Birds

A fast even drum roll is a territorial signal; slow irregular tapping means the bird is feeding or excavating. How to tell them apart and what to do about it.

The western screech owl sound is a bouncing ball series of soft whistles, not a screech. Here are the calls, what they mean at night, and when to listen.

A Fish Crow gives a short, nasal uh-uh instead of the clear caw of an American Crow. Here is how to hear the difference, and the summer trap that fools almost everyone.

Distress calls move birds, ultrasonic devices do not. What the evidence says about sound bird deterrents and how long each one lasts.

The number of dee notes in a chickadee call is a threat rating. Here is what each chickadee sound means and how to tell the species apart by ear.

Mockingbirds repeat each copied phrase three to six times, and that rule identifies them by ear. What the song means, why they sing at night, and lookalikes.

That famous eagle scream in movies is a Red-tailed Hawk. Here is what the real call sounds like, why hawks scream, and how to separate it from other raptors.

The loud rolling wuk-wuk-wuk of a pileated woodpecker carries half a mile. Here is how to tell its call, drum, flight note and nest noise apart.

Starlings whistle, rattle, click and copy everything from hawks to car alarms. Here is what each starling sound means and which birds get mistaken for them.

Who cooks for you is only the start. Barred owls also bark, gurgle and scream like monkeys. Here is every barred owl sound and what the bird is saying.