders by visiting your local Audubon chapter.

Most importantly, have fun. Birding is a great hobby and you'll find yourself relaxing in new ways while getting closer to our feathered friends.

I hope you've enjoyed this episode of Avian Beauty. Thanks for listening.

Be sure to visit avianbeauty.com for more bird inspiration and information and please consider subscribing (for free) to our blog and podcast. I’m Scott Bourne. Happy birding.

If you'd like to show your appreciation for this site, please consider the purchase of prints or gifts featuring Scott's bird art, visit scottbourne.photos for more information.