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 Common Chaffinch   Fringilla coelebs


  

 

Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire, Scotland  56° 44' 45.8" N  03° 32' 49.7" W  7 June 2016

Edited sample of a singing male with three song types, playing A-A-A B-B-B C-C-C.

Of 173 song strophes sung in 20 minutes, 78 were type A (medium, 2.49 sec), 50 type B (long, 2.82 sec) and 45 type C (short, 2.11 sec) with 31 switches between each type.

[File name: chaffinch113757ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch with three song types

Rainham Marshes, Essex, England  51° 29' 21" N  000° 13' 53" E  11 Apr 2021

Edited sample of a singing male with three song types, playing A-A-A B-B-B C-C-C.

Of 69 song strophes sung in 10 minutes, 47 were type A, 7 of type B and 21 of type C. Some variation in the number of syllables within specific phrases, e.g. phrase-2 on song-A had 5-11 repetitions. Only two songs out of 69 were an exact match. Also some inter-song syllables suggesting song not full crystallised yet.

[File name: chaffinch117619e3cut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch song with Pied Wagtail mimicry

Blencathra FSC, Cumbria, England  54° 37' 13" N  003° 04' 53" W   11 June 2019

Chaffinch with two song types, both incorporating the perched call (highlighted in blue) of a Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) as the first syllable in the opening phrase. Repeated twice in most song type 2 strophes.

[File name: chaffinch116167ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Achladeri Forest, Lesvos, Greece  39° 09' 07.7" N  26° 17' 00.7" E  20 May 2017

Territorial song from natural pine forest.

[File name: chaffinch114520ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

 Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Song rate per minute

 

 

 

  Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Phillipsreut, Germany  48º 51' 30.1'' N  13º 40' 50.1'' W  25 June 2016

Territorial song from spruce plantation.

[File name: chaffinch113997ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Kindrogan FSC Field Centre, Enochdhu, Perthshire, Scotland  56º 44' 53.7'' N  03º 33' 02.4'' W  11 June 2015

Territorial song composed of two trilling phrases and a terminal flourish from a tree-fall area in a Sitka Spruce plantantion, bordering a slightly more open area with a few Sessile Oaks and Silver Birches. Song perches ranged from 2.5 to 10 metres. This individual had only one song type (~2.2 secs). Of a one hour recording (~263 strophes), it sang for 45 minutes and was silent for 15 mins (5.8 strophes/min during the active singing period). Song matching with neighbours. Subsequent observation failed to locate a female (though possibly incubating).

[File name: chaffinchLS113367ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

Sonogram of Chaffinch song with terminal 'keek'

Mezni Louka, Hrensko, Czech Republic  18 June 2016

Territorial song from mixed spruce and oak. This song type contains a final keek element after the terminal flourish. Remarkably, following a stophe represented in the above sonogram, a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) responds with its similar keek call, slightly lower in frequency. This seem to be widespread in eastern Europe, and I've heard it in Estonia, Poland and Finland. I've never heard a terminal keek in the British Isles.

[File name: chaffinch113847ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

Sonogram of Chaffinch song with terminal 'keek'

Taevakoja, Estonia  58° 06' 32.9" N   27° 02' 48.3" E  25 May 2010

Singing from mixed riverine forest at a high rate of 9 strophes per minute. Countersinging with a close neighbour. Including final keek element after the terminal flourish.

[File name: chaffinch0525_072503ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

  Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Knockentiber - Springside Disused Railway Line, Ayrshire, Scotland  55º 37' 30.2'' N  04º 33' 8.6'' W

16 May 2010, 0841h

Territorial song of three trilling phrases and a terminal flourish from willow scrub: dry, 'unmusical' rendition.

[File name: chaffinch0516084153ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

  Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Hornborgasjön, Västergötland, Sweden  58° 19' 18.48" N 13° 31' 28.18" E  4 April 2010

Territorial/advertising song from birch woodland on lake shore: more 'musical' rendition with initial Tree Pipit-like phrase and a terminal Great Spotted Woodpecker-like 'chick' element, characteristic of northern continental birds.

[File name: chaffinch0404111547e] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

 Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Valle de Ojén, Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales, Andalucia, Spain  36° 08' 46.8" N   05° 34' 58.2" W  8 Apr 2018

Territorial/advertising song from Cork Oak woodland.

[File name: chaffinch114850ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Valle de Ojén, Parque Natural de Los Alcornocales, Andalucia, Spain  36° 08' 46.8" N   05° 34' 58.2" W  15 Apr 2019

Territorial/advertising song from Cork Oak woodland.

[File name: chaffinch115763ecut2] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch flight calls

Rainham Marshes, Essex, England  51º 29' 15.35'' N  00º 13' 22.7'' E   16 February 2019

Calls from a bird flying overhead. Short, soft, slightly downslurred joop elements 2.1 to 3.3 kHz.

[File name: chaffinch115318ep] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

    Sonogram of Chaffinch calls

Regent's Park, London, England   30 January 2011  1338h

Typical 'pink-pink' call, probably being used as an alarm here.

[File name: chaffinch0130133816ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

Sonogram of Chaffinch 'rain' call

Camping Paradijs, Ceske Krumlov  48º 50' 22.6'' N  14º 22' 31.1'' W  25 June 2016

'Rain call' - an alarm call from a breeding male, often transcribed as huit.

[File name: chaffinch113992ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

    Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, Extremadura, Spain  39° 43' 52.1" N  06° 01' 33.6" W  13 June 2013

Song from hot, dry scub/woodland above the Río Tajo.

[File name: chaffinch111334ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

Sonogram of Chaffinch calls

Achladeri Forest, Lesvos, Greece  39° 09' 07.7" N  26° 17' 00.7" E  20 May 2017

'Rain call' - an alarm call from a breeding male in natural pine forest.

[File name: chaffinch114523ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Chaffinch song

Zebra Zubra, Bialowieza Forest, Poland  52º 42' 33.0'' N  23º 47' 52.5'' E   28 June 2009, 0952h

Single verse/strophe of territorial song from a bird singing in mixed forest along the Zebra Zubra trail in Bialowieza Forest; terminal flourish proceeded by a Great Spotted Woodpecker-like 'kick' (common in northern Europe but rare in the British Isles).

[File name: chaffinch280609bialowieza] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

 

 


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