Quiz-Name That Tune: 12 Tricks for Remembering Bird Calls

By Rene Ebersole
Contributing Editor, Ƶ magazine
Published December 02, 2010
Over the holidays you might be cooking up a big, juicy bird to feed your brood, but there’s another type of bird who seems to squawk all the time about how he’s slaving away in the kitchen: “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” Which bird says it? Find out if you’re right, and test how well you know other bird call mnemonics, like “Drink your tea!” and “Quick, free beer!” 

Deciphering a bird call is much easier when it sounds like a catchy phrase. Here are 12 expressions that birders commonly use to jog their memories (interpretations may vary). Test your skills at identifying the birds calling and score your answers below while listening. See if these memory tricks work for you. 
1. “Who Cooks for You! Who cooks for you all?” 
2. “Drink your tea!”
3: “Quick, free beer!” 
4.  “I’m so la-zee.” 
5. “Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody.” Or “Oh Sweet Canada, Canada, Canada.”
6. “Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet.” 
7. “Potato chip (and then they dip)” 
8. “If I sees you, I will seize you, and I’ll squeeze you till you squirt.”
9. “Tea kettle, tea kettle, tea kettle.” 
10. “Pleased, pleased, pleased, pleased-ta MEETCHA.” 
11. “Who’s awake? Me too.” 
 12. “Hip, hip, hoorah.” 
 
 
 
 
Answers: 

1. Barred Owl
2. Eastern Towhee
3. Olive-sided Flycatcher
Listen to its call . 
4. Black-throated Blue Warbler
Listen to its call . 
5. White-throated Sparrow
6. Yellow Warbler
7. American Goldfinch
Listen to its call .
8. Warbling Vireo
Listen to its call .
9. Carolina Wren
10. Chestnut-sided Warbler
Listen to its call .
11. Great Horned Owl
12. King Rail
Listen to its call .