Catch the chorus

Dawn in spring is a cacophony of noise. Our resident birds tune up for the day ahead, proclaiming their territories and warning off rivals.

It’s well worth getting up early out of your warm, cosy bed. But can you tell your blackbird from your blackcap? If not, to get you started in the wonderful world of birdsong, here’s a few common species you might hear, including links to our website so you can listen to them before you head out. (Plus if you read to the end, I might give you a  bonus bird...)

Blackbird

First up, your blackbird. Now as a common garden bird, most people in the UK can identify one, and I’m sure many know it’s lovely, flutey, mellow song, repeated every two-three seconds. Some have regular song-posts, so you’ll be able to catch up with your garden regulars. Blackbirds often kick off the dawn chorus, so once you hear one singing, keep listening!

Blackcap

Blackcaps are next up as a bird to try. A common migrant to the UK in spring, lots of scrub patches and gardens should harbour a pair or two by now. Listen along on the website, can you pick up the melodic warble? They tend vary the tempo a bit, and each song lasts around five seconds on average.

Robin

Another garden favourite is the robin. Like their blackbird cousins, robins are early risers and will be there at the start of the dawn chorus. In fact, robins will even sing at night, especially in the presence of streetlights. These red-breasted songsters give out a quite varied song, with fast warbled notes, followed up with a few elongated notes. Best thing to do is have a listen, you may have already heard one without knowing it!

Willowchiff

We’re going down a different route now, try a willow warbler. It was once described to me as like water flowing down a stream, and that’s how I hear their melodious warble. It’s much different to it’s almost identical cousin, the chiffchaff, which says its name. Over and over again.

Give it a try...

So that’s five to try. I’m sure you can hear them all this weekend, as they cover the vast majority of the UK. Be sure to let me know how you get on, but hurry, miss it and you'll have to wait til next year.

And remember, you can listen to the songs and calls of most of the UK’s species on our website. But. if you want to hear the experience for yourself in your own home, try listening to recent Living World show on BBC iPlayer. It was recorded at our Coombes Valley nature reserve in Staffordshire.

Special, bonus bird!

Ok, this one is special. They don’t occur over the whole of the UK, so you will have to work to get one of these. But the song of the nightingale is so entrancing, that that once you’ve nailed some of the common species you’ll want to go and listen to them! With near-legendary status, the silence-shattering burst builds up into the full song. Just listen to it. It’s magic.