In Takoma, Maryland, there’s an old pay phone at the corner of Flower and Erie Avenues that might have drivers wondering why the outdated steel and plastic contraption is there. A closer inspection reveals some peculiarities. First, the handset is pained yellow and a sign says “Bird Calls Phone.” If you put the handset to your ear, you’ll hear the distinctive call of the Mourning Dove that serves as the dial tone. Press any button on the key pad and you’ll hear different bird calls: the cawing of a Crow, the whistling of a Wood Thrush or the chatter of the Belted Kingfisher. Each bird call is accompanied by an authoritative voice giving the listener not just the identification of the bird but other facts about it. Residents of the area love the pay phone and say they bring their children there to learn about birds.
