Chances are, if your kiddo is in my nature class every week… then they sing the nature song! Chances are you know the words too. In part of the song, it says: “We’ll talk with the birds…”

Yup… we really will. In fact, no lie, I’ve stood in my backyard before sunrise and heard the call of a female Great Horned Owl in my woods. I replied with my imitation of a male Great Horned Owl… and we hooted back and forth for almost 10 minutes! It was pretty awesome, although now I wonder how she felt about it.

Anyways, are you ready? Here’s a quick crash-course on a few birds who live in your backyard and what they’re talking about.

Meet your neighbors

First off: SIDE NOTE! I recently stumbled upon this fabulous book about compassion for our animal brothers and sisters. We all share this planet and we’re all a big family… we need each other! Checkout this book, it’s awesome!

Back to the birdies. You’re literally neighbors with tons of them! (Another quick side note: birds do not live in nests… just like you do not live in a crib. Nests are baby beds. Most adult birds sleep in tree holes, birdhouses, or bushes)

Here’s five of the most common bird friends you’ll see around almost anywhere in Central Ohio:

1. American Crow

You’ve probably seen a crow before… all over! In fact, there’s a huge flock that sleeps nearby BFA Reed! These genius birds are about as smart as a 5 year old kid… just ask yours about the Crow Jar Challenge! They’re not scary Halloween decorations… they’re clever neighbors with feelings (ask your kiddo how to tell what a Crow is feeling!).

Quick Tip: Crows have two main communication styles: repetitive monotone “Caws” (Caw caw caw… pause… Caw caw caw) which basically are them saying hello to other crows, and then there’s the loud, raspy yelling (CAAAAWWWW CAAAWWWW CAWWWWWW!!!) which typically means they’re chasing a predator… maybe an owl or a hawk!

Here’s my blog post all about them including crow body language/behavior info from a crow researcher

Checkout their different sounds here

2. Blue Jay

Blue Jays are actually related to crows! They’re also super-clever, but much more colorful! They’re known to imitate Red-tailed Hawk calls to scare other birds away. They also like to trick scientists… many of their sounds are still stumping researchers today!

Quick Tip: Once you know what sound a Blue Jay makes… you’ll hear them everywhere! Interestingly, Blue Jays seem to have a sound that specifically means “humans are here”. That sound sounds similar to a whistle-y bell.

Checkout their different sounds here

3. Northern Cardinal

Cardinals are a lot of people’s favorite bird. They stick around all Winter, cheering us up with their flashy red. Cardinals are very loyal to their mates, constantly keeping in touch ever over distances with a “Chip!” back and forth. If one of the lovebirds fails to “chip” back, the other will check out what’s going on immediately!

Quick Tip: You’ll hear “Chip!” calls throughout your neighborhood all throughout the day. Their cheerful songs are a great way to start the morning!

Checkout their different sounds here

4. Carolina Chickadee

These vocal little cuties are constantly flittering around the trees and bushes (and bird feeders) looking for seeds and bugs to munch on (if you have lots of native plants, you’ll have lots of caterpillars to feed lots of cute birds like these!). These little plucky guys are curious and typically come in close to inspect if you make a sharp “Pishing” sound outdoors. (Be sure to only “Pish” rarely so as not to stress out the birdies)

Quick Tip: Their namesake “Chicka-dee” sound means “come here!” to their flockmates, either to get some food or chase a predator. The more “dees” at the end, the more serious the situation is. These guys have a lovely song, and often “Peep” to each other in our yards to stay in contact.

Checkout their different sounds here

Checkout my bird language book, featuring Chickadees

5. Mourning Dove

These beautiful birds really seem to like powerlines. Their name comes from their sad-sounding song… but I think it sounds lovely and peaceful. You’ve certainly heard it before!

Quick Tip: These doves make their main “Coo” song with their beaks… but they make their other main “woopwoopwoopwoopwoop” sound only when they’re flying… that’s because it’s their wings making the sound!

Checkout their different sounds here

Now you’ll never be the same (in a good way)

Once I started learning some bird sounds/language… I couldn’t not hear them! The outdoors come to life when you realize all the conversation that’s going on all around you all the time!

Did you know I wrote a silly book all about this? It has pictures made of nature bits AND activities for your family to try!

Lastly, checkout this amazing bird language website for a deep dive!

That’s it… get out there and listen… what’s going on? Who’s around? Maybe you’ll make a friend :)