Walk outside on a spring morning, you can’t help but notice the chorus of the birds. Ever wished you could identify what bird you’re hearing? Here’s a quick video guide to who’s singing what in your neighborhood, with some notes about the birds and what kind of seed or food will attract them to your bird feeder.
Carolina Wrens – Watch for these small birds hopping around on your deck. They’ll build a nest in your garage if you leave the door open for even a short time! Carolina Wrens will come to feeders that have dried meal worms.
Northern Cardinals sometimes repeat the phrase “Cheer, Cheer,” along with a few other cheerful sounding phrases. Cardinals come to feeders with black sunflower seeds.
Robins – there is nothing quite like the morning melody of a robin. Listen for them singing from larger trees at sunrise. Robins sometimes come to suet feeders, but tend to feed off the ground, sometimes picking up bits of fallen suet.
Mockingbirds – watch for them in trees and shrubs along streets and walkways. These aggressive territorial birds will sometimes fly right over your head if you get too close! Mockingbirds will come to feeders for suet, peanuts or hulled sunflowers.
Brown Thrasher singing sounds similar to that of Mockingbirds, some say it is sweeter and more melodic. Listen for them singing from within less accessible thickets. Brown Thrashers will come to suet feeders, and will also eat peanut or hulled sunflower seeds off the ground.
Catbirds are one of the three mimic thrushes, the other two being the Mockingbird and Brown Thrasher. In addition to their mewing call, they also sing a highly varied song. Catbirds will come to feeders that have suet.
Eastern Towhee – Has two distinctive calls, one sounds like “Toweeee!” and the other sounds like “Drink your Teeeee!” They often sing from the ground, underneath bushes. They will come to feeders and pick up seeds that have fallen to the ground under the feeder.
Song Sparrows – these sweet songsters often sing from visible positions on fence posts or in the tops of small trees. Song sparrows will occasionally come to feeders, usually picking up seeds that have fallen to the ground under the feeder.
White Throated Sparrows have a mournful plaintive call and can be seen scratching for food on the ground, or singing from the lower branches of shrubs and small trees. These birds like to pick up thistle seed from the ground or from the tops of tree stumps.
Eastern Bluebirds also have a softer more plaintive call that sounds like “Tur-a-lee”. Bluebirds will come to feeders that have meal worms, but also eat suet.