Date: 4/16/24 6:04 pm From: Bob Reed via groups.io <bobreed1987...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Merlin and Identification
I too have recently been getting Junco IDs on Merlin in
inappropriate places. In every instance Pine Warblers were present. I had
not picked up on the similarity. Thanks for sharing.
Bob Reed
Tallassee, Alabama
On Tue, Apr 16, 2024, 17:28 Douglas Hamm via groups.io <dhamm72=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> Even if you do have the correct location, you still have to be careful. I
> think there is a Pine Warbler/Dark-eyed Junco problem. Below is a ticket I
> submitted to Merlin on my recent observations:
>
> I think I have discovered a flaw in the Merlin sound ID app that gives
> false hits for Dark-eyed Juncos. On March 27 on the Gator Lake Trail Merlin
> picked up a Junco. I couldn't find the bird, so I didn’t record it. This
> was in season and would be prime Junco habitat, but I thought I should be
> able to see it and I couldn’t. On April 7 on the Jeff Friend Trail, I
> got another Junco call. I couldn't find this bird either and did not record
> the sighting as a result. It was also beginning to get late in the season
> for a Junco. Last Saturday this happened again, this time at the Middle
> Grounds at Fort Morgan. But this time I noticed something. When Pine
> Warblers were calling, both the Pine Warbler AND Junco readings would light
> up yellow, indicating a match. I could only hear one bird. My wife was
> along, and she could only hear one bird also, and it was definitely a Pine
> Warbler. In all three cases, there were Pine Warblers in the area. Not only
> did I get visuals on the Pine Warblers, but the calls were coming from
> overhead. You would expect Junco calls to be coming from the ground or at
> least lower down.
>
> So, then I got on the computer and played all the Junco calls I could
> find. One of them is very similar to Pine Warbler calls. In fact, All About
> Birds makes this exact point:
>
> Male Dark-eyed Juncos sing an even, musical trill of 7-23 notes that lasts
> up to 2 seconds. It’s similar to the songs of both the Chipping Sparrow and
> the Pine Warbler and is loud enough to be heard from several hundred feet
> away.
>
> I think I can tell the two apart now, having spent quite some time
> listening to recordings. The Pine Warbler seems to be a little higher
> pitched to me. I think Merlin sound ID is sometimes giving false Junco
> readings on Pine Warbler calls.
> Anybody else have similar experiences?
>
> Douglas Hamm
>
> On Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 02:12:45 PM CDT, Jim Holmes via groups.io
> <jfholmes...> wrote:
>
>
> This has been discussed multiple times on all the listservs that I
> subscribed to but as a reminder, Merlin identification (especially the
> Sound ID) has problems and should not be relied upon as the sole method of
> identification. One way to make the Merlin Sound ID more reliable is to
> ensure you have the location setting accurate.
>
> See:
> https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001214056-merlin-sound-id-best-practices#2-Set-your-location >
>
>
> If you are certain that the Merlin sound ID is correct and it is being
> flagged as rare, please upload the recording into the eBird list.
>
>
> https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001214056-merlin-sound-id-best-practices#3-Upload-your-sound-recording-to-your-checklist >
>
>
> This recent list highlights this point (several species would certainly
> not be suggested if the location setting was correct):
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S168927564 >
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> James F. Holmes, MD, MPH
>
> Professor and Executive Vice Chair
>
> Department of Emergency Medicine
>
> UC Davis School of Medicine
>
> Office (916) 734-1533
>
>
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