Super High Pitched Whistle at Night? (1 Viewer)

[hoosierquilt]

Okay. I am not even sure if it's a bird or maybe a bat? I am hearing this super high pitched whistle that sounds like a taxi or dog whistle at night. Sometimes it's repeated twice, most times it's a single: Fee-oh-WEE Sound. Just like you were calling your dog or a taxi. Three toned whistle: medium-low-high whistle. NOT a person, way way too high pitched, very thin and clear, almost at the non-hearing threshold (which is what made me think of a bat). NOT a frog or toad. Know all of their calls quite well. Any ideas in the birding world what bird this could possibly be? I'll try to record it if I can catch it. May not be loud enough to capture from my bedroom window in the middle of the night, but it's just started up over the last few weeks. I'm in N. San Diego county, about 7 miles from the ocean, in the very rural hilly area of Vista. Lots and lots of open land, scrub, trees. So puzzled. Have never head anything like this, and definitely NOT a human whistle.

 

[wimvdam]

Could it be the flight display of an early morning (Costa's) Hummingbird?

Wim van Dam
Solvang, CA

 

[KC Foggin]

My guess would be Killdeer as I have them fly over my yard at night. Check Cornell's page for sounds of the Killdeer


https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds

 

[hoosierquilt]

Could it be the flight display of an early morning (Costa's) Hummingbird?

Wim van Dam
Solvang, CA

Doubt it. This is in the middle of the night. Hearing it after 10:00 pm. Hummingbirds are roosted for the night. I'm not hearing it early in the morning, but more around 10:00 pm to maybe 1:00 am. But, that's the pitch. It's that high. Almost beyond our hearing, I'm surprised I can hear it. And, it's always the same 3 notes, just like you were calling your dog. Or whistling to get a taxi.

 

[hoosierquilt]

My guess would be Killdeer as I have them fly over my yard at night. Check Cornell's page for sounds of the Killdeer


https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/sounds

Nope, for sure not a Killdeer. We had tons of Killdeer on our property when I lived in Indiana. Their song pitch is much lower than this 3 note whistle I'm hearing, and I've never heard a Killdeer has this very specific 3 tone whistle.

 

[hoosierquilt]

I now have a recording of this whistle call, hope someone can ID the bird for me. Wondering if it's possible it could be a Hooded Oriole? Have lots of them here in my yard, but if that's the case, this is the first time I've ever heard one in 10 years have this sort of unusual call. It's a bird that has the lung power of an oriole, which is what's making me wonder if it could be the Hooded Oriol.

 

[hoosierquilt]

Mystery solved thanks to Song Sleuth app: Pacific-slope Flycatcher.