Undisclosed, Forest of Dean, UK (1 Viewer)

[dwatsonbirder]

Confidential site, I'm interested in opinions on the call at 2.5, 7.5 and 10 seconds. To avoid any prejudice, I won't comment on my identification yet. Will probably need headphones and to crank the volume up!

Other species in the background; Wren, Robin, Chiffchaff, Chaffinch, Blackbird, and Blackcap.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Phil Andrews]

You're going down the oriole route?

 

[jogresh]

Sounds like a distant gull. 🤔

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Daniel,

with the usual caveats (I am still looking for general aspects and comments about this. Anyone? Thanks!)
Yes it can be a Gull or a mimicking Jay, but my instant gut feeling was Honey Buzzard (this would fit your precaution in reveiling exact location?).

 

[PYRTLE]

Hello Daniel,

with the usual caveats (I am still looking for general aspects and comments about this. Anyone? Thanks!)
Yes it can be a Gull or a mimicking Jay, but my instant gut feeling was Honey Buzzard (this would fit your precaution in reveiling exact location?).

I think the call is the fluted type double sound..... I cannot pick up an HB call, not that I've heard many tbh.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Thanks for the commentary so far. Interesting that gull/HB have been suggested, I didn't (can't) make that out at all. A few learned folk have agreed that the bird sounds good for the cat call of golden oriole, which was my impression in the field, but just wanted to open it out to others who hear them more regularly than we do in the UK for their thoughts. If it is indeed GO, that would be a find "hat trick" for me, so a slight ulterior motive...

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Daniel,

thanks! When you (tentavely) identified it as Golden Oriole in the field, than it was surely one. And thanks to all for correction!

I will hear it tomorrow and at the weekend on other devises. I hear so many Golden Orioles every year and also very few HB each year.
No offense you know, but a serious question: after knowing this is a GO I think I can just make out the right melodious quality of this species, but it still has some raptor like screaming, rising quality. Is this caused by my actual devise, a tablet? Or are tgere other reasons? Thanks!

 

[PYRTLE]

Hello Daniel,

thanks! When you (tentavely) identified it as Golden Oriole in the field, than it was surely one. And thanks to all for correction!

I will hear it tomorrow and at the weekend on other devises. I hear so many Golden Orioles every year and also very few HB each year.
No offense you know, but a serious question: after knowing this is a GO I think I can just make out the right melodious quality of this species, but it still has some raptor like screaming, rising quality. Is this caused by my actual devise, a tablet? Or are tgere other reasons? Thanks!

Doubt it's your tablet ( I use a basic Samsung ) unless the speakers are duff.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Hello Daniel,

thanks! When you (tentavely) identified it as Golden Oriole in the field, than it was surely one. And thanks to all for correction!

I will hear it tomorrow and at the weekend on other devises. I hear so many Golden Orioles every year and also very few HB each year.
No offense you know, but a serious question: after knowing this is a GO I think I can just make out the right melodious quality of this species, but it still has some raptor like screaming, rising quality. Is this caused by my actual devise, a tablet? Or are tgere other reasons? Thanks!

Despite living in a place (Russia) where I saw plenty of HB's, I have still, never heard one call and several field guides describe them as being 'mostly silent' so anyone who hears one is lucky.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Andy,

thanks! My experience is the following: I see displaying pairs each year and from memory hear them calling on this (regular? Iam not so sure anymore. But from memory not very/extremly rare).

And I heard them in the vicinity of a breeding place during roughly late june/july/august at my local patch in SW Germany. Every year? Yes from memory I think so. Didnt know that this is unusual. But as said thats my experience. Thanks again!

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

It is very close to an Oriole and, when in a forest, if I heard one other (different) call I would be certain. Since I grew up with these birds, you develop some 'sixth sense' for them. The calls follow each other rapidly, that's a bit strange. Normally you should hear other calls too. Honey Buzzard? Never heard something like this from them but that's no proof at all. They have many secrets.

Try it a different way, it sounds quite close. Look at the tree tops, a Honey Buzzard is much larger than an Oriole and stays in one place. You must be able to find the location based on the sound. Just wait, another Honey Buzzard may be in the air. They have just arrived, the breeding pairs may get unwanted visitors (rivals). Often they fly just above the trees but sometimes they are high in the air. When there are gaps in the canopy you may see them.

Orioles move, they fly through the tree tops, fast and straight like little rockets. Others say, they look like Starlings on steroids. The sound comes from different directions. These days, the male and female communicate with each other a lot. Sometimes, Orioles have meetings of several birds, from the neighborhood, rivals, immature birds, hard to tell, it looks like a fight but it is also a social event. Then you see them flying everywhere. This goes on for ten minutes or so and then they are gone. Solitary pairs are quite silent but almost always they will make some noise at sunrise.

