Mystery Bird’s Home

Mystery, She Writes

This is a true story about a bird.

I am fortunate to live in a place where I hear many birds. If you listen, you can hear everything from Pine Siskins and Chestnut-Backed Chickadees to Barred Owls and Bald Eagles. Bird symphonies or bird cacophonies, depending on the perspective. I find the songs lovely. My mystery bird stands out from the crowd of twitters and squeaks. Every evening MB starts calling with a distinct “chi-chi-chi-chi-cheee!” and continues all night (and I mean all night). MB doesn’t let up!

I haven’t seen this bird, but MB seems to be hanging out in the trees near the wetlands by my house.

Now, here is the strange part of the story: In my quest to identify MB, I’ve used the Merlin App, listened to numerous bird calls online, asked my neighbors, contacted bird enthusiasts in the community, and no one can provide an answer.

Now it’s your turn, dear reader.

Please listen to the recordings below, and let me know what you think.

I apologize for the poor recording, but you can hear the mystery bird at the seven-second mark. You can also hear a Common Nighthawk in this recording, which, to the best of my knowledge, is not the mystery bird.

Here’s a longer recording. Again, you will hear other identifiable birds as well.

Any ideas?

Thank you for listening!

July 24, 2024: UPDATE!
Like my favorite literary detectives, I decided I needed to talk to as many experts as possible. Yesterday, while returning from the store, I saw a visiting bird enthusiast near the Frank Richardson Wildfowl Preserve. She was helpful and curious about the mystery. She shared a recording with a friend who does nocturnal bird walks for Audubon, and the conclusion is that it is a distinct warning call made by the Common Nighthawks, which is different from their standard calls. They use it when there is a predator nearby (like owls), and since I’ve seen quite a few owls in the area, this makes sense.

Poor birds . . . I hope their nests are okay.

Mystery solved!