Bird call - London UK (2 Viewers)

[ChrisKten]

Chris,

If CAU has told you it is, it is a Chaffinch!

OK, Phil, just checking.|=)|

BTW, I've listened to the whole recording since posting that question. The "pink" "pink" is, as you said, definitely mixed in with the call that I wasn't sure of.

Anyway, time to go. I need to get extra food ready for tomorrow, to try and bribe the Chaffinches into hanging around a while longer.

 

[Seatallen]

I was caught out in just the same way in the Lakes last June. I'd never heard a chaffinch call quite like that either and it nearly drove me bonkers trying to indentify it. Since then, of course, I've heard chaffinches doing it quite often.

 

[ChrisKten]

I was caught out in just the same way in the Lakes last June. I'd never heard a chaffinch call quite like that either and it nearly drove me bonkers trying to indentify it. Since then, of course, I've heard chaffinches doing it quite often.

It's funny, as I read your post I heard the call again; this time I smiled and thought, "Chaffinch".|=)|

 

[deboo]

The 'cheeep' call sounds like a male House Sparrow to me. Dunno about the other 'incidental' calls on the recording....

dave...

 

[davercox]

That is really quite a common Chaffinch call in Britain, though I must admit I've heard it more in Scotland than England.

 

[ChrisKten]

Isn't it funny, I just watched a male Chaffinch at my feeders, bet you can't guess what call he was making?

I should have waited before posting, sticks in your head when you actually see it doing it. The strangest thing about this call, is there are 100s of Chaffinches at my local Reservoirs, yet I've never heard it. I only have about 10 Chaffinches in my garden, yet I've been hearing the call often.

In case it's of interest to anyone:

He landed in one of my trees - began the 'schreet' (as Phil described it) call - kept looking around nervously, continuing the call - stopped, and jumped into one of the trays in the tree and started eating. At no time was there any other call, no "pink" or "pink pink".

 

[phil baber]

Chris,

Feed them more. Then they'll be too stuffed to call, or do anything else.

At that moment pick them up and identify them. Couldn't be more easy!

(Maybe a second job, and re-mortgage to pay for all the food?)

Seriously though, to CAU, that was his "rain-call". And he intimated probable origin of said birds.

It is not a call I am familiar with in my travels. I've already described my thoughts.

But London is reknowned for its innovative music scene!

Thanks for the entertaining thread!

 

[CAU]

Maybe if CAU will accept that these are Continental birds he'll send me some money to help with the food bills? |=)|

If CAU has told you it is, it is a Chaffinch!

:-O

Anyway, the 'rain call' is a call that varies a lot geographically. At least the Chaffinches that breed in eastern Finland (and also those on the Russian side of the border) call a lot like the bird Chris recorded. 'Huit' is just another form of the rain call. On the other hand, 'pink' is another call type, that also varies somewhat geographically (but all Chaffinches have both the rain call and the 'pink' call). Of course, in winter and during migration you can hear Chaffinches with different dialects in the same place.

 

[davercox]

An after-thought - this call has an obvious family relationship to the appallingly tedious "djweezh" that Bramblings produce all day long up north in spring (where "all day long" means lo-o-ong), which seems to serve them as a song.
Just wonder if this Chaffinch call (the 'rain call' according to CAU) may have a similar role, it's clearly an advertisement call, and it often strikes me how little Chaffinch true song they produce sometimes.

 

[CAU]

Here's an excerpt from this paper:

"The second type of response is a
weak response: frequent approaching and retreating from the
predator and inspecting it. The third type is an average response:
it is a real alarm when the birds tend to be close to the predator,
they move restlessly around the object of alarm by bowing, pivoting
and tail-flicking. Chaffinches often raise their crest and
their neck is usually somewhat extended. The fourth type is a
strong response: chaotic movements and intense display, perhaps
including dive attacks on the predator. While mobbing
predators, chaffinches use ‘chink’ and ‘rain’ calls (Hinde 1954;
Marler 1956; Korbut 1989). During the second type of alarm
chaffinches use mainly ‘rain’ calls and only some ‘chink’ calls.
During the third type of alarm both call types are used in
approximately equal proportions. During the fourth type of
alarm almost all calls given by chaffinches are ‘chink’ calls."

Here's some more info about the rain call:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/k521m47123548353/
http://books.google.fi/books?id=2iFmsVSyV4gC&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134#v=onepage&q=&f=false

According to this, the rain call type recorded by Chris is also common in the UK:
http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/birds/chaffinch.htm

 

[davercox]

OK, thanks CAU, a versatile call obviously !