What bird alarm calls do you use for finding predators? (7 Viewers)

[jurek]

Because covid restrictions make it impossible to actually bird more, I use it to improve my techniques.

Do you use (and which ones) calls of birds to find predators like hawks, owls or carnivores? The obvious is alarm of large gulls against a flying Goshawk or a fox in colony: 'Gao!' 'Gao!' As usually, it is not the gull call most emotional or loud to the human ear which means the biggest danger. Another are specific calls of ravens and crows attacking a predator: relatively quiet, but rolling and scratching 'r'r'r'r'r'r're!', like given through clenched teeth. I however half-know there is another alarm call of Raven, because I heard Ravens changing their calls slightly when seeing me. But I still don't recognize it clearly. Of songbirds, Great Tit has two useful calls. Alarm is a fast, scolding 'trerererereh' and in escape quick, high, clipped 'tin'tin''. Both can signal a Sparrowhawk nearby. Any other examples?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Nobody I know, does this in the UK.

 

[Chosun Juan]

Absolutely !
I've written about this many times.
It's about being in tune with nature.

In this country the best proponents are the Noisy Miners (sometimes colloquially known as 'soldier birds' - either because of their gang like tactics, or because they're always on the lookout). They have a different alarm call for each of the dozen or so different types of raptors that frequent the area. With practice they will tell you exactly what sort of raptor is around AND what sort of a mood it is in and what it is doing ! They also have different alarm calls for things like ravens, goannas, and cats (domestic or feral).

Other species will get in on the act too - rainbow lorikeets, sulphur-crested cockatoos, corellas, and galahs, magpie larks, etc

Their biggest worries seem to be goshawks, and falcons. Everything universally totally freaks out when there is a peregrine falcon about !

I'd say about ~80% of the time the birds are better than you at spotting what is about - though it's good to get one up on them sometimes ! 😉

In certain weather conditions though, such as strong winds, this can all go out the window. Predators can even change their 'usual' behaviour. I have seen little eagles and even more unusual - spotted harriers, roaring along at canopy skimming level like mad out of control hangliders - ripping unsuspecting noisy miners out of the canopy without the prey's buddies even making an audible sound.

So yeah, well realized 👍


Chosun 🙅

 

[Xenospiza]

Carrion Crow has a typical alarm call mostly used for Goshawk. They are much better than me at finding them.
The wave of Blue and Long-tailed Tit calls announcing a Sparrowhawk can be useful, although I have found that tits are not that good at recognising Stock Doves or Wood Pigeons!
White Wagtails start chattering in a very recognisable way when a raptor flies across.

 

[jurek]

Barn Swallow has a particular call - rather dry, clipped, disyllabic 'si-vik!' repeated with regular spaces. It often signals a Sparrowhawk or a Hobby.

European Blackbirds are a bit different. They often agitate for long periods low in the forest undergrowth, especially before dusk. Often they bicker between themselves, but often, especially if some other bird species also alarms, it means a danger. In this case, it is often a mammal in the undergrowth - a deer, wild boar or a fox.

I often wonder what happens in a minority of cases when there was a clear alarm, but nothing seen. Did I mistake birds internal bickering for a predator alarm? Or was there a predator but unseen - an unseen Sparrowhawk zipped behind the trees, or a Stoat is hiding invisibly in the undergrowth?

 

[Farnboro John]

Because covid restrictions make it impossible to actually bird more, I use it to improve my techniques.

Do you use (and which ones) calls of birds to find predators like hawks, owls or carnivores? The obvious is alarm of large gulls against a flying Goshawk or a fox in colony: 'Gao!' 'Gao!' As usually, it is not the gull call most emotional or loud to the human ear which means the biggest danger. Another are specific calls of ravens and crows attacking a predator: relatively quiet, but rolling and scratching 'r'r'r'r'r'r're!', like given through clenched teeth. I however half-know there is another alarm call of Raven, because I heard Ravens changing their calls slightly when seeing me. But I still don't recognize it clearly. Of songbirds, Great Tit has two useful calls. Alarm is a fast, scolding 'trerererereh' and in escape quick, high, clipped 'tin'tin''. Both can signal a Sparrowhawk nearby. Any other examples?

