This is an advanced-level comparison group of robin-like bird songs and sounds from Land Birds of North America, Western region.
Try the demo to listen to many more recordings and to play the games that will help you learn these songs.
American Robin
Song
Extended songs in caroling rhythm with short sets of separate phrases broken by distinct pauses; each set commonly ends in a higher, more trilled phrase. Tanager, grosbeak, and vireo songs usually shorter. Cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheerily, cheer-up, cheer-up, cheerily.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Song
More pure-toned and continuous than American Robin; higher, less choppy than Black-headed Grosbeak.
Black-headed Grosbeak
Song
More pure-toned and continuous than American Robin; lower, choppier than Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Western Tanager
Song
Slower, burrier, and usually much shorter than American Robin; simpler, burrier, and choppier than Summer Tanager; often mixed with distinctive bud-a-beep call.
Summer Tanager
Song
Burrier and more continuous than American Robin; sweeter, more complex, and more continuous than Western Tanager.
Red-eyed Vireo
Song
Higher, less varied than American Robin with longer breaks between phrases. Here-I-am, way-up-here, high-in-the-tree, can-you-see-me?
Recordings copyright 2011-2012 Macaulay Library, all rights reserved. All photos (except as noted) copyright 2011-2012 Brian E. Small, all rights reserved. Summer Tanager: Copyright Cameron Rognan. American Robin: Licensed under Creative Commons by Dori (dori@merr.info). Song texts copyright 2011-2012 Larkwire, LLC., all rights reserved.