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Bird ID - California, USA (1 Viewer)

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TricksterKitsune

New member
There is a bird that has been driving me crazy in trying to figure out what it is. Since around Feb. a bird has been singing at night; usually starting around 2:30am and stopping when the sun comes up.

I never see the bird, so I can't give a description on what it looks like. The song is something along the lines of moderately high-pitched, loud "teeeeeeeeer". It lasts for about 2 or 3 seconds, rising and then sharply falling off at the end. It's not a trill or anything like that. It's always the same thing, over and over, as well.

I live near Riverside, California in an apartment complex surrounded by mountains. I know for a fact that the bird isn't a Killdeer. I've googled my little heart out, listening to bird songs, but I can't find the right one. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Gentoo said:
Night singing...sounds like a Mockingbird perhaps. Is this the only note you hear?
Click to expand...

That's the one and only note I hear. I've listened to mockingbird songs on the internnet, but can't find one that fits. I've listened to the songs of other nocturnal birds too, but can't find it.

Just throwing out a suggestion, what about some sort of owl?
Click to expand...

I thought it might be some sort of owl too, but I can't find one that fits. The sound I hear is a little too song-like to be an owl.

I wish I could give more information, but all I have is the sound. :( I'm starting to wonder if it might be a bird that wandered up from Mexico or something. lol
 
jacana said:
just to put it out there... There's no possiblity that it is a frog or insect doing the calling is there?
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It's probably not an insect (too musical). But it might be a frog of some sort... But I don't know where it'd come from. lol The surrounding area is kind of desert-like and the sound seems to come from up high (like in a tree). It could be a tree frog, but again, it's kinda dry around here.
 
TricksterKitsune said:
It's probably not an insect (too musical). But it might be a frog of some sort... But I don't know where it'd come from. lol The surrounding area is kind of desert-like and the sound seems to come from up high (like in a tree). It could be a tree frog, but again, it's kinda dry around here.
Click to expand...

That only frogs that would be in that area are 1. Pacific Chorus Frogs. They are the frog with the stereotypical "rib-it" frog call. The other would be the Bullfrog which has a deep bellowing call. California Tree (chorus) frogs have a sharp chirp. If there are any Red-Legged Frogs left in that area they stopped breeding long ago and their croaking calls are weak and don't carry more than a few feet. Arroyo Toads have a trill that last 10 to 20 seconds. Western Spadefoots have a harsh rattling croak.

Basically, I don't think it's a frog.
 
MLoyko said:
I didn't think of that, Katydids do make various sounds. Look up some of those!
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Don't think it's that. The common Katydid is the Fork-Tailed Bush Katydid. They produce that sound we hear that goes "zzZZZP!" in the bushes. The other species sings when it's hot and it's a long strong buzz.
 
I was using katydid as a general term for all the longhorned grasshoppers.
I've found my literature since yesterday and the most likely insect candidates seem to be the Robust Coneheaded Grasshopper (Neoconocephalus robustus), which is widely introduced in CA, and produces a powerful shrill cicada-like buzz, and the Broadtipped Coneheaded Grasshopper (N. triops), which produces a similar loud buzz. Another possibility is one of the Shieldback Katydids (Neduba spp.), which produce a tzeee-tzeee-tzeee sound.

Will Pratt
 
TricksterKitsune said:
I wish I could give more information, but all I have is the sound. :( I'm starting to wonder if it might be a bird that wandered up from Mexico or something. lol
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If you have a digital camera with video/audio function (most recent ones do), you should be able to record the sound in conjunction with the video and then post it on the Internet so we can hear it. (you could use YouTube or possibly BirdForum TV (?)).

Jim
 
Gentoo said:
Not sure if they're in this region but certainly plausible.
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According to a couple of my books: National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America and The Sibley Guide to Birds, Common Nighthawks are in the SF area in summer. This may be an early arrival.

I remember hearing them outside the waiting room at the hospital in July while my lovely bride was in seemingly interminable labor with our son (this was many years ago in Rochester, MN). They were feasting on the insects attracted to the outside lights around the building.
 
MariettaBirder said:
According to a couple of my books: National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America and The Sibley Guide to Birds, Common Nighthawks are in the SF area in summer. This may be an early arrival.

I remember hearing them outside the waiting room at the hospital in July while my lovely bride was in seemingly interminable labor with our son (this was many years ago in Rochester, MN). They were feasting on the insects attracted to the outside lights around the building.
Click to expand...
So you think it may be on it's way to the Bay Area?
 
Gentoo said:
So you think it may be on it's way to the Bay Area?
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I wasn't trying to say anything about their spread, just that the two books I had show them in the Bay area. The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America shows Common Nighthawks as "scarce" in summer there. The other two books don't specify their abundance in the Bay area. The National Geographic one indicates they are declining in the East, but says nothing about the far west.

The Clements Checklist (v6.3.2) has the hesperis subspecies range as "SW Canada and w US; winters n South America"
 
The only reason why I asked is because the bird call in question was in Riverside which is in inland Southern California.
 
Gentoo said:
The only reason why I asked is because the bird call in question was in Riverside which is in inland Southern California.
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Oh, my bad:C. Some how I got it in my mind that it was the Bay area. Per the aforementioned books, a Common Nighthawk is unlikely. The Lesser Nighthawk is more common in So. Cal., but in dry, open habitats; not in cities & towns like the Common. Plus the Lesser is mostly silent.

I'm now out of ideas.:-C
 
MariettaBirder said:
Oh, my bad:C. Some how I got it in my mind that it was the Bay area. Per the aforementioned books, a Common Nighthawk is unlikely. The Lesser Nighthawk is more common in So. Cal., but in dry, open habitats; not in cities & towns like the Common. Plus the Lesser is mostly silent.

I'm now out of ideas.:-C
Click to expand...
But when the Lesser does call it sounds absolutely nothing like a Common Nighthawk. In fact it sounds astonishingly similar to some of the tremolo calls of the Eastern Screen Owl.

On another note, your user name; change Marietta to Murrieta and you have a city in Riverside County Ca. ;)
 
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