I use Great and Blue Tit alarm calls as cues to look for Sparrowhawk all the time. I've followed Blackbirds and found both Tawny and Long-eared Owls. I pay attention to all alarm calls.

Interestingly, though, I've also seen a Wren following a Weasel about eighteen inches up through twiggage, silently: so I look around birds moving silently and not appearing to forage, too.

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

I misunderstood the OP, I thought it was referring to the use of playback.

Blackbirds are the most obvious for me along with Robins.

 

[Allen]

Starlings have a specific alarm call that always alerts me to a Sparrowhawk.

 

[stuartvine]

Ravens make great alarms for detecting birds of prey. They've put me on to both Booted and Bonelli's Eagles in Crete.

 

[jurek]

Starlings have a specific alarm call that always alerts me to a Sparrowhawk.

Which one? A short, rather hissing call a bit like 'tzzk!'?

 

[Xenospiza]

House Martins have a musical trill or rattle which is very good for being made aware of raptors as well.

 

[Allen]

Jurek - yes that sounds right, tbh I don't really make a note of how it phonetically sounds, just know it when I hear it and invariably find a Sparrowhawk in the vicinity although maybe they use it for more purposes

 

[Jay C]

House Sparrow alarm calls have on several occasions alerted me to the presence of my local Sparrowhawk. The House Sparrow alarm is more of a frantic, screeching chirp than their normal call, I'm not sure how I'd describe the actual sound though.

 

[pianoman]

Nobody I know, does this in the UK.

I thought at first Jurek was referring to using recordings out in the field to attract BOP - but re-reading, i now see he is talking about learning the alarm calls from recordings in order to recognise them in the field.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I thought at first Jurek was referring to using recordings out in the field to attract BOP - but re-reading, i now see he is talking about learning the alarm calls from recordings in order to recognise them in the field.

See post 7.

 

[Andy Lakin]

It was very interesting last year to compare the local swallows alarm calls to Sparrowhawk and Hobby. I had read about the calls being different but that was the first time I had heard it.

 

[Andy Adcock]

It was very interesting last year to compare the local swallows alarm calls to Sparrowhawk and Hobby. I had read about the calls being different but that was the first time I had heard it.

Had no idea that Swallows had an alarm call!

 

[jurek]

I thought at first Jurek was referring to using recordings out in the field to attract BOP - but re-reading, i now see he is talking about learning the alarm calls from recordings in order to recognise them in the field.

I think this would be counter-productive. I never seen a bird of prey being attracted to an alarm call.

In fact, it is said that alarm call functions partially to drive the predator away 'your hunt is spoiled here, go somewhere else', so the alarming bird acts partially selfishly, not unselfishly warns others. I only heard that very large predators could be attracted to alarm call to hunt a smaller predator, but in absence of tigers, mountain lions etc. in my local patch I cannot comment on it.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think this would be counter-productive. I never seen a bird of prey being attracted to an alarm call.

In fact, it is said that alarm call functions partially to drive the predator away 'your hunt is spoiled here, go somewhere else', so the alarming bird acts partially selfishly, not unselfishly warns others. I only heard that very large predators could be attracted to alarm call to hunt a smaller predator, but in absence of tigers, mountain lions etc. in my local patch I cannot comment on it.

Am I correct in remembering that Blackbirds have different calls for land and aerial predators?

 

[nartreb]

Am I correct in remembering that Blackbirds have different calls for land and aerial predators?

I don't know about your blackbirds, but many birds do. Around here, the noisiest denizens of deciduous woods are squirrels and chipmunks. Chipmunks aren't very discriminate (or at least I can't hear much variation in their alarm calls) but the grey squirrels have a distinct alarm for aerial predators, which sounds a lot like the cry of a red-tailed hawk.