English language has a variety of words denoting the sounds of animals and birds. What do you call the sounds created by a cat, for instance? Well, they purr when they are happy, mew when they are hungry and caterwaul when they are on the roof at night. Some of the noises that animals make have interesting names in English.
The following is a list of sound words that denote animal sounds and bird cries. It also contains a list of words that denote the sounds produced by inanimate objects and sounds in nature. Search a word to find more about the sounds of animals and birds.
| Animals / Objects | Sounds |
|---|---|
| Apes | gibber |
| Arms | clang |
| Asses | bray |
| Babies | lisp |
| Bears | growl |
| Bees | buzz, hum, murmur |
| Beetles | drone |
| Bells | chime, jingle, peal, ring, tinkle, toll |
| Birds | carol, chirp, chirrup, sing, twitter, warble |
| Brakes | rasp, screech |
| Bugles | blow |
| Bullets | whizz |
| Bulls | bellow |
| Camels | grunt |
| Cats | caterwaul, mew, purr |
| Cattle | low |
| Chains | clank |
| Cocks | crow |
| Coins | jingle, tinkle |
| Cows | low, moo |
| Crickets | chirp |
| Crows | caw |
| Cuckoos | coo |
| Dogs | bark, bay, growl, howl, snarl, whine, yelp |
| Donkeys | bray |
| Doors | creak |
| Doves | coo |
| Drums | beat |
| Ducks | quack |
| Eagles | scream |
| Elephants | trumpet |
| Flies | buzz |
| Footsteps | sound |
| Foxes | bark, yelp |
| Frogs | croak |
| Geese | cackle, gobble, hiss |
| Goats | bleat |
| Guns | boom, roar, explode |
| Hawks | scream |
| Hens | crackle, chuckle, cluck |
| Hogs | grunt |
| Hoofs | clatter |
| Horses | neigh, snort, whinny |
| Hounds | bay |
| Hyenas | laugh |
| Jackals | howl |
| Keys | jingle |
| Kittens | mew |
| Lambs | bleat |
| Larks | sing, warble |
| Leaves | rustle |
| Lions | roar |
| Magpies | chatter |
| Mice | squeak |
| Monkeys | chatter, gibber |
| Nightingales | sing, warble |
| Owls | hoot, scream, screech |
| Oxen | low, bellow |
| Parrots | chatter, screech, talk |
| Pea-fowls | scream |
| Pigeons | coo |
| Pigs | grunt, squeal |
| Puppies | yelp |
| Rabbits | squeal |
| Railway engines | hoot, roar, whistle |
| Rain | patters |
| Ravens | croak |
| Reeds | whisper |
| Rooks | caw |
| Sea-gulls | scream |
| Serpents | hiss |
| Sheep | bleat |
| Shoes | creak |
| Silk | rustles |
| Snakes | hiss |
| Sparrows | chirp, twitter |
| Squirrels | squeak |
| Steel | clinks |
| Streams | babble |
| Swans | cry |
| Swallows | |
| Teeth | chatter |
| The wind | whistles, sighs |
| Thrushes | whistle |
| Thunder | roars, rolls,rumbles |
| Tigers | growl, roar |
| Trumpets | blare |
| Turkeys | gobble |
| Vultures | scream |
| Water | ripples |
| Wolves | howl, yelp |
Vocabulary for Animal Movement Animal Diminutives List of Onomatopoeic Words
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We are all aware that animals and birds make some sounds. That sound is a cry.
There are different cries of birds from each other and we will discuss in details the particular words for the cries of birds.
Here is a list of the words for the cries of birds. That is, the names of sounds what the animals make- the birds’ sound name.
