10 Common Frogs And Toads In Western New York (And How To Identify Their Calls)

Step outside on a damp spring night in Western New York and the air practically vibrates. From roadside ditches to big marshes, frogs and toads create one of the loudest wildlife spectacles you can hear without binoculars. If you’ve ever wondered who’s making that banjo pluck, the long musical trill, or the duck‑like quack, this guide gives you the tools to pick them out by ear. You’ll learn when and where to listen in WNY, how to decode calls quickly, and how to identify 10 common species without seeing a single one.

When And Where To Hear Them In WNY

Frog season in Western New York comes in distinct waves tied to temperature and rain. You’ll hear the earliest species, wood frogs and spring peepers, on the first warm, wet nights of March into early April, sometimes even with snow still lingering along the edges of vernal pools. As April progresses, gray treefrogs and chorus frogs join the mix. By May and June, the bigger voices, the green frog and American bullfrog, dominate ponds and lakes. Toads peak on warm evenings in late April through May.

Timing matters. The loudest choruses usually kick off at dusk and continue through the night, especially on windless, humid evenings after rain. Cooler nights can shut down calling: a jump in temperature can restart it within minutes. If you only have one hour, go around sunset.

Where to look (and listen) in WNY:

• Vernal pools in hardwood forests (wood frog, spring peeper). These temporary spring basins fill with snowmelt, then dry by summer.
• Marsh edges, cattail stands, and beaver ponds (leopard frog, pickerel frog, green frog, bullfrog).
• Suburban ponds and larger backyard water features (green frog, bullfrog, American toad).
• Sandy shorelines and beach dunes along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario (Fowler’s toad in localized spots).
• Grassy, low‑lying meadows and wet fields (western chorus frog where present, peepers, leopard frogs).

A quick note on range: Western chorus frogs are patchy and localized in WNY, with known pockets around parts of Erie and Niagara counties. Fowler’s toads are tied to sandy coastal habitats and don’t turn up far inland. Gray treefrogs (the “Gray” and the similar Cope’s) both occur in New York: in WNY, you’ll likely hear Gray Treefrog more often.

Call Identification Basics

Learning frog calls is like learning drum beats: tone, rhythm, and repetition do the heavy lifting.

• Tone (timbre): Is it musical, buzzy, nasal, or percussive? “Banjo pluck” and “snore” aren’t jokes, they’re accurate sound shapes.
• Rhythm: Is the sound a long steady trill, a series of clucks, or a single note repeated? How fast is the trill?
• Repetition and spacing: Some species give rapid, continuous notes: others pause between phrases.

Practical tips for your ears:

• Cup your hands behind your ears to focus on one direction and separate overlapping choruses.
• Move slowly and stop often. Choruses can go quiet when you approach and ramp back up after 30–60 seconds.
• Use your phone to record short clips. Later, compare to reputable libraries like AmphibiaWeb, the USGS Frog Call Library, or state herp society resources.

Ethics and safety:

• Keep lights low and distances respectful. Don’t wade into breeding pools, eggs and delicate plants are easy to crush.
• Skip or minimize call playbacks: they can stress frogs and disrupt breeding.
• Rinse and disinfect boots between wetlands to reduce spread of chytrid fungus and other pathogens.
• Never transport frogs or tadpoles between sites. It’s illegal in many cases and harmful to local populations.

Quick ID Guide To 10 Common Species

Spring Peeper, Piercing Single “Peep” In Huge Choruses

You’ll hear peepers before snow fully gives up. Each male gives a sharp, high “peep,” about once per second, that stacks into a shrill wall of sound when hundreds call together. On warm March and April nights in WNY woodlots, that chorus can be deafening.

When to listen: Early March through May evenings, especially right after rain.

Where: Vernal pools, flooded ditches, woodland edges. You can also hear stragglers into early summer near lingering wet spots.

Confusions: Western chorus frog. The chorus frog is a fast, raspy trill like running a finger along a comb: peeper is the clean, single “peep.”

Wood Frog, Quacking, Duck‑Like Chuckles In Early Spring

Wood frogs sound like a small flock of content ducks, dry, clucking “quacks” delivered in short bursts. They rarely call for long: the breeding window is quick.

When: Often the first frog of the year, late February to early April in mild spells.

Where: Temporary woodland pools. If you’re hearing quacks from a leaf‑filled basin, you’ve found them.

Confusions: None serious. If it sounds like ducks in the woods at night, it’s wood frogs.

Western Chorus Frog, Fast Metal‑Comb “Rake” Trill (Localized)

This is a rapid, ascending rasp, like dragging a thumbnail along a pocket comb. Calls last a second or two and repeat rapidly, blending into a burry chorus.

