Can we ID birds by their alarm call? (1 Viewer)

Hi there

Just for interest, I would love to know if many of us can ID a bird by its alarm call.

I am not meaning that we cause problems to alarm birds, but more of a birds 'call' for self preservation from natural preditors.

I find Blackbirds easy for obvious reasons

Wrens and Robins are similar with the Pssks and tssks - so it takes a trained ear to work out which is which bird making any verbal calls

Love to know peoples thoughts

Regards
Kathy
x

I find the Swallow's alarm call very distinctive and away from the nest they are not normally concerned with cats or humans etc. so you can bet there is a Hobby or Sparrowhawk about!

Tony

Rainbow Lorikeets have a specific alarm call for Snakes and Goannas and another for Owls. No mistaking them however whatever the screech!

Yes indeed, many birds' alarm calls are distinctive (Mistle Thrush, Robin, Nightingale ...), but it's also true that they appear to have evolved to be recognisable as alarms by other species, so they have a lot of similarity, particularly between closely-related species.

A lot of people will call "Blackcap" on hearing a "tac", but other Sylvia warblers do that too: there are differences but subtle.

The post above about Swallows is very true, and both they and House Martins have apparently different calls for different dangers: "Hobby !", "Sparrowhawk !" etc but I haven't managed to learn them yet :-C

One of the most characteristic (& easily IDed) sounds in my backyard this time of the year--when there are fledglings about--are the alarm calls of the American Robins (which BTW to my ear are remarkably similar to the alarm calls of the European Blackbird).

Also very distinctive are the alarm calls of the California Quail which infest my yard year round & are always fussing about something--hawks, cats, me . . ..