Sound Names of Bird Cries
Let us now work on the cries and sounds of birds below:
| Birds | Cries/ Sound names |
| Bats | screech |
| Birds | twitter, chirp, sing, whistle |
| Blackbirds | whistle |
| Canaries | sing |
| Chaffinches | chirp |
| Cicadas | sing |
| Chickens | Cluck, cackle |
| Cocks | crow |
| Cranes | hiss, honk |
| Crows | caw |
| Cuckoos | coo |
| Curlews | pipe |
| Doves | coo |
| Ducks | quack |
| Eagles | scream |
| Egrets | rick-rack |
| Kites | scream |
| Falcons | chant |
| Flamingos | Mutter, grunt |
| Flies | buzz |
| Geese (Gooses) | cackle, gobble, hiss, honk |
| Grouses | drums |
| Hawks | scream |
| Hens | cackle, cluck |
| Hummingbirds | chatter, squeal, hum |
| Jays | chatters |
| Kittens | mew |
| Larks | sing, warble |
| Magpies | chatters |
| Nightingales | pipe, sing, warble |
| Owls | hoot, screech, scream |
| Ostriches | chirp, bark, hiss |
| Parrots | talk, screech, squawk |
| Peacocks | scream |
| Pea-fowls | scream |
| Peewits | pee-wit |
| Pigeons | coo |
| Ravens | croak |
| Redstarts | whistles |
| Robins | chirr, chuckle, laugh |
| Rooks | caw |
| Screech owls | screech |
| Sparrows | chirp, twitter |
| Swallows | |
| Swans | cry |
| Thrushes | sing, whistle |
| Turkeys | Cocks, gobble |
| Vultures | scream |
| Whitethroats | chirr |
| Wrens | warble |
Quick Links
- List of Animal Sounds from A to Z
- Collective Nouns List For Bird Species
It is amazing how different people around the world hear the sounds of the same animals. I always find this fascinating at least. Since I have been talking about onomatopoeia in the last few posts I thought I would share with you the way the sounds of some different animals are heard and written in English. Some of these are a little different from the verbs used to describe these sound, which I listed yesterday. I have noted the words below that cannot be used (or usually are not used) as verbs with an asterisks (*). All the other words can be turned into verbs and conjugated. I have also included a video below of a children’s song that you can listen to in order to hear how all of these examples of onomatopoeia sound. Something else to note about writing animal sounds in English is that often the words are written with repeated letters to emphasize the sounds, for example: buzz (the sounds many insects make) may be written as “buzzzzzzzzzzzz” or moo (the sound a cow makes) may be written as “mooooooooo”. Also some animal sounds are written twice connected by a hyphen, for example: cluck-cluck (the sound a chicken makes). I have noted the most common examples of this below.
I would love if you left a comment on this post telling us all how people hear these same animal sounds differently in the language you speak. 🙂
Below I have written the animal’s name, with its sound(s) after the colon. Remember words with * should not be made into verbs.
bee: buzz (also written bzz)
bear: grrr*, growl
birds: cheep-cheep*, chirp, tweet*, squawk
cats: meow, purr
chicken: cluck (or cluck-cluck)
cow: moo
dog: arf*, woof* (or woof-woof), ruff* (or ruff-ruff), bow wow*, bark
dove: coo
donkey: hee-haw
duck: quack (or quack-quack)
frog: croak, ribbit (or ribbit-ribbit)
horse: neigh
sheep or goat: baa*
pig: oink (or oink-oink)
mouse: squeak (or squeak-squeak)
owl: whoo-whoo
rooster: cock-a-doodle-doo*
snake: hiss
tiger: grrr*, raaa*, growl, roar
turkey: gobble (or gobble-gobble)
wolves: ou ou ouooooo*, howl
babbler
large family of bird species. Example: the gray-crowned babbler (Australia), also sometimes called the yahoo, after one of its calls. The name babbler or chatterer may come from the birds’ continuous raucous babbling/chattering when in groups. about this bird
animal bird
beep