When: April into May, sometimes later in cool springs.

Where: Grassy, shallow wetlands, roadside swales, and meadow edges. In WNY, populations are spotty, celebrate if you find them.

Confusions: Spring peeper. Remember: chorus frog = zipper/comb trill: peeper = pure peep.

Gray Treefrogs (Gray Vs. Cope’s), Musical Vs. Buzzer‑Fast Trills From The Trees

You won’t see them unless they come down to porch lights, but you’ll hear a rich trill pouring from treetops. Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) gives a slower, more musical trill: Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) is faster and a bit higher, with a buzzier edge. Temperature affects speed, so use the overall feel, lilting versus electric.

When: May through July nights, especially after rain and on humid evenings.

Where: Wooded neighborhoods, edges of ponds bordered by trees, even backyard shrubs.

Confusions: American toad. Toad trills are longer (20–30+ seconds) and steadier: treefrog trills are shorter (1–3 seconds) and come in phrases.

American Toad, Long, Musical, Steady Trill (20–30+ Seconds)

A single male can hold a clear, shimmering trill for half a minute or more, like someone humming on a glass rim. In a pond full of toads, those trills overlap into a dreamy orchestra.

When: Late April through May.

Where: Virtually any shallow pond or calm edge, including suburban retention ponds.

Confusions: Gray treefrog. Go by duration and smoothness: toad = long, unwavering tone: treefrog = shorter, pulsed trill.

Fowler’s Toad, Short, Nasal “Waaaaah” Bleat (Coastal/Beach Areas)

Fowler’s gives a brassy, somewhat nasal bleat, a few seconds long, think a squeezed rubber toy. In WNY it’s tied to sandy lakeshore habitats: you’re unlikely to find it inland.

When: May into June nights, often right after warm days.

Where: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario sand beaches and dunes where suitable habitat remains.

Confusions: American toad. Fowler’s is shorter, more nasal, and a bit plaintive: American toad is longer and musical.

Northern Leopard Frog, Low Snore Followed By Clucks And Grunts

Leopard frogs offer a strange medley: start with a low, rattly snore, then toss in grunts and chuckles, sometimes like rubbing a wet balloon. It’s a multi‑part performance.

When: April through June, with peak activity in May.

Where: Marshes, wet meadows, and grassy pond margins. They wander far from water later in the season.

Confusions: Pickerel frog. Pickerel gives a more even, deep snore without the added clucks and grunts. If you hear “snore + percussion,” you’ve got a leopard frog.

Pickerel Frog, Deep, Even Snore Without Clucks

Picture a steady, low snore or soft outboard motor that doesn’t vary much, no grunts, no chuckles. It’s more uniform than the leopard frog’s mix.

When: April into early May.

Where: Cooler, clean streams and spring‑fed ponds: also marsh edges. Pickerel frogs prefer higher‑quality water.

Confusions: Northern leopard frog. Absence of clucks and the steady tone point to pickerel.

Green Frog, Loose Banjo “Gunk” Pluck, Often Repeated

This is the classic pond pluck: “gunk.” or “poink,” usually in a series with a second or two between notes. It’s percussive and elastic, like a slack banjo string.

When: May through August, especially warm evenings.

Where: Nearly any permanent pond, lake edge, or slow stream in WNY, including backyard ponds.

Confusions: Bullfrog. Bullfrogs produce deeper, multi‑note phrases (“jug‑o‑rum”), while green frogs give single plucks spaced apart.

American Bullfrog, Deep “Jug‑O‑Rum” Bass Notes

Bullfrogs anchor summer nights with resonant, bass phrases that can carry across a lake. You’ll often hear two or three notes in a row, dropping in pitch: “jug‑o‑rum.”

When: Late May through August nights and warm days.

Where: Larger, permanent waters, lakes, big ponds, and slow backwaters with ample vegetation.

Confusions: None once you lock in the depth and phrase. If it rattles your chest like a small subwoofer, it’s a bullfrog.

Conclusion

You don’t need to see a frog to know it, Western New York’s wetlands are essentially open‑air concert halls if you show up at the right time. Start early with wood frogs and spring peepers in March, then follow the season into trills from treefrogs and toads, and finally the banjo plucks and bass notes of summer. If you’re new to call ID, pick two or three species and get comfortable with those first. Record short clips, compare at home, and revisit the same spots on different nights. Your ears will sharpen fast.

One last nudge: treat breeding pools like nurseries. Stay on firm ground, keep lights low, and clean your boots between sites. With a little care, and a little patience, you’ll turn those mysterious nighttime sounds into familiar neighbors and enjoy some of the most reliable wildlife encounters WNY has to offer.