a bird call I've never heard before

17 years ago

Hi. I've lived in the Southeast all my life and have never heard what I heard today.

It was in a forest of hardwoods & pines, with a small creek nearby. I heard a call about once a minute, and it sounded like:

"ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

All one pitch, pretty high, much louder than the local songbirds. Very clear whistle, no tremolo.

I tried to follow it into the woods, and once I caught a glimpse of a bird flying overhead, maybe about the size of a seagull but with a more sleek silhouette. The call was moving from tree to tree, so I know it wasn't a grounded baby.

I'm worried it may have been an escaped exotic, like a parrot. Does anyone know what kind of bird would be making that call at this time of year?

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Comments (4)

rachel_frome_ky
17 years ago
If it's an escaped parrot it might not last long if it doesn't know how to evade local predators.
On the other hand it could be a juvenile Sharp-shinned or Cooper Hawk. They definitely are squealing like that in my woods..faked out my mentally limited Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier on top of the hill yesterday and he went barking into the woods after an imagined rodent.
shybird_in_nj
17 years ago
I don't know if you know about this site, but it has plenty of bird calls on it.
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/songlist.html
cjc45
17 years ago
Thanks for the link.
taragirl
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi, again. Original poster, here. Thanks for that link -- it's a very extensive list!

Unfortunately, my mystery bird wasn't on there. I clicked on every single bird on the list, even ones I'm familiar with.

I first heard him in my neighbor's woods about 10 acres away, but this evening I heard him in my own back yard. His call is a little shorter now, but it's still the same "ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" A very clear, single-pitched whistle, no trills or warbles.

Anyone else have a guess? My husband's out there now with the binoculars trying to locate him so we can get a better look. I am worried that he's someone's parrot or other type of exotic bird.