ML468184061

Observation details

Heard calling all afternoon. The calls were two-part call, with two unslurred elements (unlike the three-part, slurred elements of a PSFL call). I know that most of Eastern Oregon is considered a hybrid zone for these two species. When I lived in Bend, I learned from Tom Crabtree that hybrids will switch between call types if you stand and listen to them for long enough. We were there for nearly two and a half days at Willow Campground. I never heard them making any PSFL type calls the entire time we were there. I did not hear them sing in the afternoon or evening, but I did hear them singing the next morning. I think the song really helped with the ID. In the “ptik” phrase, the second element was lower than the first (as opposed to PSFL where the second element is higher). The “tseeler” phrase (the longer, slurred element), was only two part, very similar to the COFL calls I was hearing on in the afternoons/evenings every day. It differed from the “klseewii” phrase of PSFL which contains threeish elements and is heavily slurred up, down, up. Finally, when looking at the COFL range map in Merlin, their range is clearly shown in the same mountain range (the Warner Range) south of the Oregon Border in California.