bird , automobile horn, or computer generated tone. «Beep beep!» is also the signature call of the Road Runner character (a bird) in the Looney Tunes cartoons. Find more tones
animal bird automotive tone
bellbird
(Anthornis melanura) bird species found in New Zealand. Maori language name Korimako. The bellbird forms a significant component of the famed New Zealand dawn chorus of bird song that was much noted by early European settlers. It has a bell-like song. about this bird
animal bird
bob-white
any of a genus (Colinus) of quail; especially : a popular game bird (C. virginianus) of eastern and central North America having mottled chiefly reddish-brown plumage
animal bird
bobolink
bird species named by their typical call. about this bird
animal bird
boom
1. deep, hollow sound, explosion. Find more explosion words 2. verb for the sound produced by the (male) bittern, a bird species, to attract the females and establish their territory. each male has a unique voice. the boom of the male bittern is the lowest-pitched and the most far-carrying song produced by any European bird. it is written as «oonk-a-lunk» or «punk-er-lunk» and can be heard up to 5 km away in the right weather conditions. about this bird
explosion animal bird
cackle
1. the sound made by a hen after laying an egg, 2. talking in a cackling manner, probably has partial imitative origin
human animal bird
caw
bird , usually a raven or crow
animal bird
chachalaca
bird species name, see plain chachalaca
animal bird
chat
to converse easily and familiarly. also a name for small birds, such as the warbler
human animal bird
chatter
quick repeated sounds (by birds or humans)
human animal bird
chatterer
1. a person who chatters 2. common name for bird species, see babbler
animal bird
cheep
bird vocalization (nonspecific)
animal bird
chickadee
any of several small North American oscine birds (genus Poecile of the family Paridae) that are related to the titmice. about this bird
animal bird
chiffchaff
name of bird species, named by its song. about this bird
animal bird
chirp
bird vocalization (nonspecific)
animal bird
chirrup
1. to utter a series of chirps, or to make clucking or clicking sounds with the lips, as in urging on a horse, 2. bird vocalization
animal bird
chitter
to twitter or chatter (high-pitched sounds), like a bird, or raccoon
animal bird
chough
genus Pyrrhocorax of birds in the Corvidae (crow) family. now universally pronounced ‘chuff’. However it probably originally rhymed with «how», as ‘chow’ is a reasonable representation of its call (according to this website). link1 (white-winged chough), link2 (red-billed chough)
animal bird
chuck-will’s-widow
(Caprimulgus carolinensis) nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae, similar to the whip-poor-will, found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods. It migrates to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America. voice: Call a loud «Chuck-will’s-widow,» with the first «chuck» being quiet and inaudible at a distance. about this bird
animal bird
chukar
The Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. Their song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar from which the name is derived. More
animal bird
clack
1. chatter, prattle 2. to make an abrupt striking sound or series of sounds, such as footsteps 3. cry of a bird , especially fowl. see also: cackle, cluck 4. Sound of a late 19th century gun being closed after loading, according to a reply to a yahoo!Answers post about the sound of old guns
animal bird weapon metal
clang
1. loud ringing metallic sound. For example clang or klang is often used for when an aluminum baseball bat hits the baseball 2. to clang, verb for harsh cry of a bird (as a crane or goose), 3. to clang, verb for the sound of fire bells (features in the poem «The Bells» by Edgar Allan Poe).
