Birding strategies...? (1 Viewer)

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to better learn the calls (contact and flight calls) of fall migrant passerines.
I'm about to spend a few days in western Bretagne, and I would like to maximize my odds to not miss a bird

Although I'm increasing my knowledge, it's really hard to my ears to distinguish contact calls of the hidden tek-tek calling birds (like most Sylvia some Phyllosc, Reed Warblers etc)

Could you tell me which birds are primary found by their calls, and which one are mostly found by just seeing them?
For example, I know that Dusky warbler or YBW (and most Phyllosc) are mainly found by their calls.
But what about other (rare) migrants?

I'm questionning about: Red-breasted Flycatcher, Rosefinch, Red-flanked Bluetail, Rustic Bunting, Little Bunting, Pallas' Leaf Warbler, Barred Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, rare Hippolais, rare Shrikes, etc...
Same question for American passerines: Red-eyed Vireo, Passerines, Thrushes, etc...

Is it "mandatory" to know each of these calls, or only for some birds?

2nd question: which bird's flight call would you consider important to learn?
I'm thinking of Siberian Pipits, rare waders, but for other Passerines, I don't really know if it's that important...

Thanks a lot!

I have an app, called "bird sounds" which I can download calls off xeno cante.
Helps with revision!
I would say listen for anything different, but that is more a recipe for finding lots of Great Tits!

I think the most important thing is to really learn the calls of the common birds, or you will spend the whole fall chasing chiffchaffs and whitethroats (or whatever equivalent tends to migrate down where you are) - those common birds can have quite a variety.

Also, it really depends on your musical hearing. I am basically tone deaf and I there are many species I have no chance of finding by call, because the difference is only in pitch and I am not able to assess a pitch of an isolated sound at all. If you shuffle different recordings of chiffchaffs and YBWs and can get them right every time, you are on a good track. If not, consider finding a group of friends with better hearing (that's my strategy)

As Opisska said, the best is to learn regular calls.

Unless you have an exceptional memory for sounds, the only realistic strategy for voices of rarities is to vaguely know what rarity calls what. In case you hear a strange voice in the field, quickly play the possible candidates on your mobile to find which sound matches what you just heard.

The whole different problem is how to document what you heard. Some people carry some setup which records sound constantly. I have no idea how this thing is practical and what it costs.

I found when I was learning that even if I was pretty sure of what I was hearing, I would make an effort to see the bird because it helped link the abstract sound with the non-abstract visual image.

I can't say that will work for you, but I know I am a visual learner so it helped for me.

Jeff hopkins said:

I found when I was learning that even if I was pretty sure of what I was hearing, I would make an effort to see the bird because it helped link the abstract sound with the non-abstract visual image.

I can't say that will work for you, but I know I am a visual learner so it helped for me.

Click to expand...

I agree with this - if your are an auditory learner it’s easier to learn without visual references. However, if like me, you are a visual learner, seeing the bird also, helps consign a bird call/song to memory. As for sylviids, only once have I had to make a concerted effort to learn these tek tek calls before a trip- I was travelling in August (for non-birding reasons) which was highly unusual for me since virtually all my birding trips have been spring or autumn and there were about 5 species of sylviids that I knew wouldn’t be singing and hiding from the hot sun. After ramming them into my head everyday for a few weeks, the calls sunk in and I found it amazing how different some of them actually are. As it turned out, virtually all of the sylviids I saw (including Moltoni’s, Dartford, Subalp, Sardinian and Memora’s) were silent!

Whether you are a visual learner or a auditory learner, none of it matters if you have shocking memory like me because it all goes out of the window if you don’t see or hear the birds regularly. Every spring I feel I have to go back to square 1 almost!

I would say the more you register bird sounds in the field and truly listen, even if you can’t recognise all of them, the practice of trying to do so makes understanding and translating the phonetics of bird vocals into recognisable patterns and sounds - this makes it in turn easier to describe and subsequently identify the call from databases/apps etc.

In this instance, personally I would focus on 3 or 4 of most likely scarce birds (use trip reports and bird reports to select regular annual scarcities for the location) and pick just one or two more unlikely rare ones (eg rare american passerines) that you would most want to find and learn their flight calls (esp if pipits) and contact calls (especially if warblers). I wouldn’t bother with flycatchers, wheatears or larks or buntings since these are generally more confiding anyway. That gives you about 6-8 calls to work on - personally I would forget about trying to learn much more than that in advance.

I agree with all that has been mentioned before, especially getting to know the regular species. Phylloscopus warblers are definitely found best through their calls, some of which are really characteristic, especially Yellow-browed Warbler, which is super-easy to remember I think. Calls can also be crucial for pipits, "tick"-calling buntings or thrushes, basically all the species that tend to fly over you. I wouldn't focus too much on the calls of Sylvia, Locustella and Acrocephalus warblers, I don't think they're that vocal anymore in autumn.

When hearing an unknown call try to spell it out in your head or even write it down. Remember the number of syllables, if the notes go up or down, if the call sounds raspy or clear and if it's rather high-pitched or low-pitched. Try to describe the call in comparison to sounds you already know, e.g. I think Red-breasted Flycatcher sounds like a weaker version of Wren and Richard's Pipit reminds me of House Sparrow. After listening to two or three sound recordings of possible contender species your memory will be overwritten by those recordings and your (mental) notes will be of great help.

I've found it really helpful recording the calls / songs, using Audacity or similar processing software to see the sonograms and learning the 'shape' of calls.
It's also quite handy to then look through xeno-canto set to sonogram view mode and see the variety of a species calls / songs and compare with what you have recorded.

again, on android at lest, there is an app called "sound analyser", may be others, that you can play field recordings from a sound recorder or video recorder at and see a live sonogram.
It might work direct into the phone if the call is strong.

I've had good results from a bat detector

Thank you all for your answers.

Actually, I'm pretty ok with common birds, and I'm already using recordings to increase my knowledge.

Here's what led me to my questionning: I've always been admiring those who can know that
"this Motacilla flight call isn't a regular one, maybe an eastern bird?"
or "I had the feeling this tek-tek in the bush wasn't a Blackcap, and it was indeed a Blyth's Reed Warbler"
or "I was doing some seawatch, and just heard an Olive-backed Pipit in flight"

I'm wondering about the rare/scarce migrants I've quoted above because I've never seen them, and I don't want to miss them because I ignored a call that is very close to what I know (for example Blackcap vs Dusky Warbler)

I guess the answer is: whatever tek or tik or tak I'll be hearing, I'd have to wait for the bird to show up and go for the ID! :-O

It's nice to read some of your on-the-ground experiences. Thanks again.

That goes back to Opisska's comment. Learn the common calls. That way you'll recognize when something is different.