Pish

Pish

A pish is an imitated bird call (usually a scold or alarm call) used by birders and ornithologists to attract birds (generally Passerines). [cite journal |last=Zimmerling |first=JR |coauthors=Ankney, CD |date=2000 |title=A technique that increases detectability of passerine species during point counts |journal=Journal of Field Ornithology |volume=71 |issue=4 |pages=638–649 |url=http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?SESSID=15ffda402c11e2c6100cc51b3a9566cc&request=get-document&doi=10.1648%2F0273-8570(2000)071%5B0638%3AATTIDO%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |format=Abstract] The action of making the sound is known as pishing. This technique is used by scientists to increase the effectiveness of bird diversity surveys, and by birders to attract species that they might not otherwise see.

Pishing is used most effectively in the Holarctic, where it is thought to work due to its similarity to the scold calls of tits and chickadees (birds in the family Paridae). These scold calls, a form of mobbing behaviour, attract other birds which come in to establish the nature of the potential threat. Acoustical analysis of pishing calls and the mobbing calls of tits shows that they share a frequency metric not used by other birds. Not surprisingly, pishing has little effect on birds in those parts of the world without tits or chickadees. [cite journal |last=Langham |first=GM |coauthors=Contreras TA & Sieving KE |date=2006 |title=Why pishing works: Titmouse (Paridae) scolds elicit a generalized response in bird communities |journal=Ecoscience |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=485–496 |url=http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.2980%2F1195-6860(2006)13%5B485%3AWPWTPS%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |format=Abstract]

Another study noted that only passerine are attracted by pishing. Apart from the mobbing call hypothesis, it has also been suggested that pishing may be treated as an invitation to join a "mixed species foraging flock" and birds do not themselves vocalize or show aggressive behaviour. The same study noted that pishing did not work in the old-world tropics and suggested that it may be due to the lower densities of migrants. [cite journal |last=Smith |first=N. G. |date=April 1975 |title=Spshing Noise: Biological Significance of Its Attraction and Nonattraction by Birds |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=72 |issue=4 |pages=1411-1414 |url=http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=432544&blobtype=pdf |format=Full text]

Because pishing disrupts the natural behaviour of a bird, birding organisations consider it unethical and immoral to make excessive use of this method of attracting birds. Such organisations recommend that, once the bird has been viewed, the birder cease pishing and allow the bird to return to its natural behaviour. [cite journal |last=Zimmerling |first=Ryan |title=Bringing in the Birds |journal=Birdwatch Canada |pages=10–12 |date= Fall 2005 |volume=3 |url=http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/BWCfa05.pdf |format=Full text]

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  • Pish — Pish, interj. An exclamation of contempt. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pish — Pish, v. i. To express contempt. Pope. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pish — [psh, pish] interj., n. (an exclamation) used to express disgust or impatience vi., vt. to utter this exclamation (to) …   English World dictionary

  • pish — exclamation of contempt, attested from 1590s …   Etymology dictionary

  • pish — fop·pish; frop·pish; hip·pish; hyp·pish; pish·pash; pish·posh; quip·pish; snap·pish; snap·pish·ly; snap·pish·ness; up·pish; wam·pish; pa·pish; pish; fop·pish·ly; fop·pish·ness; pish·rogue; up·pish·ly; up·pish·ness; …   English syllables

  • pish — /psh/; spelling pron. /pish/, interj. 1. (used as an exclamation of mild contempt or impatience.) n. 2. an exclamation of pish! v.i. 3. to say pish. v.t. 4. to say pish at or to. [1585 95; imit.] * * * …   Universalium

  • pish — Scottish Vernacular Dictionary verb:To urinate noun: Urine, Example: Ah never made it tae the pisher in time an noo mah kegs is aw pish (descriptive) Boggin crap, shitey, something of little value Example: Thon Budweiser is pure Pish so it is …   English dialects glossary

  • pish — /pɪʃ/ (say pish), /pʃ/ (say psh) interjection (an exclamation of contempt or impatience.) …  

  • pish posh — interjection Nonsense; tommyrot. “Oh, pish posh,” Miss Beauregard didnt buy it. “Your home couldnt be that bad.” …   Wiktionary

  • pish — interjection Date: 1592 used to express disdain or contempt …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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