hard_hit animal bird metal
cluck
1. bird : the peculiar sound of a brooding hen 2. To make a clicking sound with the tongue
animal bird
cock-a-doodle-doo
call of a rooster, usually in the morning
animal bird
common poor-will
(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars, found from British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, through the western United States to northern Mexico. Call: a loud «poor-will.» about this bird
animal bird
coo
bird , characteristic note of doves and pigeons
animal bird
crow
to utter the cry of a rooster
animal bird
cuckcoo
cuckoo, bird species Cuculus Canorus, named by its cry. Also, a type of clock named after the bird. link1 (bird), link2 (clock)
animal bird
curlew
any of various largely brownish chiefly migratory birds (especially genus Numenius) having long legs and a long slender down-curved bill and related to the sandpipers and snipes. name is imitative of the sound it makes. about this bird
animal bird
currawong
bird species name, see pied currawong
animal bird
dickcissel
name of bird species (Spiza americana). small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. voice: From an open perch in a field, this bird‘s song is a sharp «dick dick» followed by a buzzed «cissel», also transcribed as «skee-dlees chis chis chis» or «dick dick ciss ciss ciss». about this bird
animal bird
eastern phoebe
(Sayornis phoebe) small passerine bird. This tyrant flycatcher breeds in eastern North America, although its normal range does not include the southeastern coastal USA. It is migratory, wintering in the southernmost USA and Central America. Voice: Song is two rough, whistled notes, «fee-bee» with the second note rasping or with a stuttered, more whistly second note «fee-b-be-bee.» Call note a clear chip. about this bird
animal bird
eastern whipbird
(Psophodes olivaceus) bird species found in eastern Australia. The Whipbirds’ long «whip» call, one of the most characteristic sounds of the Australian bush, is performed as a duet. The male makes the drawn out whip crack and the female usually follows quickly with a sharp «choo-choo». about this bird
animal bird
finch
name for a family of passerine birds (fringilla), whose call is often written as «fink fink», «pink pink», or «spink spink» about this bird. may be of imitiative origin
animal bird
flap
1. a blow, 2. noise of a bird‘s wing in motion, 3. to strike with something flexible or broad
hard_hit animal bird movement
flicker
1. to flutter, hover, vibrate 2. bird species name, see northern flicker
animal bird crack
flutter
1. to flap wings rapidly, 2. to float to and fro
animal bird movement liquid
gaggle
the chatter or cackle of geese
animal bird
gobble
bird vocalization, typically a turkey
animal bird
gray-winged trumpeter
(Psophia crepitans) bird species found in South America, whose song is a low humming, but its call, as its name suggests, is a very loud JEEK or honking TZAAK, which may be the reason for the name «trumpeter». This bird is kept as a pet by Amerindians, since it is easily tamed, hunts snakes, and is a very efficient sentinel, with its unmissable alarm call. about this bird
animal bird
great kiskadee
passerine bird (Pitangus sulphuratus) found in southern Texas and middle and south america. this bird is a flycatcher. the voice is described by some sources as dee-kis-ka-dee, by others as BEE-tee-WEE. The latter gives the bird its name in different languages and countries: In Brazilian Portuguese the birds name is bem-te-vi, or bien-te-veo (spanish) meaning («I’ve spotted you!»). In El Salvador the bird is known as Cristofue, and in Paraguay as pitogue. In French it is called tyran quiquivi. link1, link2, video
animal bird
honk
1. bird vocalization (e.g. goose), 2. car-horn
animal bird automotive
hoo hoo
bird vocalization: the cry of an owl, also: hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo, twit twoo
animal bird
hoopoe
name of bird species. imitative origin, but the hoopoe’s call is actually a trisyllabic «oop-oop-oop». link (video)
animal bird
hoot
bird vocalization, usually the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo
animal bird
hum
1. to make a low inarticulate murmuring sound, sometimes making a melody «to hum a tune», 2. a verb for the sound that bees and hummingbirds make (eg. «the dog barks, the bee hums»), also: buzz
animal music
hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds. They can hover in mid-air and fly backwards, Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. more
animal bird
kea
(Nestor notabilis) name of a parrot species found in the mountains of New Zealand. Raucous cries of «keeaa» often give away the presence of these highly social and inquisitive birds. about this bird
animal bird
killdeer
bird species named by their typical call
animal bird
kite
old english name for bird of prey, usually a small hawk — probably imitative of its shrill plaintive cry
animal bird
kittiwake
name for bird genus Rissa, two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake (R. tridactyla) and the Red-legged Kittiwake (R. brevirostris). The name is derived from its call, a shrill «kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake»
animal bird
knot
bird species, see red knot
animal bird
kookaburra
The kookaburra is a genus of birds native to australia whose name is imitative of its call. The call sounds a bit like hysterical human laughter, or maniacal cackling, depending on the species. more info, video
