which bird says 'ricky'?

[cate]

I promise this is a serious question. I'm not a bird enthusiast, but I'm
very curious about this one bird sound: There's a bird outside my upstate NY
window that wakes me up each morning with sounds of "RICKy, RICKy" with the
accent on the first syllable. I can't see the bird because it's too high in
the branches over the window. The last few days it's been raining and I
haven't heard it.

Anyone have a clue as to what this is? Besides, as we call it in our house,
the Ricky Bird?

thanks,
Cate

[Sherri LaBar]

Sounds like you might be describing the Black-capped Chickadee.
Sherri

--
Sherri LaBar
Bangor PA

[cate]

"Sherri LaBar" <sla...@epix.net> wrote in message
news:38EB645B...@epix.net...

> Sounds like you might be describing the Black-capped Chickadee.
> Sherri

Thanks! I'm busying myself finding .wav files of the song and call of this
bird. So far I'm hearing something different (more like 'fee bee') than what
I hear outside my window, but I'll keep trying. Maybe one of these days I'll
get a good look at the mystery bird to see if it is indeed this chickadee.

Cate

[kthompsn]

Might be a northern cardinal? That's how my wife describes their spring
call.
--
Ken Thompson
St Louis MO

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[suecham]

Try the Tufted Titmouse. Sue
cate <crob...@twcny.roadrunner.com> wrote in message
news:NiJG4.615$Db6....@typhoon.nyroc.rr.com...

[Lanny Chambers]

In article <8cg6ga$l5f$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, kthompsn
<ktho...@my-deja.com> wrote:

>Might be a northern cardinal?

That's my guess, too. Right now, males are loudly declaring territory,
while their mates are building nests.

--
---
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
http://www.hummingbirds.net/

[CCR]

>>>Might be a northern cardinal?

>>That's my guess, too. Right now, males are loudly declaring
territory,
while their mates are building nests.<<

That was my first thought as well..until I read the titmouse
suggestion. The Cardinals will often do a few introductory "RICKy,
RICKy" phrases, but almost always follow that with the rest of their
song, and that was not mentioned. The titmouse has that increadibly
loud and rich two note spring territorial song that it will repeat
incessantly sans other notes. Titmouse gets my vote.
Craig

[lynda_m...@hotmail.com]

"RICKy" "RICKy" kinda sounds like the Red Winged Blackbird when he
starts to warm up in the morning. At least the one that likes my
hedge. I don't have Tufted Titmice around my yard, at least none that
I've ever seen, so I can't help in that area. The Cardinals usually
go the full distance with their song, so I can't imagine it being a
Cardinal. "RICKy" doesn't sound much like a Chickadee or Robin.

Lynda

-in Montreal

[Sherri LaBar]

Now that you mention it, I can see how that might describe the
Cardinal's intro call. I always think of it as a slightly
descending Cheer, Cheer. A good website to check with calls of
North American birds is www.naturesongs.com/birds.html
Sherri

--
Sherri LaBar
Bangor PA
Northampton County

[Hermit Thrush]

To me, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, when singing sounds like it's saying
"Ricky-ricky-ricky" really fast.

And, a Yellowthroat sort of sounds like that, too.

-----
Sto in umbra aquilae

[Sherri LaBar]

Here's another site listing all the pnemonics (sounds like...) by
bird.
www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngb.html

The same list arranged in order by voice
www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngv.html
Sherri

--
Sherri LaBar
Bangor PA

[Sherri LaBar]

Oops, that's Mnemonic, not Pnemonic, I'm not awake yet.
Sherri

[cate]

"Lanny Chambers" <la...@hummingbirds.net> wrote in message
news:lanny-873026....@news.earthlink.net...

> In article <8cg6ga$l5f$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, kthompsn

> <ktho...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
> >Might be a northern cardinal?
>

> That's my guess, too. Right now, males are loudly declaring territory,
> while their mates are building nests.

