[Umpqua Birds] Ash-throated Starling
- From: Matthew G Hunter <matthewghunter@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: UB <umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, OBOL <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 19:18:20 -0800
Hi Earbirders,
Yesterday and today my local starling has been making very authentic
Ash-throated Flycatcher songs and calls. Last year it started about the
same time, in February. Right now I'm not fooled too easily because it is
very very early for Ash-throated, but in a couple months I'll have to
listen a little more carefully to be sure what I'm hearing.
Which reminds me, it won't be long before the starlings also begin
imitating Western Wood-Pewee. They do a pretty good job at that too, and
since we often hear the pewees from a distance and "write them down"
(because it is a very plausible detection in most areas) it is fairly easy
to mistakenly record Western Wood-Pewee when it was just a starling. I have
made the mistake myself plenty of times, and have often heard of very early
"heard only" Western Wood-Pewees, that I suspect were starlings. So, a
heads up for those of you that know or are learning bird songs/sounds. Be
sure you are not hearing a starling.
So, perhaps I should give some hints on discerning starling imitations from
the real thing (for most any species). (1) Occasionally the starling's
imitation is noticeably inferior to the real thing, but most of the time,
frankly, they do a pretty good job. Since that is the case, here are two
items that will help distinguish the starling's imitation from the real
thing. (2) The runner up is that the frequency of the song does not match
the normal pattern for the species. Sometimes the frequency is way too
frequent, sometimes it is not repeated nearly often enough, and in either
case usually not at a consistent frequency. In other words, many birds will
sing their song at a roughly consistent frequency, every 20 seconds (for
example), but the starling will do it at time zero, 10 seconds, then 50
seconds, then 55 seconds, then 120 seconds. See, the pattern is not typical
for the species. (3) The other, and best way to tell that the sound is a
starling versus the bird it is imitating, is that all kinds of other sounds
(including the starling's own unique grating synthesizer mix) are coming
from the same location. One time at my mom's place I remember hearing a
starling do a killdeer, greater yellowlegs, rooster, tree frog, california
quail, and probably a few other things, mixed with its own starling noises,
all from the top of a nearby oak tree. Of course all these things being in
the top of an oak tree was pretty unlikely and it was clear that the sounds
(very good imitations) were coming from a starling. This method is most
difficult when the starling is some distance away, so sometimes you must
get closer to hear all the other sounds. Of course if you see the bird
singing, that is about as good as it gets. :-)
Have fun earbirding,
Matt Hunter
Melrose, OR
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