MarkyMarks Nature Blog:- Bird Song #4

Robin - Photo by Mark Appleton

I am at home and had not taken my daily walk yet, contemplating on what to write for this blog. I am struggling to find some motivation  as I open up my laptop. I open my bedroom window wide before I start as it is quite mild and I am greeted with a beautiful blackbird song. Although a lot of people say the Nightingale is their favourite song, I thing the Blackbird is mine, as it always reminds me of spring time. I continue to  listen and can hear a lot of birds. I cannot see any of these from my bedroom window but feel happier already.

Blackbird - Photo by Mark Appleton

                                         Click here for the blackbird song:- Blackbird Song

                                                                                

 I instantly recognize a Wood Pigeon cooing, a Wren with an explosive burst of song, the
distinctive Dunnocks shrill, the rasping call of a Greenfinch and House Sparrows chirping and that's without me even trying. 

Greenfinch - Photo by Mark Appleton

 I am no expert on bird song and calls, although did attend a course once, but every year I need a refresher and need to tune my ear back in, especially with the migratory birds that are arriving now, so in a way this blog is a bit of revision for me :).  

To hear the song of a Greenfinch click on this link:- Greenfinch Song

Most garden birds are song birds and contribute to the dawn chorus. As spring gathers pace, this is the time when bird song reaches its peak. The migratory birds are arriving now in their droves with Chiffchaff and Blackcap already singing in the woods. Don't forget to listen out for the Cuckoo who will be arriving very soon. You don't need to go far to hear the song, as your back garden or a neighbours can be awash with the sounds of our more commoner species.

Blackcap - Click here for Blackcap Song

First Some Basics :- There is a difference between Bird Song and Bird Calls

Bird song is mainly sung by the male birds and technically by the songbirds, the passerines (a perching bird) eg. thrushes, warblers etc. It occurs primarily in spring and nesting time, for the purpose of territorial defence or the attraction of a mate. Song is also aimed at other males, a statement that says "This is my patch, keep out. I am fit and healthy and I have time to sing rather than feed, so keep your distance" Many non-perching birds have calls that serve much the same purpose as song but these are usually known as advertising or display calls such as those of pigeons and doves.

Bird Calls
As well as songs and display calls, birds have a whole repertoire of other calls. These are usually short sounds and often repeated many times in succession. Listen to the robin call for example by clicking on this link:- Robin Call . Each call has a particular purpose such as an alarm call or a contact calls saying "Where are you" or "I'm here"  or it could be a means of showing aggression.

Bird song can seem quite complicated when broken down into it components, such as duration, volume, pace, pitch, pattern, timbre and overall effect. I would just concentrate on the following three to begin with:- Overall tone, Pattern and Detail. For Overall tone, generally the smaller the bird the higher the tones of the song. Decent sized birds like thrushes, for example produce fluty tones while smaller birds like Robins or Dunnocks are more squeaky and with the s or sh sounds. For Pattern, look for common phrasing or repeated patterns. Do the phrases seem original, is it gentle or explosive sounding (eg. Wren), is it rapid or laid back.  For Detail, take note of any mimicry that maybe involved, or variations which may only be noticed when up close. Also make observations where the song actually came from eg. high in a tree, on a perch, or low down under a bush, as this all helps towards identification.

Overwhelmed!!  Don't worry, my tip for learning bird song is, just take four or five species to begin with and start with the more familiar garden birds. For example:-

Robin:- Robin Song
Blackbird:- Blackbird Song
Wren:- Wren Song
Dunnock:- Dunnock Song
Chaffinch:- Chaffinch Song

Then progress to:-
Song Thrush:- Song Thrush Song
Blue Tit:- Blue Tit Song
House Sparrow:- House Sparrow Song
Great Tit:- Great Tit Song
Goldfinch :- Goldfinch Song

The following links are excellent in helping you. Click on the following:-
RSPB :- RSPB
Woodland Trust:- Woodland Trust

You can also try and learn them with the aid of CD's, books and apps.

The following free App (free at moment) called BirdNet can be downloaded on your phone and will make an attempt at recording the sound and identifying the species for you.

and lastly

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