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What is this bird???

11 years ago

Drove down to my Mom's tonite to tell her that her phone wasn't working. When I got out of the car I heard this sound. She lives in a very small retirement village that has a woods nearby. She says she's been hearing it for awhile now in the mornings too but thought it was a cat and never could see it. When I went to leave we both went outside and I spied it right away on the very top of a tree. I told her it had to be an owl but we aren't sure. I walked around to get a better look, but it was dark and didn't want her elderly neighbors to call the cops. :) At first we thought it had a long tail, but when I walked closer I could see that it did not. It seemed to have a more streamline head, as much as I could make out it's silhouette. It ruffled it's feathers a couple times and we thought it would take off but it kept on calling. I was so excited. No binoculars to take a closer look.

Came home and Googled "night bird that sounds like a cat" and got this Utube hit. It is exactly the sound.

Here is a link that might be useful: video of bird calling in the night.

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Comments (4)

schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
We are in Eastern Ohio.
oldgardener_2009
11 years ago
Catbird? You can hear the mew call here...scroll down until you see the mew call audio where you can listen to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray_catbird/sounds
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schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks oldgardener, but I'm sure it's not a catbird. I have cat birds around my property and they are not nearly as big as this bird is. Plus not sure I've ever seen or heard a cat bird at night sitting way at the tippy top of a tree. The big bird I saw had nothing in the way of a tail that I could see. But it's head did not have the silhouette of an owl. Such a mystery, I should go back down tonight with binoculars in case I catch a glimpse. Mom said she did not hear it this morning and never does during the day.

The sound is not a "mew" either. It's a cry, like on the Utube video. Like a parrot? No they have a long tail. I still vote for owl but I could be wrong.
oldgardener_2009
11 years ago
I see, I thought it had a mew call because you said your mom thought it was a cat at first. Let us know if you figure it out.

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