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 Blackbird  Turdus merula


 

Sonogram of Blackbird song

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

Territorial song. Loud and measured delivery of 3-4 sec stropes interspersed with 3 sec pauses. Each stope comprised of two parts: low fluting, melodic phrases (1.3-3.2 kHz) followed by a complex, high-frequency twittering (up tp 11.5 kHz).

[File name: blackbird116156ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Kindrogan, Strathardle, Perthshire, Scotland  56° 45' 00.20" N  03° 33' 21.7" W  6 June 2013  06:51

Territorial song in old, thick spruce plantation with lots of moss and dead timber.

[File name: blackbird111140ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Kensington Gardens, London, England   19 May 2013

Territorial song from inner city parkland.

[File name: blackbirdLS111026ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Dean Castle Country Park, Ayrshire, Scotland   55° 37' 19.66" N  4° 29' 10.63" W  18 March 2012 0853h

Blackbird singing low down inside mixed woodland.

[File name: blackbird0318_085324e_bestcut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm call

Dean Castle Country Park, Ayrshire, Scotland   55° 37' 19.66" N  4° 29' 10.63" W  18 March 2012 0852h

High-pitched alarm call in response to a Sparrowhawk.

[File name: blackbird0318085209ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm call

Rainham Marshes, Essex, England  51º 30' 27'' N  00º 10' 54'' E   11 February 2023

Alarm call from adult male Blackbird.


[File name: blackbird118369ecut] Click here for the MP3 file

     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird calls

Rainham Marshes, Essex, England  51º 29' 13'' N  00º 13' 43'' E   12 February 2023

Two call types from a female Blackbird: a soft, low pitched hick (1.5-3.5 kHz) and a high-pitched seeeee (6.4-8.1 kHz).


[File name: blackbird118387ecut] Click here for the MP3 file

     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm calls

Kindrogan Field Centre, Perthshire, Scotland  56° 44' 47.85" N  03° 32' 45.66" W  13 June 2018

Low and high pitched mobbing calls in response to a Tawny Owl.

[File name: blackbird115019ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm call

Dean Castle Country Park, Ayrshire, Scotland   55° 37' 19.66" N  4° 29' 10.63" W  18 March 2012 0915h

"Chook-chook" alarm call uttered on the ground in response to a dog or the sound recordist.

[File name: blackbird0318091527ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Dean Castle Country Park, Ayrshire, Scotland   55° 37' 19.66" N  4° 29' 10.63" W  18 March 2012 0908h

Unusual song - like subsong in composition but sung at full volume from the ground.

[File name: blackbird0318090856e] Click here for the MP3 file


     

 

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Forêt de Sidi-Bettache, Morocco  33° 39' 36.9" N  6° 53' 11.3" W  10 March 2014

"Chook-chook" alarm call uttered from a cork oak in response to the sound recordist.

[File name: blackbirdLS111837ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird flight call

Purfleet, Essex, England  51º 28' 52.62'' N  00º 13' 56.11"' E   27 April 2020  [nocmig recording]

Call from a Blackbird in flight at night at 03:59.

Short, high-pitched (6.3-9.1 kHz) srrri.

[File name: blackbird117157nocmig270420] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm call

Purfleet, Essex, England  51º 28' 52.62'' N  00º 13' 56.11"' E   25 May 2020  [nocmig recording]

Alarm call from a Blackbird in flight at dawn at 05:37.

[File name: blackbird117213nocmig250520] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

Sonogram of Blackbird song

Trent Country Park, London  51° 39' 34.31" N  0° 8' 16.78" W    21 March 2011, 1815h

Territorial/advertising song at dusk, c25 metres in tree top, 12 phrases/min each lasting 2-3 secs with 3-4 second pause between each.

[File name: blackbird0321181855ecut] Click here for the MP3 file


     

     

 Sonogram of Blackbird song

Sunny Hill Park, London  22 March 2009, 1830h

Territorial/advertising song at dusk, c10 metre in tree top, 9 phrases/min each lasting 1.5-2.5 secs with 5 sec pause between each.

  

 

 

 

 Sonogram of Blackbird song

Sunny Hill Park, London  22 March 2009, 1830h

Unique phrases in territorial/advertising song at dusk: examples of single unique phrases from a varied repertoire. Slow frequency modulated pure tones between 1.5 and 3.0 kHz, often followed by more complex and higher-pitched flourish.

 

 

 

 

Sonogram of Blackbird alarm call

Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire, Scotland  December 2000

The familiar 'chinking' alarm call.

 

 

 

 

Sonogram of Blackbird hawk alarm call

Brent Reservoir, London, England  51° 34' 36.0'' N  00° 14' 44.9'' W  9 May 2009

Aerial predator (hawk) 'seep' alarm call.

 

 


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  © Fraser Simpson  ·  www.fssbirding.org.uk