Creature Feature – A Place in the Choir
Posted by Dustin Horton // April 6, 2023 // Articles, Creature Feature
“All God’s critters got a place in the choir, some sing low, some sing higher,
some sing out loud on the telephone wires,
some just clap their hands or paws or anything they got!”
—Bill Staines
As spring unfolds, we encounter more wildlife as animals and birds grow increasingly active. While it’s always exciting to see wildlife, experiencing nature from an auditory perspective can be just as rewarding, especially in Springtime when many species are at their most vocal.
The winter wren is an itty bitty bird with a big mouth—figuratively speaking anyway. This wee firecracker can fill the woodland with its bubbly, larger-than-life voice. The male wren’s song can contain 16 notes per second and he can pump up the volume to more than 90 decibels.
A chorus of spring peeper frogs can carry around a half mile and from a point blank range can crank out around 100 decibels. To better appreciate this vocal feat, OSHA recommends hearing protection for anything over 85 decibels. When heard in close proximity to their wetland breeding habitat, the cacophony of hundreds of calling peepers can make your ear drum thrum (I have experienced this strange sensation)!
Later this spring, consider a night visit to a local lake, pond or wetland where you might hear owls, loons, whip-poor-wills, nighthawks, frogs and toads (like the stout fellow in this photo). Then sit back, and enjoy the moonlight serenade!
Article & photo by Margie Manthey
