How many birds do you recognise by their call/song? (1 Viewer)

[ChrisKten]

Firstly, Moderators, if this has been asked elsewhere in these forums, please delete this thread.


This is for those that basically feed and watch the birds in the garden. If you are a serious birder please don't use this thread to show off.


I was listening this morning and realised I can identify quite a few birds by their call, song, and/or alarm. I wasn't trying to identify them, I've just got used to hearing them.

Anyway, I can identify, in no particular order, the following:

Blackbird
Goldcrest
Crow
Starling
Robin
Chaffinch
Great Tit
Magpie
Jay
Collard Dove
Wood Pigeon
Pigeon
Sparrow

There are a few others that I'm not 100% sure of, so I won't add those. Now being able to identify 13 birds' calls isn't exactly impressive, but a few years ago that number would probably have been 3 (Blackbird, Crow, Pigeon).

So how many can you identify in your garden?

(Remember, the number of birds in your garden is affected by your location, so there's no such thing as a good or bad answer in this thread)

EDIT:Added Sparrows to my list, I forgot, but razorsharp's list reminded me.

 

[razorsharp]

Good one! I'm guessing it's only garden birds so here goes:

Blackbird
House Sparrow(the easiest one in my opinion)
Starling
Jay(never had one in the garden though)
Mistle Thrush
Fieldfare
Collared Dove
Woodpigeon
Robin
Jackdaw
Magpie
Rook
Crow
Chaffinch
Coal tit
Blue tit
Great Tit
Godfinch
Redpoll
Greenfinch
Sparrowhawk(extremely rare for the garden thogh)

I can name a lot more by there call/songs but you don't often get Skylarks or Sedge Warblers in the garden!

 

[ChrisKten]

Good one! I'm guessing it's only garden birds so here goes:

Blackbird
House Sparrow(the easiest one in my opinion)
Starling
Jay(never had one in the garden though)
Mistle Thrush
Fieldfare
Collared Dove
Woodpigeon
Robin
Jackdaw
Magpie
Rook
Crow
Chaffinch
Coal tit
Blue tit
Great Tit
Godfinch
Redpoll
Greenfinch
Sparrowhawk(extremely rare for the garden thogh)

I can name a lot more by there call/songs but you don't often get Skylarks or Sedge Warblers in the garden!

That's a good number for your garden. Incidentally, Sparrowhawk is one of the ones I'm not 100% sure of.

Oh, and yes, just garden birds.

 

[John Cantelo]

If they're honest I suspect most people would reply that they can recognise several less than they think they do!

 

[ChrisKten]

If they're honest I suspect most people would reply that they can recognise several less than they think they do!

Yes, I would imagine that's true. The only reason I recognise the ones that I do is because I'm watching the garden for at least 6 hours every day (long story). So I've actually been able to see them when they are calling or singing.

The Starlings' alarm is easy to identify (reminds of frightened children), but the other noises they make can be anything. There's so many different squeaks and pips and whistles.

I did have a problem distinguishing between Collard Doves and Wood Pigeons. Then I heard about the "My toe hurts", and "My Toe hurts Bet-ty" phrases, that made it much easier.

If you are saying you can never be sure, then I agree, unless of course you can actually see it happening at the same time.

 

[razorsharp]

I'll admit to not knowing siskin and dunnock.

 

[ChrisKten]

I'll admit to not knowing siskin and dunnock.

I'll admit to not knowing 1000s.

My experience is mostly limited to my garden. I think I was surprised that I recognised as many calls as I did. That's why I started this thread, I wondered if others realised that they were hearing, as well as seeing.

It's a bit off topic, but I feel I've learnt a great deal about Bird behaviour over the last couple of years. Like I said I spend at least 6 hours every day watching. I never get bored, and I find it fascinating.

 

[conkerwoman]

I can identify the following visitors to my garden by their calls:

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long Tailed Tit
Robin
Blackbird
Blackcap
Songthrush
Wren
House Sparrow
Magpie
Collared Dove
Jackdaw
House Martin
Chiffchaff

Sparrowhawk and Buzzard sometimes fly over, and it's usually their call that makes me look up.

My favourite sound, apart from the obvious songbirds, is the peeping of a flock of around 20 long-tailed tits that flew over most afternoons last summer at about 4pm. You could hear them a long way off, and I always rushed out to say hello to the little cuties! They didn't stay around long, just perched in a tree for a minute to catch their breath, but they were sooooo pretty! Fingers crossed that they come back this year.

 

[Hades screech owl]

I can recognise the magpie robins' (Copsychus saularis) song. I just heard it for the first time yesterday. I also know the red vented bulbuls' (Pycnonotus cafer) song, it's very small but nice all the same. I have heard the baya weavers' (Ploceus philippinus)singing as they make their nest, more chirping than song. I have heard the robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus) chirping and doing his little tail dance, but I'm not sure if I'd call it a song.

I was very impressed my the magpie robins' song, because it was like an actual song, with a tune and everything. I guess everyone feels like that when they first actually hear a bird sing.
I wish a shama (Copsychus malabaricus) would come into my garden, I thought I saw one last winter, but he never returned.

 

[Moraybirdlover]

Interesting thread. I didn't think I would be able to identify many until I sat down and thought about it. 10 garden birds that I am sure of but 21 if I count other birds. Not many I know but more than I had realised.
What about our lovely summer visiters : Swallows!?! The sound of summer!

 

[Hades screech owl]

^^ Oh yes, swallows. It's so funny, we get swallows in winter. They migrate here, and leave in summer.

 

[AkCrimson]

Well I have only been identifying birds for a few months now, and we don't have a lot of variety here but I can identify by call;

Black-Capped Chickadee
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Common Redpoll
Robin
Bohemian Waxwing
Steller's Jay
Magpie
Crossbill
Pine Grossbeak
Pine Siskin
Dark-Eyed Junco
Common Raven

Then theres all the birds of prey, too.

 

[bkrownd]

I can ID pretty much anything that will appear in the native forests here by ear, and a few alien yard birds that make noise outside my bedroom window in the morning. There isn't much to chose from, so there isn't much chance of confusion - perhaps just 25 species including aliens, and usually less than 8 species possible in any particular area. When I'm travelling I usually pick up the birds of interest to me pretty quickly - my head was full of numerous wrens, warblers, sparrows, finches, kinglets and thrushes last fall - but they also fade quickly afterwards.