This section is an interpretation in words of the sounds of bird calls. Just as every country has a different word for the sound of a duck's quack, or a rooster's cock-a-doodle-doo, so do many bird books have different translations to imitate bird calls. Go into the field or listen to actual bird recordings to gain fluency in "bird talk."

In general, birds sing more in the spring to attract a mate - those songs are called breeding songs. When breeding season is over, they call or "talk."

Some birds may stop singing almost completely as they molt for winter migration. During molting or feather loss and replacement, they are more vulnerable to predators, so they wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves. The Bobolink is one of the first to stop singing, and the Sparrow supposedly sings all of the time.

Birds may sing a different song for different situations: they may have a breeding song, a territorial call, alarm call or they may sing for some other reason.

If you're thinking of imitating a bird call to attract a particular bird, first understand their language to know the message you'll be sending. Listen to recordings and compare them to documented songs. Avoid bird calling in the spring when you'd be interrupting birds from mating, nesting and protecting their brood. Every call has its season: for example, mating calls after mating season may not attract any birds since most birds mate only in the spring. Alarm calls will likely signal a survival threat, and birds may avoid that area and sacrifice feeding. Decoys may help some birds (particularly ducks) feel safe enough to roost. Wear camouflage. Try not to move. Observe, don't disturb.