Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU!SPGDCM From: SPGDCM@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: trying to identify a new visitor Message-ID: <8806020228.AA06452@jade.berkeley.edu> Date: 2 Jun 88 02:26:48 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 53 MSG:FROM: SPGDCM --UCBCMSA TO: NETWORK --NETWORK 06/01/88 19:26:47 To: NETWORK --NETWORK Network Address From: Doug Mosher Subject: trying to identify a new visitor To: rec-birds@ucbvax I am not trained in identifying birds, but I have a lot of curiosity about a new visitor to my back yard. I live in residential San Francisco, which has limited back yards with some large trees. In the last few weeks, we have a new visiting bird which seems very unfamiliar. I cannot see it (having tried a number of times), but what is distinctive is the nature of its singing. Most birds I have ever heard seem to have a relatively recognizable, repeating call. This one seems to change its call every 3-10 repetitions. It sings very loudly; generally at sunrise or sunset, but also at other times, for example, 11:30pm and 2:30 AM on occasion. If I try to do a bad job of explaining the calls, it would be: chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp (pause) poo-wee poo-wee poo-wee poo-wee (pause) squawk squawk squawk (pause) I could go on, but what I am trying to illustrate is that the very nature of the call keeps changing. Various sequences, tones, and timbres are used. Each given call is repeated exactly and clearly for a set of repetitions, then something else occurs for its set of repetitions. There are never words or clicks or other parrot-like variations, but the variety is impressive. The sequence does not seem to repeat over several minutes. One might imagine a group of birds, but it's just one, since there is only one song at a time (or, it's a whole group but they have all agreed to sing in turn, only once :-) Does this ring any bells? I am most curious. I wondered for awhile if someone's pet had escaped. But it has stayed in the neighborhood for a couple weeks now, and sometimes sings from across the street. ( ) ( Doug Mosher) ( 257 Evans, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA, 415/642-5823 ) trying to identify a new visitor