animal bird laughter
kut-kut-kut
sound of a hen, clucking («Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa», by Verna Aardema)
animal bird
mopoke
bird species also called Morepork, in Australia, two bird species known elsewhere as the tawny frogmouthabout this bird
animal bird
morepork
bird species also called mopoke or frogmouth
animal bird
northern flicker
bird species name (Colaptes auratus). medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates, and is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. The song of the Northern Flicker is a loud wick wick wick wick or (according to some sources) a squeaky flick-a, flick-a as in its name. about this bird
animal bird
owl
Nocturnal bird of prey. The name is thought to have imitative origins, imitating the owl’s vocalizations. Wikipedia
bird animal hoo
peck peck peck
sound of a woodpecker rapping with its beak on a tree Lucy Cousins children’s book
animal bird
pee-oo-wee
bird species name, especially the eastern wood pewee. about this bird
animal bird
pewee
Any of eight species of birds of the genus Contopus (family Tyrannidae); it is named for its call, which is monotonously repeated from an open perch. In North America a sad, clear «pee-oo-wee» announces the presence of the eastern wood pewee (C. virens), while a blurry «peeurrr» is the call of the western wood pewee (C. sordidulus). about this bird. also spelled peewee
animal bird
pewit
subfamily of birds also called Lapwing. Also: any of several related plovers. about this bird. also spelled peewit
animal bird
phoebe
bird species, see eastern phoebe
animal bird
pied currawong
(Strepera graculina) large, mostly black bird, with a bright yellow eye, found in Australasia. voice: The main call is a loud «currawong», which gives the bird its name. Other frequent sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle about this bird
animal bird
pip
1. to peep or chirp, as a chick does. 2. A short, high-pitched radio signal 3. pip-pip-pip: sound of footsteps («Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa», by Verna Aardema)
animal bird movement
plain chachalaca
(Ortalis vetula) a large bird in the Cracidae family. The call is a loud, raucous RAW-pa-haw or cha-cha-LAW-ka, often by several birds in a rhytmical chorus. link1, video
animal bird
poof
1. interjection used to indicate a sudden vanishing: The magician waved a wand, and poof! The birds disappeared! (often with a little cloud of smoke) In this sense poof may be imitative. 2. effeminate man or male homosexual. In this sense poof is not imitative
gas air movement misc
quack
bird vocalization, cry of a duck. More duck sounds
animal bird
red knot
(Calidris canutus) is a medium sized shorebird. name may be imitative of the birds vocalization, sometimes described as a soft «knut», or a soft «quer-wer», though usually the bird is silent. link1, link2
animal bird
screamer
any of a group of South American bird species (Horned Screamer, Crested Screamer, and Black-necked Screamer) with a loud high-pitched call, which may explain the name. about this bird
animal bird
skraaa
bird vocalization
animal bird
skraww
bird vocalization
animal bird
sora
(Porzana carolina) A small, secretive bird of freshwater marshes, the Sora is the most common and widely distributed rail in North America. voice: Call is a long, high descending whinny. Also a two-noted «sor-AH» call, with second note higher. about this bird
animal bird
squawk
cry of a bird
animal bird
terwit terwoo
bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, whit woo, twit twoo
animal bird
trill
quavering or warbling in singing
animal bird music
trumpeter
bird species name, see gray-winged trumpeter
animal bird
tu-whu
bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoot, hoo hoo, terwit terwoo, twit twoo, whit woo
animal bird
tweet
bird vocalization (small bird)
animal bird
twit twoo
bird vocalization, cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo
animal bird
twitter
to utter a succession of light chirping or tremulous sounds, chirrup
animal bird
veery
(Catharus fuscescens) bird species belonging to the larger group of thrushes. voice: Song a resonating, ethereal «da-vee-ur, vee-ur, veer, veer,» descending slightly in pitch. Call note is a nasal «phew» or «veer» about this bird
animal bird
waak
bird vocalization, cry of a duck. More duck sounds
animal bird
whip-poor-will
bird species noted for its call. about this bird
animal bird
whipbird
see eastern whipbird
animal bird
whit woo
cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo
animal bird
whooping crane
bird species name, the tallest North American bird, an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound and call
animal bird
willet
bird species (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus). a large sandpiper of the interior West (north america) and the ocean beaches, the willet is known by its piercing calls and bright black-and-white flashing wings. Call: a loud, ringing «pill-will-willet.». about this bird
animal bird
yahoo
1. interjection used to express positive excitement or to attract attention, also: yoo-hoo, 2. popular name for the Grey-crowned Babbler (see babbler)
human animal bird
yip
cheep, like a bird
animal bird
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/ˈbɝd/
audio example by a male speaker
audio example by a female speaker
the above transcription of bird is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.
