Date: 3/25/26 7:22 pm From: Lisa Ruby via groups.io <lbruby1...> Subject: Re: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] Odd bird song in Poway yesterday afternoon
Thanks Bruce. When I was there it sure seemed like one bird. It did not
seem like the singing was coming from more than one location. Thanks for
the reminder about doing longer recordings. I got what I could this
time. Being on my bike, it took me time to get the bike set aside,
switch glasses, and get my phone and small bins out of my pockets. I
heard the singing right as I pulled into the parking lot. After I got
the recording I posted it stopped singing. I wish I'd had time to go
back today, but I didn't. If I can get there tomorrow it will likely be
in the afternoon again. Maybe someone else in the community who lives up
this way can check?
Lisa Ruby
Sabre Springs
On 3/25/2026 3:26 PM, Bruce Rideout wrote:
> Lisa: It sounds to me like you have two birds singing similar unusual songs, which reduces the likelihood that it's a significant rarity. It's worth noting that this is the time of year for unusual songs. Males entering their first breeding season will often be singing subsong or plastic song as they transition to their final adult song, and adult males may sometimes sing truncated songs before the breeding season is fully underway.
>
> Mountain Chickadee seems like a reasonable possibility for these, although it's hard to find close matches in the Macaulay library, as you mentioned. The closest I can find is this one: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/632267226 >
> Zonotrichia sparrows, like a Golden-crowned Sparrow or even a White-throated Sparrow, might also be possibilities, but the notes are a bit short and delivered more rapidly than I would expect. Those species also often intersperse various call notes with song phrases, which I don't hear in your recording. Which brings up another point. When recording an unknown species, it's always a good idea to get recordings that are as long as possible. Often a suspected ID can be clinched if there are species specific call notes that show up eventually along with the song phrases.
>
> If you get a chance, I would encourage you to go back and see if you can confirm the ID.
>
> Bruce Rideout
> La Mesa
>
>> On Mar 25, 2026, at 11:55 AM, Lisa Ruby via groups.io <lbruby1...> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I was on a bike ride yesterday afternoon and stopped at Valle Verde Park
>> for a little while to check for birds. Right when I got there I heard a
>> bird singing and I could not identify the song. Merlin couldn't either,
>> despite repetitive singing and the bird being close. I have a recording.
>> After putting the recording on the computer, amplifying it and playing
>> it back to Merlin, Merlin finally decided it was a Mountain Chickadee.
>> That seems like a distinct possibility, but I don't think I've ever
>> heard a Mountain Chickadee song sound quite like this. Possibly at Mount
>> Palomar where I've heard them make different sounds, but I don't
>> remember. It's not unusual for me to run across Chickadees around the
>> Poway and Carmel Mountain Ranch area at this time of year. I've listened
>> to many recordings of Chickadees online and can't find one like this.
>> I've listened to a lot of Warbler songs and none of those matched
>> either. I posted the recording under passerine sp on my list, which is here:
>>
>> https://ebird.org/atlascalifornia/checklist/S312814277 >>
>> Anyone know for sure if this was a Mountain Chickadee, or know what it
>> was if it was something else?
>>
>> Lisa Ruby
>> Sabre Springs
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Lisa Ruby
>> Sabre Springs
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
--
Lisa Ruby
Sabre Springs
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