Birding by ear
11 Feb 2016
With the breeding of most of our birds only a few weeks away, now is a good time to practise your bird song identification skills and before the dawn chorus becomes too overwhelming. Although birds have a huge repertoire of songs and calls, it is not that difficult to recognise the majority; it is very much a case of taking it step by step and building up your 'library' of songs and sounds you recognise.
A good bird to start with is the Wren. Singing year-round, its song is a simple cadence with little variation. Another good 'starter bird' is Robin, which has been singing since late autumn and will continue well into the summer. Birds such as Blackbird and Chaffinch will be starting in the next few weeks. The xeno-canto website is a fantastic resource for bird songs and calls from around the world.
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