Nocturnal Flight Calls

Nocturnal Flight Calls (NFCs) are a fascinating new area of research. In the past few decades, we've learned that many birds call during the night while flying over in migration. By using microphones that record these calls while we sleep, and computer software to analyze them and speed up the identification process, we can say with some certainty what kinds of birds are flying overhead. However, the field is still nascent.

Here in Vermont, we have a few hobbyists recording NFCs. In order to collect our knowledge in one location, Larry Clarfeld and I have recently set up the NFC-VT email listserv. If you're interested in learning more about NFCs, get in touch.

My goal for this website is to showcase what birds we've seen, what birds we have clear identifications for, and what birds we don't. Hopefully, this site will become a resource for NFC stations and researchers here in Vermont and on the East coast.

Species

Unidentifiable to Species

Species given here in the same grouping are generally unable to be sufficiently separated from each other for a clear identification, given what we know now.

  • Magnolia, Connecticut and Blackpoll Warbler (Evans and O'Brien 2002)
  • Golden-winged and Blue-Winged Warbler (Evans and O'Brien 2002)
  • Ovenbird, Seiurus aurocapilla; Tennessee Warbler, Oreothlypis peregrina; Orange-crowned Warbler, Oreothlypis celata; Nashville Warbler, Oreothlypis ruficapilla; Mourning Warbler, Geothlypis philadelphia; Yellow-rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata; Black-throated Green Warbler, Setophaga virens; White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys; and Vesper Sparrow, Pooecetes gramineus. (Blaine 2019, Sanders and Mennill 2014)
  • Fox Sparrow from Song Sparrow (see Joe Gyekis's comment here).
  • Bicknell's from Gray-cheeked Thrush (see discussion here)

List of NFCs identified in Vermont

Here is a list of species which have been identified from a nocturnal flight call in Vermont. Get in touch to add more species to the list.

  • Alder Flycatcher
  • American Bittern
  • American Goldfinch
  • American Pipit
  • American Redstart
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • Bay-breasted Warbler
  • Black-and-white Warbler
  • Black-billed Cuckoo
  • Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • Blackburnian Warbler
  • Blackpoll Warbler
  • Blue Jay
  • Bobolink
  • Canada Goose
  • Canada Warbler
  • Cape May Warbler
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • Common Nighthawk
  • Common Redpoll
  • Common Yellowthroat
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Dickcissel
  • Dunlin
  • Gray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Great Blue Heron
  • Greater Yellowlegs
  • Green Heron
  • Hermit Thrush
  • Indigo Bunting
  • Killdeer
  • Lesser Yellowlegs
  • Lincoln's/Swamp Sparrow
  • Louisiana Waterthrush
  • Magnolia Warbler
  • Northern Parula
  • Ovenbird
  • Palm Warbler
  • Pectoral Sandpiper
  • Pine Siskin
  • Purple Finch
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Savannah Sparrow
  • Scarlet Tanager
  • Snow Bunting
  • Solitary Sandpiper
  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Swainson's Thrush
  • Swamp Sparrow
  • Upland Sandpiper
  • Veery
  • Wood Duck
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Wilson's Warbler
  • Yellow Warbler
  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo

As well, these spuh have been used on eBird: bird sp., Catharus sp., Empidonax sp., finch sp., passerine sp., shorebird sp., sparrow sp., thrush sp., warbler sp. (Parulidae sp.), and waterfowl sp.

References

  • Evans, W. R. and O’Brien, M. (2002) Flight Calls of Migratory Birds Eastern North American Landbirds. Old Bird Inc. [CD-ROM]. Online
  • Landsborough, B.J, Foote, J.R. and Mennill, D.J. (2019) Decoding the ‘zeep’ complex: quantitative analysis of interspecific variation in the nocturnal flight calls of nine wood warbler species (Parulidae spp.), Bioacoustics, 28:6, 555-574, DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2018.1509373
  • Sanders, C.E. and Mennill, D.J. 2014. Acoustic monitoring of nocturnally migrating birds accurately assesses the timing and magnitude of migration through the Great Lakes. The Condor. 116:371–383.