Thanks for clarifying, Dennis. I'll take that as a yes- it could have the
same affect as pishing.
>
>Pishing doesn't mimic a distress call, it mimics an alarm call. You can
>see the danger of confusing the two, because "distress" implies something
>different than "alarm" (at least it does to me). Alarm just means "watch
>out, there is a predator nearby." The bird then attempts to locate it. I
>think we're giving human emotions to the birds when we extend a bird alarm
>call to "I'd sure be distressed if I thought there was a lion lurking in
>the bushes and I didn't know where it was." Birds do in fact have calls
>that have been called distress calls--those they make when actually grabbed
>by a predator (or a mistnetter).
>
>"Whit" may well be an alarm call made when a Swainson's Thrush detects the
>presence of a potential predator (like a person). The typical calls (not
>songs) we hear from many species, the ones we use to identify them--the
>harsh notes of Song Sparrows and Common Yellowthroats, the double kiss of a
>Winter Wren or chatter of a House Wren--extend this list to your familiar
>species--are probably all alarm calls that the bird wouldn't even be giving
>if we weren't in the vicinity!
>
>
>Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
>Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
>University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
>Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>
>
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