Wayne you wrote.....
<Unlike your experience, I have never had any difficulty in
distinguishing Purple Finch songs from House Finch songs>
You are very lucky then as I had just explained in my previous post, most of
the time you will identify a bird correctly from ear if you are tuned into
that what you are listening too. I have no bother identifying finches or
most birds by ear but I always take my binoculars with me when I record
because sometimes, the unexpected happens like a Steller's Jay screaming out
a Red-Tail Hawk or a Starling mimicking others, a mockingbird imitating
various other birds, Lyrebirds imitating cameras, it goes on and on :)
<have you noticed this? It should be possible to confirm this
by comparing sonograms.>
If you look at a sonogram it will show a frequency range measured in either
HZ or MHZ, the finches we talked about are both on the same frequency scale,
it will show you a variable pattern but like my last post, it got mistaken
for a Purple finch at the start of the recording.
<Of course, the ease that I have in distinguishing House Finch from
Purple Finch songs is probably because I have been an "ear birder"
ever since I began birding at the age of 11. The ability of birders to
discriminate similar bird songs seems to vary widely among
individuals-- far more than the ability to discriminate species
visually.>
I have been birding by ear since I was knee high to a grasshopper and a
great deal of my identifications while out in the field are by ear, I have
been recording nature, especially bird calls since I was 11 years of age
back in Britain and distributed my recordings to groups, universities and
radio for maybe 30 years (Jesus I'm getting old)
I heard 4 Sapsuckers this morning at Carnation marsh while I was getting out
of my car, not by the song or call but from the drumming, a lot of people
would say a woodpecker but how many would give a positive id from a drumming
sound? In various seasons, it is not always possible to ID a bird visually
and you will often hear a bird before you see it so this is a critical tool
to be able to have, it is a wonderful gift hearing!
< Two species which are much more difficult to distinguish by songs are
Purple Finch and Cassin's Finch. Cassin's has a very similar song
pattern to Purple Finch, and also frequently includes mimicry.
However, since the breeding ranges of these two species do not overlap
much (except in a few areas like western Chelan and Kittitas
Counties), separating them is usually not much of a problem. Also,
most call-notes of Cassin's Finches (as with those of House Finches)
are very different from those of House Finches, and easily
distinguished.>
I don't think they are more difficult to distinguish but I share your view
the species are very similar in song as the previous posting of the sound
byte I made explains. I have heard a fantastic Cassin's finch song in
California and before I wrote it down as a positive ID for recording
purposes, I saw the Mockingbird fly away from the exact location. Cassin's
finches and purple finches intermingle with each other down there yet I will
know the songs from the birds individually before I see them, but as I said
before, you never know who is singing and who is mimicking!
Did you ID my last sound byte correctly?
Kind regards
Martyn
Martyn Stewart
Birds Sounds Digitally Recorded at:
http://www.naturesound.org
N47.65543 W121.98428
Redmond. Washington. USA
Make every Garden a wildlife Habitat
-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne C. Weber [mailto:contopus at telus.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 10:06 AM
To: MARTYN STEWART
Cc: TWEETERS
Subject: Distinguishing Purple Finch and House Finch songs
Martyn,
Unlike your experience, I have never had any difficulty in
distinguishing Purple Finch songs from House Finch songs. Bravery is
not involved here. I would describe a typical Purple Finch song as
being longer and more rapidly delivered than House Finch songs, and
without the burry notes so typical of House Finches. Purple Finch
songs also usually include mimicry of call-notes of several other
species-- have you noticed this? It should be possible to confirm this
by comparing sonagrams.
Of course, the ease that I have in distinguishing House Finch from
Purple Finch songs is probably because I have been an "ear birder"
ever since I began birding at the age of 11. The ability of birders to
discriminate similar bird songs seems to vary widely among
individuals-- far more than the ability to discriminate species
visually.
Two species which are much more difficult to distinguish by songs are
Purple Finch and Cassin's Finch. Cassin's has a very similar song
pattern to Purple Finch, and also frequently includes mimicry.
However, since the breeding ranges of these two species do not overlap
much (except in a few areas like western Chelan and Kittitas
Counties), separating them is usually not much of a problem. Also,
most call-notes of Cassin's Finches (as with those of House Finches)
are very different from those of House Finches, and easily
distinguished.
Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Martyn Stewart <mstew at naturesound.org>
To: 'Tweeters (E-mail)' <TWEETERS at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 10:50 PM
Subject: RE: Marymoor Park Report (Redmond, King Co., WA) 2004/03/17
> Michael you said
> <Purple Finch 1 seen, maybe heard more>
>
> That is a brave thing to say and I trust your judgment, identifying
the
> sound of a purple finch! I had to see the bird while recording it to
make
> sure I positively identified it as a purple finch call because as
you know,
> the purple finch is so similar to the house finch call, sometimes I
have had
> to make a sonogram of the sound to see the slight difference in
pitch, it is
> not always evident to the human ear. Incidentally, I have posted the
two
> sounds for your information; ironically, the purple finch recording
was made
> at Marymoor Park, April, 2001
>
> Purple finch call
> http://www.naturesound.org/Sound%20Files/Purple%20Finch.mp3
>
>
> House finch call
> http://www.naturesound.org/Sound%20Files/House%20Finch.mp3
>
>
>
> Regards
> Martyn
>
> http://www.naturesound.org
>
>