[itistoday]

It's around 2:30 AM. I'm walking around my neighborhood, talking to a friend of mine on the phone when I suddenly realize that there is this crazy bird chirping quite loudly. It's late, everyone's asleep, including the other birds.

"Shouldn't it be sleeping?" I wonder. Perhaps I have more in common with this bird than I'm letting on, for I'm also up and about, yapping away on my cellphone.

My friend becomes intrigued by the bird as well, for unlike many other birds that we've heard, this one is singing at night and it seems to have an endless supply of ever changing bird-songs. I decide to record this creature using my cellphone (forgive the sound quality):

Have a listen. (At 59 seconds in, it makes a strange hissing sound with a frequency too low for the cellphone to pick up)

Anyone know what kind of bird this is? I couldn't see it in the dark for it was hidden inside a small tree, but after throwing some rocks at its vicinity I managed to scare it out. Whatever it was, it was rather small, perhaps the size of a dove.

Edit: Oh, I should probably mention that I live in south Florida.

Edit 2: Perhaps it was a nightingale?

[CharlesS]

You threw rocks at it? Why?

[EFFENDI]

I heard that same damn bird the other morning.....

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

You threw rocks at it? Why?

Because he's a reject, methinks.

[Eriamjh]

There must have been light nearby. Most birds don't chirp in the dark because owls and things might find them and eat them.

Pretty chirping though.

[abe]

It sounds like a pet that got loose and is now wild-ish.

Pet parakeets and cockatiels have the ability to mimick all kinds of sounds. What I think I hear are several types of wild birds that it may have learned to imitate as well as the kinds of sounds that a domestic bird might make.

Pets often wake up when their cage is uncovered. So, if at 2 AM YOU are up and your light is on then the bird would respond just as a pet bird would when you lifted the cover off it's cage.

I really think it might be an escaped pet who missed human companionship or interaction or seed.

[andreas_g4]

He, when I played the file, my cat got irritated since the bird's voice came from everywhere

[Gator Lager]

its a mockingbird.
http://members.aol.com/Lowell7777/FloridaLand.html
and yes they sing all night long. I kinda like it.

but then again, I'm not fond of them singing just outside my bedroom window at 0300 though.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by abe

Pets often wake up when their cage is uncovered. So, if at 2 AM YOU are up and your light is on then the bird would respond just as a pet bird would when you lifted the cover off it's cage.

Heh. During a total solar eclipse, all the birds think "bedtime already? OK. Night night" and disappear for a couple of minutes. Most amusing.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

its a mockingbird.
http://members.aol.com/Lowell7777/FloridaLand.html
and yes they sing all night long. I kinda like it.

So throwing a rock at one would literally be trying to kill a mockingbird.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

its a mockingbird.
http://members.aol.com/Lowell7777/FloridaLand.html
and yes they sing all night long. I kinda like it.

but then again, I'm not fond of them singing just outside my bedroom window at 0300 though.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by CharlesS

You threw rocks at it? Why?

To kill a mockingbird... duh!

(Edit: damn! you beat me to it!)

No, I didn't want to actually hit it, but I couldn't get to it because it was in a tree behind a fence and I couldn't see it. I was hoping to scare it out, and making noises near it did nothing to silence it. Plus, when I threw one rock at it, it obviously missed but rustled some nearby leaves, and still the bird chirped on. When I threw the third rock, it flew off, so that tells me that even if I did hit it, I didn't hit it hard enough to damage its wings. To be honest, I later regretted throwing rocks at it, I was just so intrigued that I kinda wanted to make sure it was real... w/e... I'm sorry OK!!! I don't normally do such things.

[davesimondotcom]

Mockingbirds are awesome - always changing their song.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by davesimondotcom

Mockingbirds are awesome - always changing their song.

Yes, it's really incredible, I didn't know such birds existed, much less in my own back yard.

[itistoday]

More information (from wikipedia):

Typically found in the coastal region from Florida to Texas. They build a twig nest in a dense shrub or tree. This bird aggressively defends its nest against other birds and animals, including humans. When a predator is persistent mockingbirds from neighboring territories, summoned by a distinct call, may join the attack. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds harass the intruder.

