Bird Song

[burhinus]

Whilst out cycling this morning I heard a Mistle Thrush singing its heart out. It reminded me that now is a good time to listen to songs of our resident UK species.

As we slip into the new year several species will begin to sing particularly if we have some nice sunny days. Listen to songs on tape, CD etc or download off the net and familiarise yourself with them. That way you should have a few tucked under your belt before the first migrants appear.

burhinus

[Colin]

I absolutely agree. It takes time to 'learn' the songs and now is the best time to start so that you will be ready for the spring (northern hemisphere) when it all happens in the field.

Colin

[monkeyman]

Robins! every morning at 5 am!

[peter hayes]

I have to say chaps - it's all a little overwhelming for newcomers. I got a CD of various songs which didn't identify them except on the cover, so if you lost your place you'd had it. I then got the Birdguides CD, British Birds 7, but it's a duff copy!

I'd very much appreciate some advice as to how to go about this. Is if better to choose a group and stick with that before going on to anything else?

[burhinus]

Hi Peter
Select a few of our resident species. They will start to select and defend territory depending on the weather from January through to April before the migrants arrive.

I would suggest: Mistle, Song Thrush, Blackbird. Same family. Blackbird has a very mellow song. Song Thrush is less mellow but very repetitve. Can also mimick some species. I have heard them do some very good Nuthatches and Nightingales. The Mistle Thrush is very loud and have already started singing.

Then think about Robin, Wren, Dunnock and then the tits. Dont panic if you do not master them all in the first year. But identifying your first species by sound can be almost as rewarding as seeing it.

Come April have a try at Willow Warbler and Chifchaff, then build up from there. Good luck!

[peter hayes]

Burhinus

Thank you so much for that. That really is excellent advice which I intend to follow. I was beginning to lose heart, to be honest. I shall now tackle this with renewed vigour.

I may contact you again in the Spring!

Thanks again.

[T0ny]

Don't worry, Peter, I've been birding for over ten years now, and despite all my best efforts my song knowledge is still virtually nil. The major problem I find is actually mentioned by burhinus in his post - 'mellow' songs, etc. To me, these descriptive terms mean very little, probably because I'm tone-deaf (not stone deaf, just tone-deaf). I've just about (finally) worked out what is meant by a Dunnock's 'scratchy' song. I have a collection of tapes, records & CDs going way back, but unfortunately all I can reliably recognise is Eric Simms' voice !

Tony

[peter hayes]

Thanks a lot for that - a great relief to know that I don't have to memorise absolutely everything! I'm finding that the best thing is to listen in the wild, and repetition eventually makes a mark on my tiny brain!

Thanks again for the reassurance.

[Steve Gross]

I find that by learning the local birds' song/calls, I can zero in on new or different birds when they come into the area. You don't have to know the identity of the new bird by vocalization; you simply have to find the new bird.

Yesterday, I was in the field as part of a Christmas Bird Count. We heard a very bubbly song, rather like a Brown-headed Cowbird. However, this was in fairly deep woods, not a place where one would expect this species. We soon found the bird, a Rusty Blackbird (same family, somewhat similar song), which did belong there as the area was dense and very wet (flooded, in fact).

Hearing a different song (different than the Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Robins, etc. that are so prolific in our area in winter) allowed us to find a species for our Bird Count list.

[peter hayes]

Thanks Steve - that's a good tip.

[cjay]

Locte the bird that is singing then you will remember it next time. find a TiT flock in winter & hear their calls locate the bird involved & you learn that way.

Pink feet sound like excited Puppies. & so do Barnacle geese.

CJ

[Dr Manjeet Singh]

Can someone help me to find bird songs tapes and C.D's for Malaysian birds-all the songs avaible are either U.K.birds or North Amercian birds .I have been asking around but still cant find them.I would love to hear those birds sounds in my car as i drive to my practice--any life saver around.Thanks in advance(this is a old thread-i hope some one see's it).Scared to post a new thread might take some one's else's thread -new in threads-still learning.