[Umpqua Birds] Re: Ash-throated Starling
- From: Elva Paulson <elvapaulson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: umpquabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:29:09 -0800
I once heard one starling imitating a cow elk, far off coyotes, and a
red-tailed hawk. Needless to say it didn't happen in Douglas County. .....
Yellowstone.
Elva Paulson
Roseburg, OR
On Feb 11, 2014, at 7:18 PM, Matthew G Hunter wrote:
> 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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