bird is pronounced in one syllable
press buttons with phonetic symbols to learn how to precisely pronounce each sound of bird
1.
example pitch curve for pronunciation of bird
bɝd
test your pronunciation of bird
press the «test» button to check how closely you can replicate the pitch of a native speaker in your pronunciation of bird
video examples of bird pronunciation
An example use of bird in a speech by a native speaker of american english:
“… was lots of bird life and and people …”
meaning of bird
Bird is a type of animal.
bird frequency in english — B1 level of CEFR
the word bird occurs in english on average 47 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for B1 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.
topics bird can be related to
it is hard to perfectly classify words into specific topics since each word can have many context of its use, but our machine-learning models believe that bird can be often used in the following areas:
1) life, nature, and living environment;
words with pronunciation similar to bird
bermburgburpburnedbirdsbadwordburnberthbirder
words that rhyme with bird
occurredsongbirdpreferredgirdhummingbirdforewordwatchwordbluebirdblurredthird
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The Teaches of Screeches
Photo: Drew Chaney — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
With the spring migration of hundreds of bird species underway throughout North America, you may hear an unfamiliar call, song, or other bird-related noise in the coming months, whether you live in the city or country. With thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library for the audio and visuals, here’s a list of fifteen common and not-so-common words for avian utterances that might help you distinguish a veery from a vireo.
Like many words for bird calls—including several on this list—hoot is imitative in origin. An “imitative” or “onomatopoeic” word (e.g. buzz) tries to capture the sound it describes. So when you say it out loud, hoot sounds like the natural throat noise produced by some owls. Try it! As we’ll see further down, not all owls hoot, but barred owls and great horned owls do.
Barred Owl:
Great-Horned Owl:
One sense of laugh is “to show emotion (such as mirth, joy, or scorn) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound.” Since ascribing emotion to such birds as the common loon and laughing gull would be anthropomorphism, another sense in our dictionary—”to produce the sound or appearance of laughter”—is a better fit.
Common Loon:
Laughing Gull:
A screech is a “high shrill piercing cry.” One of the most famous bird screeches is that of the red-tailed hawk, which you might recognize from movies and television shows that dub it over the less strident call of the bald eagle to make that national symbol sound tougher. Another screecher is the barn owl, whose raggedy wail might raise the hair on the back of your neck.
Red-Tailed Hawk:
Barn Owl:
Croaking’s not just for frogs! Yet another imitative word, croak is defined as a “hoarse harsh cry or sound,” which describes the calls of both the common raven and the American bittern.
Common Raven:
American Bittern:
The definition of caw is similar to croak—both are “harsh”—but caw gets the added descriptor “raucous.” This makes perfect sense for the gregarious birds most associated with cawing: crows. Compare the differences in the caws of two crow species, the American crow and the fish crow…
American Crow:
Fish Crow:
Not all bird sounds are vocalizations. The male ruffed grouse, for example, drums (throbs or sounds rhythmically) by rapidly rotating his wings back and forth (up to five times a second), producing a deep, low thumping you can almost feel as much as hear.
Ruffed Grouse:
A chirp is the “characteristic short sharp sound especially of a small bird” and perhaps one of the quintessential bird sound words in English. American goldfinches emit a series of chirps that some say sounds like “potato chip,” while the red-eyed vireo perches high in the treetops where it can chirp for hours on a long summer day.
American Goldfinch:
Red-Eyed Vireo:
A trill can mean “the alternation of two musical tones a diatonic second apart” or “a sound resembling a musical trill.” The flute-like trill of the wood thrush is perhaps the most beautiful song of any North American bird. The descending trill of its relative the veery isn’t too shabby, either.
