The sound goes off every morning with a sharp, staccato beep-beep-beep. Our neighbor, Yoka Meyer, thought it was our alarm clock going off. No, it’s a male tufted titmouse greeting the break of day ...

It may not be the most melodious bit of birdsong you’ll ever encounter. [Titmouse alarm call]. But this particular call, issued by a tufted titmouse, conveys important information about the presence ...