WarbleWarble / Compare
Birds people mix up, side by side
Play both songs, see both birds, and read the one or two differences that settle it.
- American Crow vs Fish CrowTwo black crows that look nearly identical. One says caw, the other answers with a nasal ah-ah. Here is how to listen.
- Bald Eagle vs Golden EagleA young Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle look alike. Check the legs, the head and the white, then where you are standing.
- Barn Owl vs Barred OwlOne screams and never hoots, the other barks who cooks for you. Then check the face and chest: white heart or brown bars.
- Black-capped vs Carolina ChickadeeCount the whistled notes: two for Black-capped, four for Carolina. Then the catch: where they meet, they learn each other's songs.
- Chipping Sparrow vs House SparrowA fast, even trill like a sewing machine, or a slurred chireep repeated all day. Then look for the chestnut cap or the black bib.
- Cowbird vs GrackleA liquid gurgle that ends in a thin whistle, or a harsh creak like a rusty gate. Then check the eye, the bill and the tail.
- Crow vs RavenA crow caws, a raven croaks. Then look at the tail and watch how it flies. The differences that settle it.
- Eastern vs Western MeadowlarkThey look almost identical, so listen. Plain, plaintive whistles mean Eastern; a whistle that tumbles into a flute-like gurgle means Western.
- Great Blue Heron vs Great EgretBoth croak when you flush them, so look: gray or white, then the legs. In south Florida, the legs are what count.
- Great Egret vs Snowy EgretYellow bill and black feet, or black bill and yellow feet. Then watch how it hunts. The marks that settle it.
- Great Horned Owl vs Barred OwlWho cooks for you, or five low, even hoots? How to tell the two big owls apart by ear, then by tufts and eyes.
- Hermit Thrush vs Wood ThrushTwo flute-voiced thrushes of the eastern woods. Listen to how each phrase is built, then check the tail and the head.
- House Finch vs Purple FinchListen to how the song ends and how the call rises, then check the flanks and the face. Here is what settles it.
- House Wren vs Carolina WrenA bubbling jumble that rises and falls, or one loud teakettle phrase said three times. Then look for the white eyebrow.
- Mockingbird vs Catbird vs Brown ThrasherThree mimics, one rule: count how many times each phrase is repeated. Then check the call and the color.
- Mourning Dove vs Eurasian Collared-DoveCount the coos: a soft, sad five-note phrase or a deep three-beat chant. Then look for the black collar and the tail.
- Osprey vs Bald EagleTwo white-headed fish hunters on big stick nests by the water. The whistle, the belly and the wing shape settle it.
- Pileated Woodpecker vs Northern FlickerBoth laugh from the trees. Listen for whether the laugh rises and falls, then for a slow, deep drum or a short burst on metal.
- Red-tailed Hawk vs Red-shouldered HawkOne long raspy scream or a clear whistle repeated three or four times? The calls, the Blue Jay problem and the field marks.
- Scarlet Tanager vs Summer TanagerBoth sing like a robin from the treetops. Listen for the call, chip-burr or pit-titi-tuck, then look at the wings: black or red.
- Scrub-Jay vs Blue JayA throaty, questioning jree or a raucous jay-jay. Then check for the crest and the white spots. Includes the Florida Scrub-Jay.
- Song Sparrow vs House SparrowOne sings a real song with a tumbling trill, the other only chirps. Then look at the breast: streaked or plain.
- European Starling vs Common GrackleTwo glossy black birds on the same lawn. One rambles through whistles, clicks and borrowed songs, the other creaks like a rusty gate.
- Summer Tanager vs Northern CardinalA cardinal whistles one phrase over and over; a Summer Tanager carols like a soft robin. Then check the head for a crest.
- Turkey Vulture vs Black VultureVultures barely make a sound, so watch the wings: a wobbling V with silver edges, or flat wings, quick flaps and white tips.
- White-winged Dove vs Mourning DoveWho cooks for you, or a soft, sad coo-ah, coo, coo, coo. Then look for the white wing stripe, the red eye and the tail.
- Yellow Warbler vs American GoldfinchA sweet whistled phrase from the willows, or a bouncing potato chip overhead. Then check the bill, the cap and the wings.
Free to play, one catch a day. iPhone, US birds.
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