You guys are great! Thanks for all the responses. I went to
http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html to check out the songs and calls. The
only one suggested but not available there was the tufted titmouse. The
mystery bird doesn't match the other two titmice at all (juniper or
bridled).

Though the sound I hear doesn't match perfectly, I'd have to say this Ricky
bird most closely resembles the northern cardinal--which I do see in the
back yard, so it's that much more likely. But he doesn't really say "pretty,
pretty, pretty" or "purty, purty, purty." Although his call (and it seems
more like a call than a song to this total novice) is loud and prounounced
just like the northern cardinal on the site, it really does sound like
"ricky, ricky, ricky." The thing that makes me think it is the cardinal,
though, is the same pattern--the 1, 2, 3 repetition of the call.

Thanks for all your help.

Cate

[CCR]

>>You guys are great! Thanks for all the responses. I went to
http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html to check out the songs and
calls. The
only one suggested but not available there was the tufted titmouse.
The
mystery bird doesn't match the other two titmice at all (juniper or
bridled).<<

Hi Cate,
Try this page for the Tufted titmouse call I was referring to:
http://birdsource.tc.cornell.edu/gbbc/birdid/tuti/index.html
Craig

[Charlotte DeMott]

Sherri LaBar wrote:

> Here's another site listing all the pnemonics (sounds like...) by
> bird.
> www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngb.html
>
> The same list arranged in order by voice
> www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngv.html
> Sherri

I tried these websites, but couldn't reach them. I'm very interested in this
list. Would you mind checking the URLs again?

Many thank,
Charlotte

[Sherri LaBar]

http://www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngb.html
http://www.1000plus.com/BirdSong/birdsngv.html

These are cut from the location box in Navigator. If you stil
can't get to the site, reply to me personally, and I can either
attach them in an e-mail or send a text file.
Sherri

Charlotte DeMott wrote:
>
>
> I tried these websites, but couldn't reach them. I'm very interested in this
> list. Would you mind checking the URLs again?
>
> Many thank,
> Charlotte

--
Sherri LaBar
Bangor PA
Northampton County

[cate]

> Hi Cate,
> Try this page for the Tufted titmouse call I was referring to:
> http://birdsource.tc.cornell.edu/gbbc/birdid/tuti/index.html
> Craig

Thanks, Craig. Living 10 minutes away from Cornell, I feel slightly foolish
not having checked their info first.

Unfortunately, the tufted titmouse is definitely not it. Pretty bird,
though. I think I've seen one at my feeder, bullying the other birds.

Cate

[kthompsn]

In article <8cgbf4$ng1$1...@news.laserlink.net>,

"suecham" <sue...@gateway.net> wrote:
> Try the Tufted Titmouse. Sue

FWIW -- was about ready to ask about a bird that sounds to me like
"wheat, wheat, wheat" (either 3 or 4 repetitions, very loud). Have been
hearing it in the area for a few years, but never could pin it down.
Turns out that THAT's a tufted titmouse. Happened to catch the little
twit Sunday AM as it was chasing everything else off my saflower feeder.
Would grab a seed, fly to the tree to crack & eat, holler, then back to
the feeder. Didn't realize they were so thick in this area (St Louis
MO).

[kthompsn]

[kthompsn]

[johnm...@gmail.com]

Here in Colorado our Western Meadowlark very clearly says "Ricky". It is about every 30 sec to a minute.

[songbird]

johnm...@gmail.com wrote:

> Here in Colorado our Western Meadowlark very clearly says "Ricky".
> It is about every 30 sec to a minute.

i wonder if it is the dark topped male of the Lucius
Ballius? this is an odd pair where the female is the
bright red color fluff on the top of the head while the
male is darker and a bit harder to understand.

if you listen carefully it will sing something like,
"'splain it to me Lucy!" underneath the main chorus
melody.


songbird

[jkwei...@gmail.com]

I have a small bird, black in color with a red head and red wings. Its call is Ricky Ricky Ricky, very plain. I can't find it in a bird book. Any ideas? Could it possibly be a cross between 2 birds????