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Merlin Identifies as House Sparrow but not heard this before ? (2 Viewers)

Thegeezer9999

Well-known member
Ireland
I have attached a recording of what Merlin has identified over and over as a House Sparrow, but I have to say I have never heard them make this two tone noise before ? Can anyone shed any light on what this call would be for, and if it is a House Sparrow ?

Thank you
 

Attachments

  • 2025-03-04 House_Sparrow.wav
    6.3 MB
What's is disturbing you ? The two tones or the general song ?
Both seems ok to House sparrows for my begginer ears...
 
What's is disturbing you ? The two tones or the general song ?
Both seems ok to House sparrows for my begginer ears...
The two tones continuously really. I have tons of sparrows in garden, also see them locally in the wild, even have some nesting ones in tree opposite, but I have never heard them emit this two tone call ?
Anyway, I just wondered if anyone could confirm this was a house sparrow call, and under what kind of circumstances it might have been made ?

Thanks again
 
I hear coal tit mainly, house sparrow in the background, along with singing dunnock (25 seconds in) herring gull, and starling (a couple of calls about 26 seconds in).
 
So I think that i'm mistaken but I don't feel the rhythm and sound of Great tit...I have to practice...
For the two tones of House sparrow I ever earded that, like in the video at 0'30
 
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I would agree that the main call (something like "hooweet.......tseeooo") is most likely Coal Tit. I hear a similar call quite often on walks and it used to puzzle me untill I got a good view of the Coal Tit making the call.
 
I'm not convinced about Coal Tit. It sounds a bit like a Grey Wagtail to me, the low rhythm of the single sounds would be in line, not so the pitch of the first note.
 
I'm not convinced about Coal Tit. It sounds a bit like a Grey Wagtail to me, the low rhythm of the single sounds would be in line, not so the pitch of the first note.
Surely there are at least a couple of coal tit-like calls towards the start of the series (pe-cheww). The bulk don't sound very typical to me but I would probably believe tit over wagtail.
 
Thank you for all the suggestions, it sounds like Merlin’s determination of house sparrow may not be correct ?
When I have seen/heard coal tits in the past, the two-tone has normally been joined, kind of like the great tit but different tones. I guess the strange thing on this one is the pause between end of “upward” note and beginning of “downward” note, sounds like that woodwind instrument you pull out and push back !!
We do have a grey wagtail who comes to visit in back garden though !
 
Merlin is correct with house sparrow as there are house sparrows on the recording, but the main call we hear is not from a house sparrow.
 

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