Bird song identification: songs and calls for beginners

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One of the joys of spring is the burst of bird song it brings, but telling birds apart by sound alone can be tricky for beginners. Start by learning the repertoire of some of the UK's most familiar songsters and you'll soon get your ear in.
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Song
A silvery, crystal song that becomes more wistful during the winter months.
Call
Produces a rapid, urgent 'tic' call when alarmed.
Best time to hear
Can be heard all year round, but especially at dusk. Artificial lighting can encourage it to sing long into the evening.
Audio: Andrew Harrop / xeno-canto.org
Great tit (Parus major)
Song
Clear and repetitive 'tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher'.
Calls
Has a range of calls that can be difficult even for seasoned birdwatchers to identify.
Best time to hear
Begins singing in early spring as buds begin to burst.
Audio: Stuart Fisher / xeno-canto.org
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Song
A loud burst of song with consistent phrases, including a tell-tale machine gun rattle towards the end.
Call
A loud, rapid 'tititic' when alarmed.
Best time to hear
Can be heard all year round but especially in spring.
Audio: Mike Ball / xeno-canto.org
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Song
Says its name with a lively, repeated 'chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, chiff-chiff-chaff'.
Call
Contact calls between pairs are short 'it' sounds.
Best time to hear
Begins singing as early as February after returning to the UK on migration.
Audio: Dave Curtis / xeno-canto.org
Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)
A melancholy, descending song of falling notes.
Call
Soft 'hoo-eet' sound.
Best time to hear
Listen for them from late March and early April once they've returned from sub-Saharan Africa.
Audio: Tony Fulford / xeno-canto.org
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Song
Short and fast descending song that ends with 'diddieoo', or repetitive, insistent single notes known as the chaffinch's rain song.
Calls
Contact call is an abrupt 'pink, pink' sound.
Best time to hear
Can be heard throughout spring and summer.
Audio: Dave Curtis / xeno-canto.org
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song
Rich and mellow with a languid pace and short pauses between phrases.
Call
Scolding, harsh outburst when alarmed and often delivered in flight.
Best time to hear
Typically heard on long summer evenings.
Audio: Frank Lambert / xeno-canto.org
Song thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Song
Variety of short, high-pitched phrases, usually repeated two or three times in quick succession.
Call
Flight call is a sharp 'tsip'.
Best time to hear
Males begin singing as early as January, particularly in early morning.
Audio: Bram Piot / xeno-canto.org
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Song
A loud and rapid 'twit-twit-twit-twit' or slower 'sirr-sirr-sirr'.
Call
Series of harsh sounds much like the song but which come closer together when excited.
Best time to hear
Can be heard throughout the year.
Audio: Nick Talbot / xeno-canto.org
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Song
Light and twittery song with delicate phrases.
Call
Produces various calls, some fluttery and others shrill, particularly when travelling in groups.
Best time to hear
Listen for them from late April.
Audio: Stuart Fisher / xeno-canto.org
Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
Song
Building notes that fall suddenly away in a wheeze, famously said to sound like 'little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheeeeese'.
Call
Various, including 'twick' sounds and a thin 'see' when alarmed.
Best time to hear
Heard singing from hedgerows throughout spring and summer.
Audio: Tony Whitehead / xeno-canto.org
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