It's hard to believe we are in week six of The Amazing Bird Race. I have been away from internet access for a couple of days and the weather was not good yesterday but all in all it has been a great road trip so far. We are approaching 6,000 miles on the odometer and have seen some wonderful sights and the bird list is nearing 200.
This week features a family of birds that is quite gregarious and they love to sing. This time of year, most birds are not singing and for the most part, birds sing during breeding season as they use the songs to declare their territory and impress their mates. Birds do declare their presence the rest of the year through various noises referred to as call notes. The call note can be heard in this short video.
This particular member of the Mimidae family (hint) can be tricky to glimpse in the tangled mass of shrubbery, and you might wonder how such a boldly patterned, gangly bird could stay so hidden. The very nature of this behavior resulted in a rather short video this week but I have included some stills so this should be an easy ID. These birds wear a somewhat severe expression thanks to their heavy, slightly down-curved bill and staring yellow eyes, and they are the only Mimidae species east of Texas. (another hint:=) These guys are exuberant singers, with one of the largest repertoires of any North American songbird. Once you ID the bird you might be able to find a recording of their song on line. Try http://www.whatbird.com/
Watch for my midweek post on birding hotspots and happy birding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH49f93KPVw
Your clues were very helpful! It sounds like you are having a great trip! We are enjoying your trip too!
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