Birding by Ear This Spring Season

Spring is undoubtedly an exciting time of year. The fresh green growth on plants seems to explode overnight and birdsong once again echoes across the landscape. It’s no surprise that Mary Birchem, Capitol Land Trust’s Outreach & Education Coordinator, loves this time of year.

“For me, the change in season brings a refreshing feeling of awareness towards our natural world and inspires me to spend time outside. While exploring outdoor spaces, even just a walk through the neighborhood, I notice my ears perk up at the different bird trills, chirps, and whistles happening around me.”

Building from that inspiration, Mary has teamed up with local birders and photographers to bring you our new Bird of the Week video series. The series focuses on sharing the incredible diversity of feathered friends that call our region home and benefit from local land conservation. Each video highlights photos of a particular bird species and plays audio of their sounds. Some videos even show us an inside look into the bird’s world by being a live-action video of the bird interacting with its environment.

Not only is birding by ear another way to experience the natural world, it’s also fun! Mnemonic devices are often used to help remember which bird sound goes with what bird. Sometimes the mnemonic device includes a fun phrase. The barred owl, for example, has a hoot that many remember by the phrase, “Who cooks for you, who cools for you-all?” Black-capped chickadees have a mnemonic device that sounds like, “Hey, sweetie” or, “Cheeseburger.”

To listen to the birds of the Pacific Northwest, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and click on the playlist called Bird of the Week. Videos are also shared on Facebook and Instagram, so following us on these platforms is a great way to catch the latest video! A new video is posted every Friday. Here’s another sneak peek:

If you’re looking for local trails to catch a glimpse or earful of these musical, flying cuties, check out the trails at our public-access preserves or join a volunteer stewardship event. Both are great ways to go outside and spend time in the variety of habitats these birds depend on and become more familiar with birds!

Want to contribute photos to our Bird of the Week video series? We are looking for bird photos we can share in future Bird of the Week videos. Photos must be of good resolution and focus and taken locally. Email [email protected] for more information.