Confusing Bird Calls (1 Viewer)

[maplekong]

Hello! I thought it might be fun to share confusing calls here. Listening for birds is often easier that just trying to see them, but some have confused my dumb beginner brain. Here's two to start us off-

1. Tic. Robins tic, wrens chak, stonechats vist, but with the calls coming from a distance, or even quite close, I cannot tell them apart for my life.
2. Seeseesee. I'm still confused as to what makes this ridiculously high pitched and perpetual whistling, it's so high my parents cannot hear it.

Feel free to share any calls that are confusing.

 

[foresttwitcher]

2. Goldcrest (or Firecrest) possibly - renowned for people of advancing years to eventually not be able to hear them.

 

[chowchilla]

Birds that mimic other birds, or indeed other things. Superb lyrebirds do this to an extraordinary extent.

In the UK, I've heard Starlings do convincing impressions of curlews, lapwings, greylags, car locks, screaming children, you name it.

 

[delia todd]

I hear a Starling mimicking a Curlew every spring. I'm presuming he's spent the winter at the coast.

It always makes me run to the window to try and get a house tick (still waiting).

 

[maplekong]

You have such interesting starlings, mine are boring and have their own song- I've hardly heard any mimicry so far (or so it seems)

 

[maplekong]

2. Goldcrest (or Firecrest) possibly - renowned for people of advancing years to eventually not be able to hear them.

I thought it was long-tailed tits!

 

[foresttwitcher]

I thought it was long-tailed tits!

Could be...

 

[maplekong]

Could be...

Confusion...

 

[foresttwitcher]

Check on xeno canto (or similar) to see if you can find anything that matched what you are hearing.

 

[maplekong]

Sounds more like long-tailed tit, but I'm worried about other culprits

 

[chowchilla]

Speaking of Xenocanto: When I lived in Australia, the times I put in all-nighters or got up super early, I would hear a three-note call that I tracked down to the local Black Butcherbird. The only bird that got up earlier was the resident Helmeted Friarbird.

I heard a lot of BBs over the years but never heard this particular call from any other. When Xenocanto became a thing, I searched it for the call and yet never found anything that sounded like it. What I was further struck by was how huge this species' repertoire is. Black Butcherbirds really are the Great Tits of the Australian Wet Tropics.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

I sometimes find that a bird that's far away can sound like it might be a different species calling from nearby. Especially if the distance means you don't hear the entire sound. Examples that immediately spring to mind include a distant Magpie having a call that resembles a nearby Bullfinch, and A distant Jackdaw can sound like a nearby Chaffinch.

 

[chowchilla]

A starling kicks off with a camera shutter before moving on to R2D2 (The Empire Strikes Back R2D2, which it must have heard) and a barking dog. There's also a trilling sound which may have been made by its female owner.

This one is equally remarkable:

 

[jogresh]

I sometimes find that a bird that's far away can sound like it might be a different species calling from nearby. Especially if the distance means you don't hear the entire sound. Examples that immediately spring to mind include a distant Magpie having a call that resembles a nearby Bullfinch, and A distant Jackdaw can sound like a nearby Chaffinch.

Yes indeed! I've noticed this too, will have to make a mental note of the sp next time. 👍🐦

 

[dantheman]

Wryneck sounds like a distant raptor iirc

 

[maplekong]

I'm not sure just how similar they are, but this morning Merlin managed to mistake a rose-ringed parakeet for a wryneck, then a long-eared owl.

 

[01101001]

Nearby Willow Tit like distant Jackdaw.

 

[maplekong]

Starling and gold finch if there are a lot of them sometimes, maybe that's just me.