Please help me identify this bird- USA
Our family moved across country last summer from California to Southern Indiana and we have enjoyed birding everywhere we have lived. We live on acreage that is pretty much all woods. I am trying to identify a new-to-me bird and I haven't been able to. I have asked around, even at a bird center, and no one has been able to help and I have spent lots of time in bird guides and on AllAboutBirds.org.
So, this bird spends most of its time in the tops of trees and he looks to be roughly the size of a robin. He has a very distinctive song which is how I noticed him. It sounds like Doooo-dle where the -dle ending drops down a note or two. It is a sweet plaintive sound that is lower pitched like a dove or something, which is what the bird center suggested. It is definitely not a dove. The call seems to last about 3-4 seconds and the first note is much longer than the second. It is a really shy bird and is always in the tops of the trees so it is hard to see and anytime you move to get closer it flies off immediately. I mostly just hear him as we live on quite a few acres of forest. Once I thought I saw that the bird had a crest like a nuthatch but maybe that was something that was behind him or something. I first heard one around August (we moved here in July) and around Christmas or so there were two calling to each other and have been since then. Once in the fall, I saw this bird with 5 or 6 blackbirds in the tops of the trees but when I have seen him since he has been solitary. Once he flew quite close to our home as I was gardening but he was in the sun so I didn't get a good look but I think the bird is mostly brown or grey. I moved around very carefully to get a better look but he flew off. He did fly off with a bit of stick he plucked off the tree so perhaps they are building a nest. The flight pattern seems to be very even in that there are no ups and downs in his flight. He seems to fly in a nice arc shape. We live in Monroe County in Indiana and have many birds come to our bird feeders. As far as I can tell, this bird does not come to our feeders so I assume he is an insect or fruit eater. I listened to so many bird sounds and for the life of me I can't figure out what this bird is. I would so appreciate any help! Thank you!
Our family moved across country last summer from California to Southern Indiana and we have enjoyed birding everywhere we have lived. We live on acreage that is pretty much all woods. I am trying to identify a new-to-me bird and I haven't been able to. I have asked around, even at a bird center, and no one has been able to help and I have spent lots of time in bird guides and on AllAboutBirds.org.
So, this bird spends most of its time in the tops of trees and he looks to be roughly the size of a robin. He has a very distinctive song which is how I noticed him. It sounds like Doooo-dle where the -dle ending drops down a note or two. It is a sweet plaintive sound that is lower pitched like a dove or something, which is what the bird center suggested. It is definitely not a dove. The call seems to last about 3-4 seconds and the first note is much longer than the second. It is a really shy bird and is always in the tops of the trees so it is hard to see and anytime you move to get closer it flies off immediately. I mostly just hear him as we live on quite a few acres of forest. Once I thought I saw that the bird had a crest like a nuthatch but maybe that was something that was behind him or something. I first heard one around August (we moved here in July) and around Christmas or so there were two calling to each other and have been since then. Once in the fall, I saw this bird with 5 or 6 blackbirds in the tops of the trees but when I have seen him since he has been solitary. Once he flew quite close to our home as I was gardening but he was in the sun so I didn't get a good look but I think the bird is mostly brown or grey. I moved around very carefully to get a better look but he flew off. He did fly off with a bit of stick he plucked off the tree so perhaps they are building a nest. The flight pattern seems to be very even in that there are no ups and downs in his flight. He seems to fly in a nice arc shape. We live in Monroe County in Indiana and have many birds come to our bird feeders. As far as I can tell, this bird does not come to our feeders so I assume he is an insect or fruit eater. I listened to so many bird sounds and for the life of me I can't figure out what this bird is. I would so appreciate any help! Thank you!
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