Call Repertoire

Program Description

Most songbird have a large repertoire of different calls, each conveying different information. The black-capped chickadee, for example, has a dozen or so calls, of which the most frequent are the "gargle", the "high zee", and the eponymous "chick-a-dee-dee-dee".

Program & Recording Notes

The black-capped chickadee's calls are nicely described in the Handbook of Bird Biology, published by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The CD accompanying this textbook gives examples of the "gargle", the "high zee", and the "chick-a-dee-dee-dee" calls. I also use an example of the chickadee's song from the CD collection Bird Songs of California produced by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

Series 1
Introduction
Vocal Range
Importance of Song
Avoiding Monotony
Learning Song
Hip Hop Mimicry
Hummingbird Complexity
Syrinx Anatomy
Internal Duets (Cardinal)
Internal Duets (Cowbird)
Internal Duets (Thrushes)
Syrinx & Pan Pipes

Series 2
Songs & Calls
Call Repertoires
Alarm Calls
Mobbing Calls
Call Notes
Cross-Species Alarms
Pishing
Breathing
Lungs & Air Sacs
Circular Breathing
Resonance
Cooing