Toronto Birdsong Request for Information

[MDP]

Hello Toronto and Southern Ontarion Birding!
I've a favour to ask, this is for a screenplay I'm writing.

I'm looking for a type of bird that satisfies the following:

1. Has good loud birdsong.
2. Relatively plain looking (not so colourful).
3. Found in central Toronto residential neighbourhoods.
4. NOT found in the East Mediterranean / Middle East.

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance!

*Mods: Sorry, please move this if it's in the wrong forum*

[Pat Hodgson]

If you are thinking of something that is resident, there aren't that many choices.  House sparrow and starling are out as they are Eurasian species.  Northern cardinal and blue jay are fails on colour.  So you are left with American robin (still too colourful?), black-capped chickadee as common birds.  Less common ones could include house wren, chipping sparrow, eastern wood-pewee, downy woodpecker, or white-breasted nuthatch.  Adding in migrants would give more choices, but less time frame, only May and June.  Examples here could include yellow-rumped warbler, Swainson's thrush, eastern phoebe.
For me, American robin really is the dominant loud singer of residential areas.

[thouc]

Song Sparrow is a singing bird that isn't colourful. Usually not occurring in backyards, but common in city parks in Toronto.

But I agree with Pat that American Robin is the first choice.

[MDP]

Thanks very much Pat and Thouc.

If I can impose further?

Can you confirm this YT video presents the song of American Robins in Toronto? http://youtu.be/HSxGArRUW-g

Is this bird known in Toronto simply as "Robin"?

Would this bird's chirping be social and responsive to external stimuli: for example if a stalking animal (cat) were near might a Robin sound a warning for the benefit of other Robins?

Bird will be singing outside a window in a Toronto residential neighbourhood like the Annex.

I will research the other varieties thanks again Pat.

[Rotarran]

Can you confirm this YT video presents the song of American Robins in Toronto? http://youtu.be/HSxGArRUW-g

Yes that's a Robin song.

Is this bird known in Toronto simply as "Robin"?

Yes, "Robin" suffices in most cases.

Would this bird's chirping be social and responsive to external stimuli: for example if a stalking animal (cat) were near might a Robin sound a warning for the benefit of other Robins?

I'm not sure, maybe Thouc or Pat might know better.  But I do know that Black-capped Chickadees (the alternate bird mentioned above by Pat) have a fairly sophisticated warning system that warns other Chickadees (and other birds in the process) of potential dangers.  The higher the danger the more "dees" that are sung by the Chicka"dee".  For example a human typically registers about 3 to 5 dees (in my experience).  Something as dangerous as a Sharp-shinned Hawk or Northern Shrike (both predators of small birds) can register up to 8 "dees" or more.  It is not inconceivable to assume that a cat would also register a fairly high number of "dees".  

Bird will be singing outside a window in a Toronto residential neighbourhood like the Annex.

American Robin definitely.  They're everywhere and they're vocal.

[Brian Bailey]

I agree with everyone else that the American Robin would be the first choice.  They are very common (except in winter), very vocal, and only occur in North America.  I think there are birds known as "robins" on every continent except Antarctica, but most are only distantly related to American Robins.  We only have one robin around here, so we generally leave off the "American".  There are several robins in the East Mediterranean / Middle East, but none of them are similar to ours.

They commonly sing in residential neighbourhoods and they will scold any intruders they think are dangerous.

You can find out more and hear more song samples at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Robin/id

Chickadee would be a tempting choice as well except they are less common in residential neighbourhoods and look very similar to several species of Tit found in the East Mediterranean / Middle East.

BB

[MDP]

Going with Robin.

Thanks for your valuable suggestions!

MDP

[surfinbird]

Robin is a great choice but I can't believe northern mocking bird wasn't mentioned .

[Pat Hodgson]

American robins do have a very distinctive alarm call, I don't know if I've heard it directed at a cat but seems very likely.  It is a sound like wheep-wheep-wheep or wick wick wick, multiple quick whistles.
See song #4 for American robin here:
http://www.natureinstruct.org/dendroica/spec.php/Dendroica+Canada