California thrasher
Chapter 3: Why and How Birds Sing
Subchapter: Singing in the brain
From page 33 in the book.
Photo by Robert Royse
DAY 1
♫100. Song, excerpted from a longer dawn session on day 1; listen for the repeated theme of notes that the thrasher has chosen to use this morning, the most distinctive notes heard first at 0:06 to 0:07. March 9, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. (7:51)
♫103. The complete dawn session on day 1, beginning with an awaking Bewick's wren, followed eventually by the thrasher at 1:25, when he announces his theme for the morning. A wrentit also sings, heard first at 8:23. The excerpt in ♫100 is from 6:07 to 14:00. March 9, 2017.Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. (17:10)
DAY 2
♫101. Song, excerpted from a longer dawn session on day 2. He awakes and sings from the same small bush. Hear how his theme for this morning is strikingly different from that of yesterday. March 10, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. (6:54)
♫104. The complete dawn session on day 2, beginning with an early thrasher song; then the local Bewick's wren dominates until the thrasher resumes a few minutes later. A white-crowned sparrow and spotted towhee also sing in the distance. The excerpt in ♫101 is from 6:17 to 13:13. March 10, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos,California. (13:48)
DAY 3
♫102. Song, excerpted from a longer dawn session on day 3. Yet another song theme is chosen for today! How many different song themes does he have? March 16, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. (4:34)
♫105. The complete dawn session on day 3, again beginning with an early thrasher song, then mostly Bewick's wrens until the thrasher is heard again at 2:45, then 3:48, 4:10, and so on; he's not much into singing this morning, it seems. The excerpt in ♫102 is from 8:38 to 13:12. March 16, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos,California. (13:12)
A SECOND THRASHER
♫106. A second thrasher with his own theme for the day, again with the ubiquitous Bewick's wren of the chaparral community. Note the apparent imitation of a spotted towhee song (e.g., at 0:23, and three times in a row at 2:01). March 11, 2017. Montaña de Oro State Park, Los Osos, California. (5:55)