Who has the best bird song ? (1 Viewer)

[danehower]

I am pretty new to this forum so i am sure this question has been asked about a million times , but i am curious to hear any responses. My strong favorite is the Hermit Thrush. Please explaine your answer

 

[jcwings]

Thrushes are great songsters for certain, but I have to wonder if a Bird of Paradise might have the "best" song.

 

[Rasmus Boegh]

Thrushes are great songsters for certain, but I have to wonder if a Bird of Paradise might have the "best" song.

Some Birds-of-Paradise have a loud voice, but in most cases it certainly isn't nice (in several cases not totally unlike the voice of Crows). It's a fairly typical strategy in evolution - either you attract the females by your plumage or you do it by e.g. voice. Most species of Birds-of-Paradise chose the former.

Anyway, many Neotropical Wrens have great voices, especially the Thryothorus spp. However, the species of wren where I most like the song is the aptly named Southern Nightingale-wren (Microcerculus marginatus; especially the song-types in south-central Amazonia in Brazil). The tones are pure and rather metallic in quality. The song itself often can last for quite a long time and includes "standard" frases combined with their "personal" frases. The bird itself is skulking and difficult to see (and not really that extraordinary), but the voice certainly makes up for that.

 

[joannec]

For me it has to be the nightingale. I am lucky enough to live next to a wood and this time of year I hear them almost every evening. It is such a thrill to hear the first one of the year. Some evenings we hear several, I know it's more than one because they come from different directions and are at different distances.

 

[Scott67]

Well, woke up at 5:30 this morning to the joint sounds of my 3 month old son and a Blackbird in the garden !!!

So in the context of a warm summer morning in England, then there's something just right about a Blackbirds song.

not as exotic as some mentioned but gets my vote every year !!!!

 

[Kits]

Yes, I have to agree I love the blackbirds' song. I was listening to a bullfinch at the weekend and it had such a quiet, timid little song.

 

[deborah4]

Am with Scott and kits on this one - blackbird for me too. Always feel the blackbird is singing just for me and epitomises summer evenings in an English garden. (Favorite Beatles song too!)

 

[oldgiteggy]

Wren. Scary that such a small bird should have such a loud and melodious song

 

[Jos Stratford]

It's a fairly typical strategy in evolution - either you attract the females by your plumage or you do it by voice.

Golden Oriole, clearly trying to balls up the 'looks or voice' evolution strategy, takes my vote for one of the top songsters

 

[Oregonian]

Best, or Favorite?

I have always favored the Common Raven's 'song' as it evokes wild places for me.

 

[Chris D]

The Southern Nightingale Wren we listened to in Ecuador was amazing but my all time favorite was a Pied Butcherbird in SE Queensland at our friend's house. It sang a very "Jazzy" piece each morning. Some times 1 stanza. Sometimes all 4. The whole house would whistle the tune. The same bird could be hand-fed later in the day.

Then again, the mockingbird near my home in California does a nice rendition of a "Car alarm"........

 

[sooseee]

I change my mind all the time- so much beauty. Today, a blackcap and also the song thrush currently singing outside my window.

 

[Capercaillie71]

I'm torn between blackbird, song thrush and garden warbler

 

[Phil Carter]

Blackbirds and Golden Orioles take some beating but a Mockingbird manages it!
Can't believe people going for Song Thrush....noisy b*stards!!!

Phil

 

[luke]

i like the garden warbler song, but like caper said, mine does change regularly though, awell.

 

[Neil Grubb]

For British birds I would say the nuthatch - I love the 'referees whistle' male territory call. Wood warbler has to be a close second.

But this year I made the mistake of going to Boston, and heard a wood thrush (see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59169). Wow! What a gorgeous song.

Neil

 

[Woodchatshrike]

I enjoy birdsong and it is difficult to choose my favourite but I really enjoyed Red-breasted Flycatcher on a recent trip to eastern Europe.

 

[raymondjohn]

For the sweetest and most pure tone, the pied butcher bird sounds like a little like a pipe organ.

For sheer audacity the superb lyrebird would have to be hard to beat as it steals everyone elses song in the bush to compose its own.

bestwishes

raymondjohn

 

[Accipiter]

My favorite of the birds in my area is the bobolink. All the thrushes have great songs too.

 

[steveo]

Wood Thrush a very nice resolve with nice midtones.