Eastern Kingbird Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Song
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, August 22, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library
Song
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Maryland, June 03, 2017Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Calls
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Maryland, July 27, 2017Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Calls
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Maryland, June 13, 1996Recorded by Wil Hershberger / Macaulay Library
Calls
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, July 24, 2016Recorded by Ian Davies / Macaulay Library
Calls
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, July 10, 2018Recorded by Brad Walker / Macaulay Library
Calls
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
New York, August 22, 2020Recorded by Jay McGowan / Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Songs

Male Eastern Kingbirds sing a complex vocalization from perches before dawn or occasionally in the evening. This sound consists of high, sputtering notes followed by a buzzy zeer, repeated many times, with each song lasting about 1.5 seconds.

Calls

Males vocalize more than females, but both give a variety of high-pitched, short, explosive calls with an electric quality.

Other Sounds

Adults and older nestlings snap their bills at humans or other animals that threaten the nest. They use the same bill snap in aggressive interactions with members of their own species. Adults make a whirring sound with their wings, possibly with notched primary feathers.