FreeLists / birdky / [birdky] Discovery about Pine versus Worm-Eating Warbler trills

[Ben Albritton <benalbritton@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have started going over warbler vocalizations every night getting in shape 
for spring warblers! and wanted to share with any other birding by ear 
enthusiast a discovery I think I have found on distinguishing the pine 
warbler's dry trill (not the musical loose notes) from the worm-eating 
warbler's trill.  I have four auditory sources independent of each other, and 
whenever I came up with a theory about note rapidity, tone or pitch variations 
or volume distributions within the vocalization, as soon as I checked with 
another of my sources my theory would be blown out of the water.  But finally I 
found something quite simple which was consistently true across all of my 
independent sources.  And that is just the duration of the trill.  Counting the 
beats out in time, the pine warbler's trill is three-quarters that of the worm 
eating warbler's in duration.  This quarter of duration difference can actually 
be very well felt.  It is musically significant enough to be a definite
 handle if it continues to prove true. I plan to get my hands on a few more 
sources and test it further.  By the way I haven't seen this said anywhere in 
literature so if I am reinventing a wheel here, please pardon my ignorance!
   
  Best birding wishes,
  Ben Albritton
  Lexington, KY

       
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