Titmice and allies : songs

The Carolina Chickadee sings a usually four-part song, but there may be from three to five notes in each phrase. The following songs were all by the same bird at dawn, when it went through its repertoire, including gargle-type songs (the gargle is more often used as a call note).

four-part song(Apr, PA)









three and five-part song



















four-part song followed by gargled variations










gargle song











The Black-capped Chickadee has a two-parted song that uniquely remains unchanged across most of its range ie with a few exceptions there is an absence of dialects.
The birds vary the song with frequency changes, as at 42s in this recording (May, RI). Note the short note before each phrase.




















Tufted Titmice each have a repertoire of up to ten songs. Here are several examples:
(June, NJ)










(Apr, PA)












A nice example of matched counter-singing (June, NJ).













Four males in close proximity counter-singing (Mar, PA)













(Apr, NJ)











Odd vocalizations heard in spring often turn out to be a Tufted Titmouse (May, NJ).












A two-parted song with high and trilled syllables (Mar, PA)












A trill-like song by a Tufted Titmouse pursuing another through bushes, with a non-participating third bird in attendance (Mar, PA).












A bird singing and another replying with a call-like song, either two males or a pair (Mar, PA)













Another example of a high vocalization made repetitively in a song-like fashion. In the family Paridae the distinction between calls and songs is often ill-defined (Apr, PA).













White-breasted Nuthatches sing two song types, "fast" and "slow".
fast song (Mar, PA).











slow song (Feb, PA).













Red-breasted Nuthatches are reported to have three song types, made up of notes similar to the common nasal call notes (see Titmice and allies II)) but strung together in regular sequences: slow (courtship), fast (agonistic), and a third known as the vibratory (copulation) song.
The vibratory song is usually heard near the nest-site, but in this case it was a non-breeding male in migration (Mar, PA).












Brown Creeper. The first note of the song is the same as the often heard call note. Each male has a single song.
(migrant, Mar, PA)












Breeding grounds (May, NJ).











Golden-crowned Kinglet (breeding grounds, July, ME).










Ruby-crowned Kinglet (migrant, Mar, PA).

reduced time scale









Another migrant, with mimicry of a chickadee at 20s. The song sung on territory is famously loud for such a small bird (Apr, PA).












Blue-gray Gnatcatchers have two song types, a simple or advertising song, and a quieter complex song. This is an example of the simple song, sung incessantly at dawn (May, NJ).


Note the variety in the phrases