Q. Some eight to 12 years ago in Action Line, an ornithologist identified a specific birdcall for a reader. I don't remember what the bird was, but we have the same bird. We've tried to spot it but have never succeeded.
The bird begins his call with a series of staccato sounds -- ''uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh'' -- that get higher in pitch as they continue; then, they're repeated up to six times. Then, the bird goes into what we call its ''F-You'' (pardon the vulgarity) series, with the ''f'' at a higher pitch than the ''u,'' which is repeated four or five times. After that, it's quiet for 10 to 15 minutes before it starts up again. It does appear to be seasonal.
Can Action Line help identify this bird?
-- Carrie Millon Niedbala, via e-mail
A. Not yet. Our archives revealed similar questions about a fish crow and the nighttime call of an owl. You told us this bird was definitely not those. The Tropical Audubon Society guessed it could be a blue jay; however, jays tend to be year-round residents, common in oak trees.
An excellent source for confirming identifications is Cornell University's ornithology lab, which includes samples of bird song in its identification guide -- birds.cornell.edu.
In the meantime, we're turning this over to our readers for help.
