Bird species directory
Explore birds by group: field marks, songs and the look-alikes they get mistaken for.
ContinentAny
SizeAny
HabitatAny
SeasonAny
Bird categories
Warblers
Small, restless, endlessly confusing in autumnView all warblers →
Yellow Warbler
A bright, sweet series often heard as sweet-sweet-sweet-shredded-wheat.
Black-and-white Warbler
A thin, squeaky weesa-weesa repeated as it creeps along bark.
Common Yellowthroat
A rolling witchety-witchety-witchety from low in the reeds.
American Redstart
A high, buzzy series that often drops at the end.
Raptors
Hawks, eagles, kites and falconsView all raptors →
Red-tailed Hawk
A hoarse, drawn-out scream, the sound most films use for any eagle.
Bald Eagle
A surprisingly weak, high chatter rather than a scream.
Cooper’s Hawk
A fast, even kek-kek-kek near the nest.
American Kestrel
A shrill, rapid killy-killy-killy.
Owls
Night hunters, named by voice more than sightView all owls →
Great Horned Owl
A deep, soft series of four or five hoots.
Barred Owl
The rhythmic who-cooks-for-you phrase, often in duet.
Eastern Screech-Owl
A descending whinny and a soft, even trill.
Barn Owl
A harsh, drawn-out shriek, never a hoot.
Parrots
Macaws, conures, lorikeets and cockatoosView all parrots →
Scarlet Macaw
Loud, grating squawks carried far above the canopy.
Budgerigar
A constant warbling chatter from moving flocks.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Sharp, rolling screeches in flight.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
A raucous, tearing screech.
Finches & sparrows
Seed eaters with conical billsView all finches & sparrows →
Northern Cardinal
A clear, slurred whistle often written as birdie-birdie-birdie, both sexes singing.
House Finch
A long, warbling jumble that ends on a rough upward note.
Song Sparrow
Three sharp opening notes, then a varied tumbling trill.
American Goldfinch
A bouncy per-chic-o-ree given in flight.
Thrushes
Robins, bluebirds and the great singersView all thrushes →
American Robin
Rising and falling phrases, cheerily-cheer-up, loudest at dawn.
Eastern Bluebird
A soft, warbled tu-a-wee.
Wood Thrush
A flute-like ee-oh-lay with a whispered trill.
Hermit Thrush
A clear opening note, then spiralling phrases.
Woodpeckers
Drummers, sapsuckers and flickersView all woodpeckers →
Downy Woodpecker
A short flat pik, a descending whinny, and a light rapid drum.
Northern Flicker
A long, rolling wick-wick-wick and a sharp kyeer.
Pileated Woodpecker
A loud, irregular cackle and a deep, slow drum.
Red-bellied Woodpecker
A rolling churr and a sharp cha-cha-cha.
Waterfowl
Ducks, geese and swansView all waterfowl →
Mallard
The familiar descending quack, given by the female.
Canada Goose
A loud two-note honk from flying skeins.
Wood Duck
A rising, squealing jeeeee from the female.
Mute Swan
Mostly silent, with hisses and snorts up close.
Shorebirds
Sandpipers, plovers and godwitsView all shorebirds →
Black-tailed Godwit
A ringing wicka-wicka-wicka in display flight.
Common Sandpiper
A thin, rippling three-note whistle as it flushes.
Ringed Plover
A soft, rising too-lee.
Eurasian Curlew
The long bubbling call that gives it its name.
Hummingbirds
Tiny, hovering, iridescentView all hummingbirds →
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
A dry chipping, plus a hum from the wings.
Anna’s Hummingbird
A scratchy, buzzy song from an exposed perch.
Rufous Hummingbird
Sharp chip notes and a wing trill in display dives.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
A metallic wing trill audible before you see it.
Corvids
Crows, jays, ravens and magpiesView all corvids →
Blue Jay
A harsh descending jeer, plus a startling hawk imitation.
American Crow
An even, nasal caw, usually in series.
Common Raven
A deep, croaking gronk that carries for miles.
Black-billed Magpie
A rising, questioning chatter.
Doves & pigeons
Cooing ground feedersView all doves & pigeons →
Mourning Dove
A mournful, owl-like coo-oo, followed by two or three coos.
Eurasian Collared-Dove
A three-note coo-COO-coo, the middle note strongest.
White-winged Dove
A hooting who-cooks-for-you cadence.
Birds worth knowing
Across every category: the ones you will meet first, and the one detail that names each.
Northern Cardinal
Crested, brilliant red, black mask. Both sexes sing, all year round.
American Robin
The dawn chorus you already know: cheerily-cheer-up from a rooftop.
Yellow Warbler
Solid yellow with faint red streaks. Sings all morning from willow scrub.
Red-tailed Hawk
Broad wings, pale chest, rusty tail. The scream films give to every eagle.
Barred Owl
Who-cooks-for-you, often in duet. Wet woodland, and bolder than most owls.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Hovers at feeders; you hear the wing hum before you see the bird.
Hear the bird instead of reading about it
Open any of these species in the app for the full gallery, annotated field marks, and every recording offline.