23. Improvised songs of red-eyed vireos.
4. How a Bird Gets Its Song
Improvised songs
From page 48 in the book.
Improvised songs of red-eyed vireos. This game is addictive, and ear-sharpening: With each red-eyed vireo that you listen to—and they are abundant wherever red-eyed vireos are found—search for (at least) one odd, recognizable song. Patiently wait for him to eventually return to that song, maybe several times over a few minutes. Then, once that unique song is committed to your auditory memory, try to find that odd song in the repertoire of the next vireo. Listening closely like this takes a curious naturalist places one would never before have imagined.