It has been firmly established that birds twitter. But does a bird come any more twittery than a greenfinch in Spring?
There’s something amiably conversational about a greenfinch’s song - a series of simple trills that change tone between phrases. It can sound as though there are several birds talking together when there’s really only one.
Try listening to it as if it’s a considered exchange of views. One thought from one bird. A different thought in response. Then another from a third.
It’s enough to make you wonder whether they’re up to something like the Home Alone schtick of the great tits (‘don’t even try, it’s heaving here already’).
To the human ear those trills are pretty but not necessarily that distinctive, among all the other season’s tweeting.
Happily, greenfinches also throw in a couple of giveaways.
The first is audible: a sudden drawn-out wheeze. Often this makes an abrupt change of tone in the middle of the trilling conversation, as in the recording above.
At other times it’s delivered repetitively, on its own, as in the recording below.
Depending on the individual, it can sound gossipy, quizzical, even a bit sarcastic.
The other greenfinch giveaway is visual: their ‘butterfly impression’, a slow-winged display flight often made while they sing.
The starting point for these aerial manoeuvres is generally the top of a tall hedge or tree, far from the ground, which is sensible when you’re attempting to fly without beating your wings properly.
New to Shriek of the Week? You can listen to all previous shrieks including Song Thrush, Blackbird and Dunnock via the index page.
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Would you like to go all-in learning the sounds of birds with me this Spring? The British Birdsong 101 course begins tomorrow, featuring the sounds of more than 50 species, with downloadable audio lessons, live group practice sessions and ID support throughout.
See the Birdsong Academy site for more details and how to register.
Media credits:
Thanks to the British Library for their recordings.
Greenfinch image cropped from an original by Hans Veth on Unsplash