birdsoup

Mockingbirds have a reputation as endless singers, sometimes singing for hours, starting just after midnight and continuing until dawn. They sing or “mock” the songs of other birds, usually repeating the song of one species 3 times. Then they switch to another species and sing that song 3 times. They may have a repertory of dozens of different species.

Whip-poor-wills also sing for long periods, usually at dusk. A Whip-poor-will sings its own call which sounds like a rapid rendition of its own name “whippoorwill, whippoorwill”. It repeats the call over and over. The famous naturalist John Boroughs once counted 1,088 consecutive calls. Other ornithologists have confirmed over a 1,000 calls in a row.

Counting that many bird calls must be boring.