Know Birds by Their Song

[Adapted from 100 Skills You’ll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It) by Ana Maria Spagna]

The best way to learn birdsongs is to go for a walk with someone who already knows them. But keeping them straight is another matter. To help identify and remember birdsongs, listeners have devised phrases mimicking them. These phrases are known as mnemonics — tricks designed to aid the memory.

Yellow Warbler: “Sweet, sweet, little more sweet”

American Goldfinch: “Potato chip” (often in flight)

Hermit Thrush: “Why don’t you come to me?”

Common Yellowthroat: “Witchety, witchety, witchety”

Indigo Bunting: “Fire, fire! Where, where? Here, here.”

Song Sparrow: “Maids, maids, maids, put on the teakettle-ettle-ettle”

American Robin: “Cheer up, cheerily, cheer up”

Red-Tailed Hawk: “Ski-errr!” (often in flight)

Black-Capped Chickadee: “Hey, sweetie”“Chickadee-dee-dee”

Red-Winged Blackbird: “Konk-la-reee”

Northern Cardinal: “Purdy, purdy, purdy”