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Bird call - London UK (1 Viewer)

ChrisKten

It's true, I quite like Pigeons
I keep hearing a call that I can't quite match with recordings. I will eventually record it, or maybe find the bird, but I thought I'd try to describe it. It will be interesting to see how any ID suggestions might compare to the recording, or bird if I see it.

It's actually quite easy to describe: It's basically a 1 second "cheep", that pulses every second. Pitch (if that's the right word) is similar to a House Sparrow's call, maybe a little lower. Actually "cheep" might not be the best way to describe it. Do you remember those old Police whistles? sort of a rumbling whistle caused by the pea in it (or was it a Referee's whistle?)? Well that sort of noise but higher pitched.

OK, it wasn't as easy to describe as I thought, but I think that's pretty close. I'm actually starting to think that it might even be a House Sparrow now, but I'll still post this thread just in case.

Thanks.
 
If not a House Sparrow, try escaped Cockatiel.

I've had encounters with free-flyers over the years, and the call you described reminded me of many days spent hearing them.
The guy above me used to have a pet one and I used to hear it every day.

It has a similar quality in sound to what you descrbed. But I would personally write it down as, "Shreep...shreep...shreep..."
Loud and regularly repeated.

The call is also far-reaching, and might be coming from a captive bird within someone's house, rather than an escapee.

Just a suggestion. Will try and dig out a link to a sound-file for you.
 
Thanks Phil,

I've actually just recorded it, I just need to finish off clearing up the garden, then I'll upload it. I bet what I've recorded sounds nothing like I've described.|=)|
 
Recording added

OK, I've left the garden for a minute, I'll do the disinfectant in a while.

The attached recording has a few other birds on it, but it's the pulsing call in the background that I'm asking about. BTW, I think that the other calls are Chaffinch, Sparrow, and Great Tit, but I've not listened properly yet.

I'll be back in a while when I've finished doing the garden.

Thanks.
 

Attachments

  • Unkown552.mp3
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Ok..that's probably a better idea!

Had a rummage on the net, but the calls are, as yet, unrepresentative of the normal call. Unless you want one whistling the "Winnie The Pooh" theme tune that is?
 
Phil, I think I'll pass on the Winnie the Pooh theme.|=)| Although it might actually be funny to hear it.

Ben, it is a bit Blackbirdy isn't it? The odd thing is it was going constantly for about 10 minutes, then it stopped, then another 5 minutes, etc. Quite long spells of the repetitive pulse.
 
It's NOT a Cockatiel!

The typical Chaffinch call is heard within the structure of this "song". Especially towards the end, one can here the distinctive "pink" and "pink pink" of that bird. There's a lot of House Sparrow calls and song in the back and foreground confusing the issue. But I would say that it was a Chaffinch. Not doing the normal full song, but a young male practising.
 
It's NOT a Cockatiel!

The typical Chaffinch call is heard within the structure of this "song". Especially towards the end, one can here the distinctive "pink" and "pink pink" of that bird. There's a lot of House Sparrow calls and song in the back and foreground confusing the issue. But I would say that it was a Chaffinch. Not doing the normal full song, but a young male practising.

Thanks again, Phil. I have a minute or so of the recording, and I just clipped the beginning to upload; I could probably isolate the call if needed? Or are you happy with
Chaffinch from what what you can hear on what I've uploaded?
 
Lars Jonsson (re: Chaffinch vocalisations) quotes, "..also has a rolling and slightly metallic 'schreet', a call which is commoner in C and S Europe."
I've listened again a few times and, if you seperate out the House Sparrow calls, which seem to to invade the bird's call from every direction, it is evident that this "schreet" repeated phrase is inseperable with the "pink" notes.
Perhaps this bird is a Continental one, tuning up before he heads back East...
 
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Lars Jonsson (re:Chaffinch vocalisations) quotes, "..also has a rolling and slightly metallic 'schreet', a call which is commoner in C and S Europe."
I've listened again a few times and, if you seperate out the House Sparrow calls, which seem to to invade the bird's call from every direction, it is evident that this "schreet" repeated phrase is inseperable with the "pink" notes.
Perhaps this bird is a Continental one, tuning up before he heads back East...

Great, I've just got used to seeing Chaffinches every day in my garden (2 - 10), now they've eaten my food they're going to fly off home.|=)|
 
Yes, it's a Chaffinch. It's not practising the song, the call is just one of the many different calls of Chaffinch (sometimes called the 'rain call'). In Finland especially eastern birds that call like that. Compare with this:
http://www.xeno-canto.org/sounds/up...ain_call_1988_06_29_1B_96-102_Poland_Budy.mp3

In the UK, in Summer, they will repeatedly call "Hweet.....Hweet...Hweet". But it's a much drier sound, with longer gaps between calls.

This must therefore be one of your birds CAU! ;)
 
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Great, I've just got used to seeing Chaffinches every day in my garden (2 - 10), now they've eaten my food they're going to fly off home.|=)|

Don't worry Chris, they'll be back when their tummies are rumbling! ;)

Just keep on working over-time to pay for all that food they're going to need when they return! :eek!:

Glad you cleared up your mystery! :t:
 
Maybe if CAU will accept that these are Continental birds he'll send me some money to help with the food bills? |=)|

Anyway, thanks again all.
 
Oh dear and I said possibly blackbird,...sorry, I hang my head in shame!

No way shame Ben! It wasn't easy to pick it what was going on in that sound file!
In 35 years of birding I've not come across a Chaffinch calling quite like that in this country, or even in Poland, where I have been many times, or any other European country from Kaliningrad Russia to Lithuania, from Ukraine to Spain. It's a new one on me!

Keep on posting, and never be afraid to make mistakes. I've made some corkers! :eek!:
 
Ben, as Phil said, it wasn't a clean recording by any means, and you were kind enough to reply and risk your reputation (that is now in tatters BTW |=)|).

I'm watching and listening to Chaffinches (amongst other birds) for 6+ hours every day, and I didn't think it was a Chaffinch either.

No way shame Ben! It wasn't easy to pick it what was going on in that sound file!
In 35 years of birding I've not come across a Chaffinch calling quite like that in this country, or even in Poland, where I have been many times, or any other European country from Kaliningrad Russia to Lithuania, from Ukraine to Spain. It's a new one on me!

It is 100% a Chaffinch though, isn't it, Phil?
 
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