Or, try to get a position on higher ground and look over the forest. This is the way to find the low flying Honey Buzzards.

These are two of my favorite birds, maybe because of their mysterious behavior

 

[Andy Adcock]

Orioles move, they fly through the tree tops, fast and straight like little rockets. Others say, they look like Starlings on steroids. The sound comes from different directions. These days, the male and female communicate with each other a lot. Sometimes, Orioles have meetings of several birds, from the neighborhood, rivals, immature birds, hard to tell, it looks like a fight but it is also a social event. Then you see them flying everywhere. This goes on for ten minutes or so and then they are gone. Solitary pairs are quite silent but almost always they will make some noise at sunrise.

Or, try to get a position on higher ground and look over the forest. This is the way to find the low flying Honey Buzzards.

These are two of my favorite birds, maybe because of their mysterious behavior

I was watching three of them last week, flying through a wide, open area from tree to tree and they have an undulating flight, not unlike a Woodpecker.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

I was watching three of them last week, flying through a wide, open area from tree to tree and they have an undulating flight, not unlike a Woodpecker.

In Western Europa they are forest dwellers, they fly straight, look like Starlings but are much faster. The ones I saw in open fields flew in a straight line too. It's possible their behavior is different in other parts of Europe with other habitats.

 

[PaulShanghai]

I was watching three of them last week, flying through a wide, open area from tree to tree and they have an undulating flight, not unlike a Woodpecker.

Yes, that is my experience too. I don't see any resemblance to starling flight.

 

[Southern Viking]

Ones I've seen have always been obviously undulating over any distance, and that ranges from migrants flying over large open areas (Pyrenean foothills), to on breeding grounds in Britain, France and The Netherlands.

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Migrants are a totally different category. Ever seen a Marsh Harrier when migrating? Totally different flight. ''Wide open area'' is also a different category. In Western Europe the far majority of sightings are of Orioles flying less than 50 meters in the forests. They prefer to stay in the forest, high in the trees.

In fact, when the first Orioles return, and the leaves appear in the trees, you find them without binos by the way they fly through the treetops, like fast yellow and green Starlings.

Did the OP see a migrating yellow bird with undulating flight? The call was heard in a forest and he didn't see the bird. That's the topic of this thread, I just shared my experience with Orioles in forests.

 

[Southern Viking]

Migrants are a totally different category. Ever seen a Marsh Harrier when migrating?

Many times, many places.

Over a very short distance Golden Oriole don't seem to undulate, but the same goes for e.g. Little Owl (or just about anything that undulates). If the distance is hardly longer than an undulation then they can seem fairly direct.

I do agree that not much of this is relevant regarding the original post, given that it wasn't apparently seen though!

 

[TheBlackGrouse]

Many times, many places.

Over a very short distance Golden Oriole don't seem to undulate, but the same goes for e.g. Little Owl (or just about anything that undulates). If the distance is hardly longer than an undulation then they can seem fairly direct.

I do agree that not much of this is relevant regarding the original post, given that it wasn't apparently seen though!

Ok, on topic because it's about their behavior in their breeding grounds

In the canopy they have fast straight parts of 10 - 20 meters with fast changes of direction. Following them with your binos is difficult and often impossible.

In forests they may cross an open field (a few hundred meters). Then their flight is fast/straight alternated with shallow 'waves' without losing any speed. Sometimes I used the word 'bouncing' (stuiteren in Dutch) in my notes. Over here, they always seem to be in a hurry, probably because of raptors.

Of course, when migrating, it's long distance work, they try to save energy and have an undulating flight.

Thinking about it, in almost every forest in the Netherlands there are Sparrowhawks and/or Goshawks. Hobbies, Peregrines may be close. Possibly Orioles are less in a hurry in regions where raptors are rare. Then their flight might be more undulating. Ok, this is speculation but interesting.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Thanks for all input, I'm afraid I still can't hear any raptor type calls. The bird in question I took immediately to be a Golden oriole, but just wanted to check others with more recent experience of cat calling individuals agreed. I've had more positive input which reinforces my original identification, so I'm happy to submit to the local RC accordingly. A shame it disappeared soon afterwards, but such is the nature of some migrants in a huge swathe of woodland!

 

[Andy Adcock]

Thanks for all input, I'm afraid I still can't hear any raptor type calls. The bird in question I took immediately to be a Golden oriole, but just wanted to check others with more recent experience of cat calling individuals agreed. I've had more positive input which reinforces my original identification, so I'm happy to submit to the local RC accordingly. A shame it disappeared soon afterwards, but such is the nature of some migrants in a huge swathe of woodland!

Let us know if it gets accepted.