Wood Thrush:
Veery:
To warble is “to sing in a trilling manner or with many turns and variations.” An entire family (Parulidae) of North American birds is known as the New World Warblers for the quality of (many of) their songs and calls. The song of the Louisiana water thrush—a warbler, not a thrush!—is a mirthful warble heard often beside quick-moving streams in early spring.
Louisiana Waterthrush:
Ruby-throated and black-chinned hummingbirds can produce a buzz, “a persistent vibratory sound,” with their wings. Other birds, like the black-throated green warbler and the northern parula, sing with a distinctly buzzy quality.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird:
Black-Chinned Hummingbird:
Black-Throated Green Warbler:
Northern Parula:
A whinny is “the neigh of a horse” (of course of course), but also any sound resembling a whinny. Despite its name, the eastern screech-owl doesn’t screech, it whinnies, as does the pileated woodpecker.
Eastern Screech-Owl:
Pileated Woodpecker:
A whistle is “the shrill clear note of a bird or other animal,” and lots of birds whistle—from the soaring broad-winged hawk to the tiny, tree-climbing brown creeper.
Broad-Winged Hawk:
Brown Creeper:
Spoiler alert! The definition of coo, “to make the low soft cry of a dove or pigeon or a similar sound,” would seem to tell the whole story. But other birds coo as well; the greater sage-grouse for example, emits a series of cooing notes as part of a display that also includes swishing (of wings), booming (from its yellow air sacs), and whistling.
Mourning Dove:
Greater Sage-Grouse:
Peent is not entered in our dictionary, due to its rarity, but it’s a word often used by birders to describe the curt, nasal call made by both the American woodcock (low to the ground near the edges of fields and wetlands) and common nighthawk (high in the sky over cities, fields, and woodlands).
American Woodcock:
Common Nighthawk:
Before a tweet was “a post made on the Twitter online message service,” it was “a chirping note.” So, think again of a “short sharp sound” resembling the sound of the word itself. To our ears the lazuli bunting, a vibrantly hued songbird of western North America, absolutely tweets, as does the northern cardinal. If these and the other bird sounds in this gallery delighted you, tweet about it (both senses)!
Lazuli Bunting:
Northern Cardinal:
Bird Words
‘Auspicious’, ‘musket’, and ‘volatile’ all have origins related to birds.
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Vocabulary Builder Course
General Vocabulary Words about Birds
A bird’s mouth is called a beak. Birds can use their beaks to peck (hit or pick up) trees to get insects, or to pick up food from the ground. Birds’ bodies are covered with feathers, and their “arms” – which they use to fly – are called wings.
Birds build nests out of small sticks. They lay their eggs in the nest, and then the eggs hatch (open) and the chicks (baby birds) come out.
We have a variety of English words to describe the sounds that birds make:
- sing = when birds are making a musical sound
- tweet/twitter/cheep/chirp = when birds are making short, high sounds
- shriek/cry = a very loud, piercing sound made by a bird
- hoot = the deep sound made by an owl
- caw = the sound made by a crow (sounds like “AWW! AWW!”)
- cluck = the short, low sound that a chicken makes
- crow / cock-a-doodle-do = the sound that a rooster makes
Finally, some birds migrate – fly long distances to an area with a different climate. A group of birds is called a flock.
English Vocabulary Words for Types of Birds
Some birds are associated with the water, such as the duck, goose, swan, and seagull.
1. duck 2. goose 3. swan 4. seagull
“Birds of prey” are birds that hunt and eat animals, such as the eagle, hawk, and owl. A vulture is a type of bird of prey that is known as a scavenger – it eats animals that are already dead.
1. eagle 2. hawk 3. owl 4. vulture
Here are a few more interesting types of birds:
- crows and ravens are black birds
- the ostrich is a very large bird with a long neck
- the peacock is known for its colorful feathers
- the parrot is also colorful; some parrots can imitate human speech
- the pigeon is often found in cities
- the hummingbird feeds on the nectar inside flowers
Image sources: LOKE SENG HON, Lucataxi at Italian Wikipedia, Victor Burolla from Alameda, CA, USA