Female Royal Flycatcher Defense Tactic
Click the picture for a link to the youtube video
This is a female royal flycatcher I caught in Belize. In the hand, both the male and female display this peculiar, mesmerizing head movement as an apparent defense mechanism. When foraging, the crest is down and the bird looks drab and unremarkable. But as soon as it's threatened, the crest goes up, into this spectacular display!
Golden-winged Warbler Alternate Song
Picture links to Xeno-canto recording
I heard this peculiar song one morning while recording at Prairie Oaks Metro Park in central Ohio. This is the alternate song of a Golden-winged warbler, which sounds slightly like a weird blue-winged warbler song. Blue-wings and golden-wings hybridize often into recognizable types (Lawrence's and Brewster's), but this individual was an apparent (by plumage anyway) full Golden-winged warbler.
More recordings:
Same individual, alternate song and regular song
Unfiltered
Different individual Regular Golden-winged warbler song (with Northern Cardinal and Nashville warbler in background)
Great Crested Flycatcher Song
Picture links to Xeno-canto recording
The great crested flycatcher is a pretty easy bird to ID by ear. They have a distinct, croaking sort of call that reminds me of a frog. In all my times of birding, I associated this sound as a contact call because both males and females use this to communicate with other individuals. Early in the field season in 2010, as migrant birds were settling into their breeding territories, I recorded this newly settled great crested flycatcher 'singing' from a prominent perch. These vocalizations appeared as a song to me because of the cadence is steady and distinct, unlike the calls of great crested flycatchers I am more familiar with. This was the first time I became aware of the song of this non-melodic species.
More recordings:
Same individual
The great crested flycatcher is a pretty easy bird to ID by ear. They have a distinct, croaking sort of call that reminds me of a frog. In all my times of birding, I associated this sound as a contact call because both males and females use this to communicate with other individuals. Early in the field season in 2010, as migrant birds were settling into their breeding territories, I recorded this newly settled great crested flycatcher 'singing' from a prominent perch. These vocalizations appeared as a song to me because of the cadence is steady and distinct, unlike the calls of great crested flycatchers I am more familiar with. This was the first time I became aware of the song of this non-melodic species.
More recordings:
Same individual