• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Bird that sounds like "pikachu, pikachu, pikachu chu chu" (1 Viewer)

C

CorvusRedux

New member
I was in the American Chestnut Land Trust area on February 23. It was the first warm weekend of the year (around 60 degrees). I heard a bird singing, loud, crisp and clear (not unlike a cardinal or some warblers) that sounded exactly like it was saying "pikachu, pikachu, pikachu chu chu" over and over. I have also searched for "peekatyou, peekatyou" etc but have not found anything. I did see a number of cardinals and tanagers and a tufted titmouse in the area, but have never heard a cardinal sing like this. Unfortunately I didn't see the bird as it was deep in a thick stand of bamboo.
Any help would be very appreciated.
Thank you
 
Sure it wasn't "chick-a-dee, chicka-dee, chicka-DEE DEE DEE"?

'Cause that would be a ... you can guess.
 
I must admit the description did remind me of some cardinal songs - they always seem to surprise me with the variety of songs they have (or in other words, I am always forgetting that they have a variety of songs).
 
Actually, you do have to be rather careful about identifying birds by call alone in this area - Northern Mockingbirds are real buggers, and they're not the only ones.
 
Found a recording

I did think that carolina wren as well but haven't found anything to validate that.
It was definitely not a chickadee, the song was much louder and clearer, like a cardinal.
Here's a recording someone else made with the same question http://www.flickr.com/photos/8779734@N07/3510951085/?rb=1

I know I won't get a 100% ID, just trying to get an idea of what it could have been as it was such an interested song.
 
Last edited:
The singer in the video sounds like a cardinal to me. Their songs vary but all have that "bright" sound and strong rhythm. A mockingbird could sing like that too, but would usually mix in other song types.
 
The description does fit the cadence of many cardinal songs, especially the "chu chu chu" ending. So that's my suggestion (I'm at a computer with no sound so i can't hear the video at the moment)
 
The song in the recording is spot on, like exactly, what I heard in Maryland last weekend. I wouldn't expect a mimicry to be so absolutely exact. I could be wrong, but I don't think it was a mockingbird.
 
CorvusRedux said:
I was in the American Chestnut Land Trust area on February 23. It was the first warm weekend of the year (around 60 degrees). I heard a bird singing, loud, crisp and clear (not unlike a cardinal or some warblers) that sounded exactly like it was saying "pikachu, pikachu, pikachu chu chu" over and over. I have also searched for "peekatyou, peekatyou" etc but have not found anything. I did see a number of cardinals and tanagers and a tufted titmouse in the area, but have never heard a cardinal sing like this. Unfortunately I didn't see the bird as it was deep in a thick stand of bamboo.
Any help would be very appreciated.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Did you ever figure out what this is? I am not a full fledged bird watcher but I’ve been trying to figure out the Pikachu bird for years!
The other week I saw the bird in a tree at a distance and it seemed to be a cardinal, but I can’t find any recording s of cardinals making that Pikachu call. ...
 

Similar threads

I
What bird in Hawaii sounds like the Twitter notification?
Replies
2
Views
1K
i'iwi
I
syd2915
Does anyone recognize what bird makes this sound?
Replies
4
Views
1K
tconzemi
tconzemi
A
Sweden > Nedre Daläven: Filmmaker Asks for Help with Bird Soundscape
Replies
5
Views
622
ashy_b
A
O
Hearing what I hope are birds at night here in NH USA...in Febuary..
Replies
1
Views
1K
qwerty5
qwerty5
S
Bird sound in Thailand
Replies
5
Views
2K
Scabace
S

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top