Question by Melanie C: Can anyone refer me to a site where I could identify a species of bird?
I live in RURAL central CA, and every night at dusk, these little birds fly out of our grainhouse for the night. They make a distinct sound, something between the sound of a bat and a sparrow chirp. These birds are smaller birds, bigger than a sparrow, smaller than a blue bird. They fly very fast, and in a straight line (so we know they’re not bats)! And they only come out at night. What could these be?
Best answer:
Answer by charc72042
Could be a Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica they are know to live in barns and have a distinctive sound. Here is a photo & you can listine to the sound.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Barn_Swallow.html
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/VideoGallery.html
http://www.birdphotography.com/
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
2 Responses
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eric j Says:
Im not sure but Petersons has some great field guides. Check to see if they have a sight, or maybe try wikipedia.
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yokiferma Says:
Check out Whatbird.com . It’s a great place to identify birds including sounds.
My first guess would be that it’s a barn swallow cuz they fly extremely fast, chirp like a sparrow etc…
http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/191/overview/Barn_Swallow.aspx
Because you are rural and they come out at night, I was thinking maybe some sort of owl, but swallows are probably more likely. They can be small with a very sharp chirp, not just the deep hoot they’ve become known for.