Chirp 2

Each week I’m posting a Chirpy Chirp Challenge, listening to birdsong.

Today we are looking at the chaffinch and the goldfinch.

 

Last week was the blue tit and great tit. How did you get on recognising their calls? I’d be interested to hear from you!

All you’ll need to join in is a piece of paper and a pencil.

The chaffinch

 

I’ve been delighted to see and hear chaffinches back in my area after a few years’ absence 🙂

Clothes – the female (Mrs) and the male (Mr) are different – although they both have striking white wing bars. The female has a fawn back and buff- coloured front. The male has a grey-blueish head, brown back and a bright pinkey front.

Behaviour – these birds will eat insects or seeds and can be seen foraging on twigs, branches and around flower beds.

Calls – When busy feeding chaffinches often make a double note call followed by a ‘pink!’ single note like this:

Did you hear the two different calls?

Their other call is a bit longer and is often repeated a few times:

Write ‘chaffinch’ at the top of your paper and below it list 1, 2 and 3 for the different calls.

Now see if you can write or draw the pattern of how the calls sound to you. Here’s a few questions to help you:

In the first recording do the notes stay on the same level like this – – – – – – -? Or do they go up and down? Like a W or like an M? Or is there another way you can describe it?

In the second recording do the notes go down or up? How many can you count? Can you draw the pattern?

If you try and clap the rhythm, what do you get?

There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just to help you remember the sounds.

Goldfinch

Clothes – The male (Mr) and the female (Mrs) look the same. The bird has a black mask with white cheeks and red spots by the beak. It has a buff spot on its white front and striking gold flashes and black bars on its wings.

Behaviour – goldfinches are often seen or heard in the high tops of trees, chattering away with excited calls. Apart from the breeding season, these birds often congregrate in groups for most of the year. They are known as a charm of goldfinches – isn’t that appropriate?

In the countryside they mix with other birds such as the linnet and yellowhammer, which you can see in the pictures below:

During the winter you might see a flock, sometimes hundreds, descend or rise from a field. They will be eating seeds left over from the harvest.

Calls – here is the goldfinch song:

Goldfinches sometimes sing in flight, or take one or two notes from their song and repeat them over and over.

Write ‘goldfinch’ at the top of your paper and below it list 1,  for the call.

Now see if you can write or draw the pattern of how the call sounds to you. Here’s a few questions to help you:

Do the notes stay on the same level like this – – – – – – -? Or do they go up and down? Like a W or like an M? Or is there another way you can describe it?

If you try and clap the rhythm, what do you get?

There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just to help you remember the sounds.

Chirp Challenge

Finally your challenge is to listen to the final recording of bird chorus below. There’s a few singing in this one – see if you can spot the chaffinch and the goldfinch calls:

 

Now, here’s a trickier recording:

How did you get on? Remember, the more you listen, the easier it will become 🙂

For more info on these two birds, and how they sound, please watch and listen to these great wee videos below:

Chaffinch : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgulYE0Mbmc

Goldfinch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H5aRYm4NIw

More chirps next week!