As our week of nocturnal migrant highlights wraps up, we’re closing with a bird better known for its bold looks and backyard presence than for the subtle call it gives while flying at night. But like many of the species we’ve featured, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is part of the quiet procession moving through Indiana skies each spring. Its nocturnal flight call is soft and variable—sometimes a plaintive, rising “bzeew” or “eeee,” other times a rougher “jheep.” It’s a far cry from the Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s sharp “chink” call that’s familiar to many birders during the day. These unfamiliar calls, captured in our Echoes of the Night Sky recordings, remind us how much more there is to discover about even a familiar species once the sun goes down. Listen to the Rose-breasted Grosbeak’s nocturnal flight call: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/635433833 To find one during the day, check wooded edges, mature deciduous forests, or shaded backyards with good tree cover. Males are unmistakable with their black, white, and deep rose coloration down the breast; females are warmly streaked with bold facial markings. They breed across much of Indiana, especially in the northern and central regions where layered forest habitat supports ideal nesting conditions. 📡 Learn more about Echoes of the Night Sky and how our acoustic monitoring is giving voice to the invisible migrations shaping our spring: indianaaudubon.org/nfcs. 📷: Rose-breasted Grosbeak by Jason Jablonski 🎤: Rose-breasted Grosbeak nocturnal flight calls by April Raver (fb)

Some of the smallest birds migrating over Indiana at night are also among the easiest to overlook. Their flight calls are brief and high-pitched, and hard to catch without the help of sound equipment. One of those subtle signals comes from the Black-and-white Warbler. Its nocturnal flight call is a thin, rising “dzinn” with a delicate, buzzy quality. Through our Echoes of the Night Sky project, we’re picking up these faint streaks of sound as this early migrant returns to Indiana’s forests. Listen to the Black-and-white Warbler’s nocturnal flight call: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/624242736 To find one during the day, search mature woodlands with tall hardwoods and rough-barked trees. These zebra-striped warblers forage by creeping along trunks and limbs like bark-gleaners, using their curved claws to cling and probe for insects. Their high, squeaky “weesa-weesa-weesa” song often gives them away. While some continue north, others stay to breed in Indiana, primarily in the southern hills and northern forests. 📡 Learn more about Echoes of the Night Sky and how our acoustic monitoring is giving voice to the invisible migrations shaping our spring: indianaaudubon.org/nfcs. 📷: Black-and-white Warbler by Robin Janson 🎤: Black-and-white Warbler nocturnal flight call by Jeremy Proeschel (fb)