Taxom: The genus Dryophytes was first described by Fitzinger in 1843. Later it was placed into the genus Hyla, the true tree frogs, by Boulenger in 1882. Fouquette and Dubois 2014, treated Dryophytes as a subgenus of Hyla. Dryophytes was finally resurrected as an independent genus by Duellman in 2016. Only geographical, rather than morphological, differences separates Dryophytes from the genus Hyla. Hyla is found only in the Old World, whereas Dryophytes is distributed in the New World. Most members occur in North America

Description: The bird-voiced tree frog is a small species growing to about 2.0 inches long. It is usually a dappled, pale grey or brown on its dorsal surface, but its color changes with the temperature and its level of activity, and may be more or less pale green. It often has a dark brown cross-shaped mark on its back and further dark areas on its limbs. Its belly is grey with flashes of yellow on the underside of its hind legs. The male has a dark throat. This frog is very similar to the larger gray tree frog (Dryophytes versicolor), but that species has an orange flash on its hind legs. Both have a whitish square region just underneath the eyes. The bird-voiced tree frog is easily distinguishable during the spring and summer when it gives its characteristic call.

Habitat: Its natural habitats are temperate forests, shrub-dominated wetlands, and swamps. Its favored habitat is wooded swamps near streams and rivers where the dominant species include cypress, birch, tupelo, and buttonbush.

Range: The bird-voiced tree frog is found over much of the southeastern United States, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas

Found in these States: AR | FL | GA | IL | KY | LA | MS | OK | SC | TN

Diet: Bird-voiced treefrogs are insectivores that forage primary at night and on arboreal arthropods. The digestive contents in 14 female bird-voiced treefrogs were inspected and showed that they contained insect species such as elaterid beetles (Elateridae), chrysomelid beetles (Chrysomelidae), homopterans, and moth and butterfly larvae. Based on the type of insect species these frogs are consuming suggest that bird-voiced treefrogs forage while perched in trees

Reproduction: Bird-voiced treefrog mating season begins in late spring (April and May) and continues through much of the summer (June-August). Reproductive maturity of female bird-voiced treefrogs begins anywhere between years 2-4 of life. These frogs have a polygynandrous system of mating, meaning males and females have multiple mating partners. Mating preference is determined by call competition among males to win over females. The call of the males is stimulated by the warming of temperatures in the spring (about 20 degrees Celsius), and males can begin calling up to a month before breeding even begins. Male bird-voiced tree frogs produce a bird-like call while perched in trees above water, while the females remain at ground level. Male competition is displayed by pulsing rhythm sounds and length of call time. IT has been found that males lacking competition had an average of about five calls per minute. When the males were competing against one another, their calls averaged at about six calls per minute and their pulsing call rhythms alternated between each competing male. In areas where there were multiple possible male mates (averaging 2.5 meters apart), the females reacted to the male with the longest call frequency.

When the females detect a distinguishable call, neurons are then stimulated displaying phonotactic behavior to approach the male. After the initial approach, the male will latch onto the dorsal side of the female, and they will then migrate as one down from the perching site to water. The female then begins to deposit her eggs into the water where they will begin development.

Status: The bird-voiced tree frog is listed as being of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It seems to have large populations in the areas in which it occurs and there seems to be no noticeable decline in numbers. Clearing or draining the swamps in which it lives would be deleterious, but is not happening to any great extent.

Subspecies: Western Bird-voiced Treefrog (Dryophytes avivoca avivoca) & Eastern Bird-voiced Treefrog (Dryophytes avivoca ogechiensis)

Taxonomy: