Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Flight call description A lisping, slightly upward-arched "tseeth".
Fig.1. New York March 19, 1989 (WRE).
Perched bird with White-breasted Nuthatch calling in the background.
Similar species See Fox, Harris's, and White-throated Sparrows.
Behavior Nocturnal migrant. Gives flight call regularly while perched, particularly around dawn and dusk, and in short flights during the day and during nocturnal migration.
Spectrographic description Measured calls (N=20) were 76.6-146 (116.7) mS in duration and in the 6.2-11 (7.2-9.8) kHz frequency range. The frequency track was double-banded (either band sometimes faint) and upward-arched. The low point ranged from about one quarter to three quarters of the way through the call, and the space between bands was typically small and nearly even through the call. There were occasionally fine modulations with a spacing of 4.1-12.5 (6.2) mS between humps and a depth of 300-1100 (700) Hz.