trill

Birdsong all around the world, they say, is made up of combinations of these motifs - three types of trill, three types of whistle, chaotic notes and harmonies.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Through evocative descriptions—the skylark’s trill “hovering in the quivering air,” or the sun rising over a “silvery, dew-thick cow meadow”—Ms. Haynes invites us to take part in the daily rhythms of our natural world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Under a starry sky in the Calakmul reserve, as unseen frogs chirp and insects trill, Medellín Legorreta patiently works to untangle a bat caught in a mist net.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 11, 2023

The only honking is that of Canadian geese, mixed with the trill of bird calls and patter of the garden fountain.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2023

“It’s a trill, you know, like a trill on the flute, except the first L is lowercase and the second is uppercase!”

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

More complex compositions - with ultrafast trills and combinations that contain lots of information - are more common in temperate forests, where birds tend to communicate at closer range.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

“But she’s not a scat singer. She improvises more in the technique of the Baroque period, expanding and contracting phrases or adding trills that deviate from the melody.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

“Oh my God, hello!” she trills at rows of dogs who respond with matching enthusiasm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2024

He made some trills and they look like maple leaves, and it was fabulous.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2023

The trills will help me relax my mouth for when it’s time to sing.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles