{"id":3423,"date":"2011-11-20T21:21:26","date_gmt":"2011-11-21T03:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/?p=3423"},"modified":"2016-11-23T09:56:49","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T15:56:49","slug":"fox-sparrow-part-2-alarm-contact-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/archives\/3423","title":{"rendered":"Fox Sparrow, Part 2: Alarm &#038; Contact Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In <a title=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/archives\/3368\" href=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/archives\/3368\" target=\"_blank\">my last post<\/a> I promised a discussion of Fox Sparrow alarm and contact calls, and it&#8217;s time to deliver on that promise.\u00a0 Today we&#8217;ll look primarily at the calls most frequently heard from Fox Sparrows &#8212; the ones given in situations of mild alarm.<\/p>\n<h4>&#8220;Red&#8221; Fox Sparrow<\/h4>\n<p>The most common call of the Red Fox Sparrow group is a sharp &#8220;stack!&#8221; or &#8220;smack!&#8221; note that is often compared to the alarm calls of <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/70440\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/70440\" target=\"_blank\">Brown Thrasher<\/a> and <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/58680\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/58680\" target=\"_blank\">Lincoln&#8217;s Sparrow<\/a>:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=62943&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=70110&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=21041&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=70944&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4>\u00a0&#8220;Sooty&#8221; Fox Sparrow<\/h4>\n<p>The common call of the Sooty group is virtually identical to that of the Red group, and individual calls are probably indistinguishable in the field or on the spectrogram.\u00a0 Sooties may tend to call at a faster rate, but it could be that the birds below are simply more agitated:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=28524&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=66242&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=66013&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<td><div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=90383&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4>\u00a0&#8220;Slate-colored&#8221; Fox Sparrow<\/h4>\n<p>The Slate-colored&#8217;s most common call is similar to those of the Red and Sooty groups, but lasts about 50% longer on average, giving it a slightly squeakier quality, somewhat reminiscent of the tennis-shoes-on-a-gym-floor sound of <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/79663\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/79663\" target=\"_blank\">Black-headed Grosbeak&#8217;s call<\/a>, but downslurred instead of upslurred:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3432\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3432\" style=\"width: 756px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3432\" title=\"FOSPc3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60\" src=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"756\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg 756w, https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60-300x79.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 756px) 100vw, 756px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&quot;Slate-colored&quot; Fox Sparrow calls, Lake County, CO, 6\/14\/2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3423-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3\">http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPc4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=14880&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Borror Lab has <a title=\"http:\/\/blb.biosci.ohio-state.edu\/blbmp3s\/30600.mp3\" href=\"http:\/\/blb.biosci.ohio-state.edu\/blbmp3s\/30600.mp3\" target=\"_blank\">another excellent online example<\/a> from Utah.\u00a0 The difference between Slate-colored calls and those of the two prior groups is quite subtle, but distinctive in these examples.\u00a0 There remains some doubt as to whether all Slate-coloreds sound this way, or only the ones in Colorado and Utah.\u00a0 <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/39269\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/39269\" target=\"_blank\">This recording from Washington<\/a> is labeled as a Slate-colored but sounds more typical of the Sooty group.<\/p>\n<h4>&#8220;Thick-billed&#8221; Fox Sparrow<\/h4>\n<p>The call of the Thick-billed group is very unlike the above calls, both spectrographically and to the ear.\u00a0 Often compared with the calls of <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/17810\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/17810\" target=\"_blank\">California Towhee<\/a> and <a title=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/70488\" href=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/70488\" target=\"_blank\">White-crowned Sparrow<\/a>, it is a high-pitched, musical &#8220;tink&#8221; note:<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-wrapper\">\n  <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.xeno-canto.org\/embed.php?XC=72179&#038;simple=0\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"height:220px;width:400px;\">Please upgrade your browser<\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p>Listen to other examples online at the Borror Lab [<a title=\"http:\/\/blb.biosci.ohio-state.edu\/LongData.asp?RecordingID=18693\" href=\"http:\/\/blb.biosci.ohio-state.edu\/LongData.asp?RecordingID=18693\" target=\"_blank\">1<\/a>] and the Macaulay Library [<a title=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/138598\" href=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/138598\" target=\"_blank\">1<\/a> <a title=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/106611\" href=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/106611\" target=\"_blank\">2<\/a>].<\/p>\n<h4>Agitated &#8220;tsip&#8221; calls<\/h4>\n<p>Identifying a Thick-billed Fox Sparrow by call would be a cinch, but for one inconvenient fact: Fox Sparrows of all four groups make high-pitched repeated &#8220;tsip&#8221; notes when agitated.\u00a0 Here are some agitated &#8220;tsips&#8221; from a Slate-colored Fox Sparrow:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3434\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3434\" style=\"width: 457px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3434\" title=\"FOSPtsip3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60\" src=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"457\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.jpg 457w, https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip3_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Agitated &quot;tsip&quot; calls from a Slate-colored Fox Sparrow, Lake County, CO, 6\/14\/2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3423-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3\">http:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/FOSPtsip4_LakeCO-NDP2011-05-60.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>Joseph Blacquiere recorded these &#8220;tsip&#8221; notes from Red Fox Sparrows during his <a title=\"http:\/\/collections.mun.ca\/cdm4\/document.php?CISOROOT=\/theses&amp;CISOPTR=272078&amp;REC=1\" href=\"http:\/\/collections.mun.ca\/cdm4\/document.php?CISOROOT=\/theses&amp;CISOPTR=272078&amp;REC=1\" target=\"_blank\">1979 master&#8217;s thesis<\/a> work, and the Macaulay Library has a recording of similar notes from a Thick-billed Fox Sparrow on a <a title=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/47655\" href=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/audio\/47655\" target=\"_blank\">still-undigitized recording<\/a>.\u00a0 It&#8217;s highly likely that Sooty Fox Sparrows also give these calls.\u00a0 The Slate-colored bird that I recorded mixed these &#8220;tsips&#8221; with the standard alarm calls during its initial excited reponse to playback of its own song, before beginning to respond with song strophes.\u00a0 Blacquiere heard the &#8220;tsip&#8221; calls from Red Fox Sparrows on fewer than 10 occasions, always from males in extreme agitation.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;tsip&#8221; calls are spectrographically distinct from the &#8220;tink&#8221; calls of Thick-billed Fox Sparrows, but can be quite difficult to distinguish by ear.\u00a0 Some caution is therefore warranted when identifying Thick-billed Fox Sparrows by their &#8220;tink&#8221; calls &#8212; other Fox Sparrows can sound similar when agitated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In my last post I promised a discussion of Fox Sparrow alarm and contact calls, and it&#8217;s time to deliver on that promise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-id","category-taxonomy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3423"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5043,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3423\/revisions\/5043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/earbirding.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}