I hear birds more early in the morning because that is when they sing their hearts out. A favorite activity on the trail is to try to name the birds I see. Below are some of the birds I have seen and heard on my walks with descriptions according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Blue Jay
Bright and bold, blue jays often travel in noisy family groups in late summer and fall. Their arrival at a bird feeder tends to clear the area of smaller birds. Blue jays are known to eat the eggs and young of other birds and often frighten the adults off the nest by imitating the call of a hawk. Groups of blue jays often attack owls, which they consider a threat. Blue jays are usually tame around humans.
The sounds of a blue jay may be a bell-like tul-ull call, a soft conversational-type chatter between jays or harsh hawk-like screams. From concealment, the blue jay also may deliver a whisper-like song with barely audible, sweep lisping notes resembling those of such small birds as the chickadee.
Northern Mockingbird
Mockingbirds are one of the most commonly noticed birds in the state. They are either applauded for their audaciousness or cursed for their persistence in nocturnal singing or in the defense of their territory.
Unmated male mockingbirds sing more than mated ones, and only unmated males sing at night. Both sexes sing in the fall to claim winter feeding territories.
Mockingbirds mimic 50 other birds' songs. They have also been known to imitate other sounds they hear such as rusty hinges, whistling, cackling hens and dogs barking so expertly that even an electronic analysis could not tell the difference between the mockingbird and the original. Scientists have found that female mockingbirds are attracted to males that can make the most different sounds.
Pigeon
The rock dove commonly is referred to as a pigeon. Apparently, it was the first bird to be domesticated about 4500 B.C. Its outstanding homing capabilities — using the sun or the earth's magnetic field to return to its home lofts — gained it a long and rich history of delivering messages, including during the times of Caesar and Napoleon.
Pigeons are all-around adaptable birds. They are able to exploit the many advantages that urban areas have to offer. Pigeons feed not only on grain, green leaves and invertebrates, but also on the goodies that people provide — such as bread crumbs, popcorn, peanuts and cake. They are paired monogamously for life.
These birds make very deep, throaty coos; a common sound anywhere they inhabit. When taking off, the rock pigeons' wings make a loud flapping sound. When the bird is alarmed, it may do a grunting noise as well. The chicks make a soft whining screech.
Painted Bunting
Painted buntings are common in many parts of Texas. Around sunrise, males will briefly perch and sing on top of the brush they live in. When the brightly colored male is noticed, he is often mistakenly thought to be an escaped tropical bird. Male painted buntings have been used as caged birds in some areas due to their bright colors and beautiful voice.
The painted bunting’s song is a series of short, musical phrases of thin, sweet, high-pitched notes lasting about two seconds. When establishing territorial boundaries in the spring, a male may sing 10 songs per minute from several perches within his territory. Neighboring males often sing back and forth at each other, a territorial behavior called countersinging.
Bird Song Opera
So you may truly understand what it is like to listen to all different types of birds, enjoy this bird song opera video:
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