Voice of the Wild

This is Illinois Extension’s Voice of the Wild. Our birdsong will start in five seconds, so find someplace quiet, take a deep breath, and enjoy.

A flash of black and white in a low brush pile is likely to be this robin-sized sparrow, and if you see a pair arresting dark red eyes peeking out from that dense tangle, you’ll know for sure. This bird has rufous sides and a white belly; features that stand out on otherwise dark plumage. Males display this dark plumage as a deep black, while females express it as an earthy brown.
This is the Eastern Towhee, Pipilo erythrophthalmus from the family of new world sparrows, Passerellidae. The pneumonic that accompanies the towhee’s song is among the best. So as we listen again, just remember; “drink your tea.”

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab of Ornithology for our bird sounds. And thank you for tuning in to learn a new bird call with Illinois Extension.