This bird imitates the calls of other birds, animal sounds and machine noises. It is often found in urban areas. It often sings through the night, especially when the moon is full, and may continue year-round except for the late-summer moulting season. Individual males have repertoires of 50 to 200 songs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mockingbird

Wow! I was listening to this one for at least 10 minutes, and I do not remember hearing it repeat a single song!

[abe]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

its a mockingbird.
http://members.aol.com/Lowell7777/FloridaLand.html
and yes they sing all night long. I kinda like it.

but then again, I'm not fond of them singing just outside my bedroom window at 0300 though.

Very nice. I heard the imitations of other birds but never really considered a mockingbird! But that's just why they are named, I guess!

[nredman]

Mourning Doves are my favorite. reminds me of when i was younger...used to hear them all the time in my small hometown

http://www.all-birds.com/Sound/m-dove.wav

[greenamp]

Mocking birds are little punks too. You're lucky he didn't come back and dive bomb you

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by greenamp

Mocking birds are little punks too. You're lucky he didn't come back and dive bomb you

Indeed.

[Outpatient]

Yep, it's 3 a.m. and I have a mockingbird that lives just outside my bedroom window. For some stupid reason I thought it'd be neat to hear what your mockingbird sounded like so I played your mp3 file. Now the one outside my window is going friggin' nuts! He must think there is another mockingbird inside the house. [sigh!] It's going to be a long night.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by abe

I really think it might be an escaped pet who missed human companionship or interaction or seed.

An escaped pet who missed human seed, eh?


The more posts of yours I read, the more you scare me.

[analogika]

The lyrebird, king of the imitators:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/46386/

Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrebird

[alligator]

This entire thread reminds me of "Failure to Launch". Rent the movie - this is very similar to the roommate's problem!

[aberdeenwriter]

Originally Posted by analogika

An escaped pet who missed human seed, eh?


The more posts of yours I read, the more you scare me.

You've heard the expression, getting, "GOOSED?" Or, "**** a duck!"

Why is flashing the middle finger called, 'giving someone the BIRD?!'

[Outpatient]

Originally Posted by analogika

The lyrebird, king of the imitators:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/46386/

Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyrebird

Haha. That bird could immitate chainsaws! That's awesome.

[voodoo]

I am most impressed by the lyrebird. Most impressed.

V

[©öñFü$íóÑ]

it's ABSOLUTELY a Northern Mockingbird (mimus Polyglottos)..... My favorite bird of all time, btw..... (i'm an amateur/wanna-be ornithologist)

If you ever manage to see it take flight in the daytime, it's probably the most graceful and beautiful things in the air you could ever see moving..... i don't mean to get all mushy about it, but seeing a Mockingbird take flight always manages to cheer me up when i'm down....... and then there's it's amazing repertoire of songs of course...

[smacintush]

Thanks for this thread! I have been hearing this bird sing through the night outside my home for a long time now, and now I know what it is.

[Outpatient]

My mockingbird is being quiet tonight. I hope he's ok. Now I feel kinda guilty for wishing he'd shut-up.

[Cody Dawg]

Most mockingbirds don't sing at night, but sometimes they get confused by street lights.

They are quite lovely sounding.

I live on the edge of a nature preserve and a big wetland. At night we hear all kinds of sounds.

For example, it's 5:00 AM and all night long this is what I hear intermittently - I think the loon woke me up - but I love the sounds so I leave our bedroom window open just a tiny bit to hear night sounds:

Loon sound 1

Loon sound 2

Loon sound 3 - This is the one I hear most often and it's eerie

I hear them all night long along with the Whipporwill once in a while in the pine trees next to our home:

Whippoorwill sound

And then we'll also hear, once in a while, the sound of baby alligators.

All of that is on top of the sound of frogs and crickets which we hear all night long also!

During the day these birds, Sandhill cranes, walk around our home usually in the mornings and at dusk. They are huge 4-foot tall birds with red heads - beautiful.

They make these different sounds.

Sandhill crane sound 1

Sandhill crane sound 2 - this is the most common and it's loud and they announce their presence with it - it's loud!

Sandhill crane sound 3.



I love living in Florida...the wildlife is beautiful and fascinating.