From Prospect Heights, via Brooklynian, comes a tale of noisy mockingbirds up at all hours of the night, apparently, in search of mates:
I’m on Pacific btwn Vandy and Underhill…noticed in past 2 wks that the back of my bldg becomes the Amazon, with calls of the wild from about 4-5 different birds. They always start up around 12, 12:30 am. Isn’t it odd for birds to be out, hyped up like that in the middle of the night? They are full on chirping, LOUD – like mating calls back and forth. One bird uses a bunch of different ones until someone responds back! Bird lovers, help me. Not necessarily complaining…it can be nice to fall asleep to. Makes me feel like I’m on tropical vacation until the B45 shows up.
And, the reason for the racket:
1. It’s prob not 4-5 birds like I thought – more like 1 or 2, since they imitate other birds’ chirps (and cell phones). 2. Apparently, this time of year they are hormonal and out on the prowl like sluts. 3. The lights from the gigantic storage bldg causes them to stay up and protect turf.
For the record, there are reports of similar late night frolicking in Park Slope and other neighborhoods.
3 responses so far ↓
1 JIM // May 28, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I actually live in front of the Prospect park on the south west of it.. by the lake, and these birds actually start singing around 3 Am until 6 am or sunrise. It is loud and actually really beautiful to listen too. Well i got the choice to shut the window and listen to the AC run or leave it open and listen to the birds singing.. Ohh and it is not only the birds you hear, every other animal in the park, like ducks, swans, frogs etc.. perks of living in front of nature…
2 Red Hook // May 28, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Hmm, this sounds like gentrificus polyglottos. It’s a bird that migrates from Manhattan to other boroughs and makes a lot of noise on blogs, er, I mean in trees.
3 Rob // May 28, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Our block near Prospect Park W. has a seasonal mockingbird. Not sure he ever sleeps. I can identify many bird vocalizations (Peterson’s “Birding by Ear”). My wife and I have made a game of picking out his mimics. No car alarms, just a dozen or so birds. Australian Lyrebirds can imitate chainsaws, which might not be amusing at 3am.