On Thu, 21 Dec 1995, Don Baccus wrote:

> Actually, I've heard Robins make the sound Kathleen describes. It is
> a bit humbling to know that a common bird like this can surprise
> one after years of birding!

I, too, have been surprised by robins giving the soft whistled "eer." I
have heard it perhaps 4 or 5 times since I moved to Washington State 15
months ago, and always from a robin perched very still in a tree, as
Kathleen described. However, in 20 years of birding in the east (NY, MA,
KY) I never recall hearing robins do that. It seems like an unlikely
coincidence (but possiible) that I started noticing it only when I hit the
Pacific NW, if it is really widespread. I bird about 95% by ear, so I am
usually pretty tuned in to unusual sounds. I know it caught my
attention immediately when I first heard it here - I would think it
would have been even more obvious to me back East, where the rest of the
bird sounds are so much more familiar to me. Does anybody recall hearing
that call outside of Cascadia?

Chris Hill
Everett, WA
cehill at u.washington.edu