Week 2: Advanced Mid Elevation
Scroll down to study the birds by sight and sound, and then take the quiz.
Week 2 Birds
Spotted Towhee, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee, Mountain Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
Bird Code: GTTO
Identify this bird by…
Large sparrow, thick bill and long tail
Greyish body, yellow-green tail & wings, reddish cap
This bird is not dimorphic
Meaning the males and females look the same!
Juvenile - Streaky and brownish; yellow-green tail
Listen for…
Song: Males sing a long, jumbled series of clear whistles and trills lasting about 2.5 seconds. A singing male at the height of the breeding season may sing up to 12 songs per minute.
Call: Both sexes make a mewing call that is thin, high, and rises in pitch.
Resources:
SPOTTED TOWHEE
Bird Code: SPTO
Identify this bird by…
Large sparrow, thick bill and long tail
White belly and rufous sides; white spots on wings and back
Tell males and females apart by…
Male - Black head, throat and upperparts
Female/immature - Brown head, throat and upperparts
Listen for…
Song: One or two short introductory notes and then a fast trill that can sound like a taut rubber band being plucked, or a piece of paper stuck into a fan. Some Spotted Towhee songs have just the trill phrase only. The song sounds almost like the bird is saying “Drink-your-teaaaa!”
Call: Catlike mew call, a little more than a half-second long.
Resources:
Black-Capped Chickadee
Bird Code: BCCH
Identify this bird by…
Small, black bill; round body
Full black cap on head; black on chin; white in between
Very active and acrobatic! They hang upside down, even
Males and females look the same
Tell it apart by…
Lack of “angry” eyebrow of the Mountain Chickadee
Sweeter, crisper song and more defined alarm call
Listen for…
Call: Chickadees say their name in a call, “Chick-a-dee-dee-deeeee.” It is believed this is an alarm call to warn of predators. Once you hear one chickadee make this call, you are bound to hear others!
Song: A high-pitched, sweet series of one to two notes that either sound like “hot dog” or “ham-burg-er.”
Resources:
MOuntain chickadee
Bird Code: MOCH
Identify this bird by…
Small, black bill; round body
Black cap, white “angry eyebrows”
Very active and acrobatic! They hang upside down, even
Males and females look the same
Tell it apart by…
“Angry eyebrows”
Raspier song and call; sounds like a BCCH with a cold
Listen for…
Call: Similar to that of the Black-capped Chickadee, but more gargled. They also make a half-swallowed call when facing off with other males.
Song: Two note call similar to the “hot dog” song of Black-capped Chickadee. Some also call this a “fee-bee” call. They may sometimes only do the “fee.”
Resources:
DOWNY WOODPECKER
Bird Code: DOWO
Identify this bird by…
Smaller with short bill
White below, black on back with white spots on the wings
Head striped with black and white
Spotting on tips of wings
Male: red nape (back of neck)
Female: In the Rocky Mountains, the females don’t have much spotting on their wings; spots on the edges of the wings are still there
Juveniles: Lighter red on the cap
Listen for…
Call: A whinnying call, made by both sexes; excited string of hoarse, high-pitched notes that descend in pitch toward the end; the call lasts about 2 seconds. Excited birds also give a very sharp pik note, occasionally repeated several times.
Drum: Very rapid strikes given at a steady pace, almost fast enough to blend into a single uninterrupted sound. The birds also make a slow, deliberate and much quieter tapping as they excavate, and this can attract a mate to the site.
Resources:
Feeling ready? Take the quiz!