Big news! When "American Idol" contestant Mario Vasquez mysteriously quit, it touched off a media wildfire that spawned over 1,200 news articles across the globe. Mario even appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman," where he offered a Top Ten List of reasons he quit (Reason #9 "I've got my eye on the ultimate prize: 'Belgium Idol.'" The buzz generated by Mario is an indication of how big "American Idol" has gotten. A similar contest has been all the rage in the wilds of New Hampshire for eons. All you need to do is stick your head outside on a warm March day to hear a variety of birds competing for the right to be somebody's idol. Taking a closer look at both talent shows will reveal that the birds in our backyard are not so different from the budding stars on Fox.

Birds, like would-be Idols, sing to impress, but they stick to two basic genres: love songs and punk rock songs. The love songs are mating calls that announce the breeding status of the male (although some female birds sing-more on that later). For most birds, mating calls begin in the spring breeding season. How does singing translate into getting lucky? Well, researchers believed that if a singer can carry a tune, he must be physically fit and have his brain wired correctly. That signals to females that he will likely be a good father. Birds also sing punk rock songs, which are the territorial "Hey You-Piss Off!" songs that warn rivals to stay away from their mates, nests and food supplies. Within these two basic genres, most birds sing more than one tune. About 70 percent of all songbird species sing more than one tune. And the songs are not programmed in the bird's brain. Songs must be learned and practiced over and over again-just like on "American Idol." But the "birdy" resemblance goes even deeper. Wannabe idols share uncanny similarities to some common Granite State birds.

Scott Savol and the song sparrow-Scott Savol is one of those people who just does not look like an idol. He's overweight, has funny facial hair and resembles a badly dressed bowling pin. But he does have a good voice. In the bird world, he is much like the song sparrow. Song sparrows are unassuming, too-squatty, drab birds with dark brown streaks and a splotch on their chest as if they've spilled a bit of their lunch. Song sparrows look ho-hum, but they are great singers. Their love songs are structured in three parts: a strongly rhythmic introduction, a central trilled section, and then a short, and somewhat irregular, clear note finale. And like Scott, song sparrows have quite a range. Each male sings between six and 24 different tunes, repeating each several times before proceeding to the next.

Anthony Fedorov and the black-capped chickadee-The geek entry this year is 19-year-old Anthony Fedorov. Like Clay Aikens from the second season of "Idol," Anthony has got the dorky vibe going that appeals to a great many "Idol" watchers. He's scrawny and would lose a fistfight with any of the other contestants, but he has a distinctive voice that is setting him apart. In many ways, Anthony resembles the black-capped chickadee, one of the most familiar birds in New Hampshire forests and at backyard bird feeders. These dorky, diminutive birds seem to be in constant motion as they flit around the forest looking for food. The mating call of the black-capped chickadee is one of the most familiar sounds of spring. According to birding books, the song is a clear-whistled "fee bee." If you have trouble remembering that, it also sounds like "do me", which works well with its purpose. Both Anthony and chickadees are seasoned competitors. Male chickadees compete in singing contests daily. According to recent research from Canada, rival males have singing duels, each exchanging variations on the two-note song. The research revealed that if the challenging male wins, the female sneaks away for a one-night stand with him. She returns and pretends nothing happened. Meanwhile her mate has no idea that some of the nestlings are not his own. Let this be a lesson to you, Anthony.

Nadia and the cardinal-Nadia Turner is arguably the most visually memorable contestant this season. The first thing you notice is her Muppet-like hair. It would look silly on most, but she pulls it off. The Florida native is also quite a fashion queen. Her skinny, supermodel body is well suited for her colorful, stylish clothes. Clearly her avian soul mate is the cardinal. Like Nadia, the bird sports quite the "do." The pointy tuft of feathers on the cardinal's head makes it stand out in a flock. It's a fashion trendsetter, too, actually pulling off a bright red suit. Interestingly, both male and female cardinals sing. Research shows that mated pairs share song phrases, but the female may sing a longer and slightly more complex song than the male. Both genders of many bird species in the tropics sing; however, in our neck of the woods it's a rarity. This is a clue that cardinals are new to New Hampshire. Like Nadia, cardinals are from the South. Only in the last 100 years have the birds migrated north into our region, helped by backyard birdfeeders and cardinal-friendly landscaping.

Constantine Maroulis and the red-winged blackbird-Constantine Maroulis, the greasy bad boy rocker of "Idol 4," plays the role of a rock star with his black leather jacket, stringy hair and smug attitude. The local avian rock star is the red-winged black bird. With a song that is described as sounding like a rusty hinge, the male red-wing rocks out in wetlands across New Hampshire. During the breeding season, the male flexes his wing to reveal a brilliant red and yellow shoulder patch, like Tommy Lee showing off his tattoos. When he needs to be more discreet, he can hide the patch, but red-wing blackbirds are usually not discreet. The nice thing about red-wings is that they are true harbingers of spring. Robins will often stay all winter long, but the return of the red-wings is a clear sign that spring has sprung. This year, according to New Hampshire Audubon's Rare Bird Alert, red-winged blackbirds were seen in the third week of March in Stratham, Rye and Exeter. Male red-wing blackbirds arrive on the breeding grounds weeks before the females to establish nesting territories. When the females arrive, they judge the male's performances. If a female blackbird likes the show, she accepts his backstage pass, and the rest is X-rated.

Carrie Underwood and the brown-headed cowbird-With farm girl charm and a twang in her "sanging" voice, Carrie Underwood is a favorite to win this year. Her feathery counterpart is also an old farm hand: the brown-headed cowbird. The cowbird is a down-to-earth, working class bird-no bright colors, no fancy singing, just a bird. As the name suggests, the males have a brown head that barely contrasts with the all black body (a real fashion faux pas, but that is par for a country music singer). Research has shown that some cowbirds can even have a southern twang. Scientists from the University of North Carolina and Duke University discovered that they could get male cowbirds from North Carolina to sing with a Texas accent by raising North Carolina males with Texas females who "taught" the boys the Lone Star dialect. The really interesting thing is that the females don't sing. According to the study, a female cowbird listens to the male practice the basic cowbird song and when she hears a version she likes, she signals her approval by quickly flipping one wing up and out. Once the young male cowbird knows what a female likes, he'll concentrate on just that variation. Carrie should learn from the cowbird and pay close attention to the feedback from Randy, Paula and Simon. The cues they give her could help her craft the winning "Idol" image.

The next American Idol (and ten losers) will strut their stuff on Fox Tuesday, March 22 at 8 p.m. To learn the calls of local birds go to www.math.sunysb.edu/~tony/birds, which has an impressive collection of sound files online of common New Hampshire birds. Seacrest Out.