Pictures and recordings: Paweł Szczepaniak ©
Birds make a variety of sounds in order to inform the surrounding about the existing situation. Mating sounds, that is songs, often very elaborate, are emitted mainly by males. With mating and territorial sounds, they try to attract mates, advertise their territory, and discourage intruders. Sounds made by birds are also used to communicate, to “talk” with members of a bird family or flock. These are contact and alarm calls. Contact calls are used to call on individuals of the same species and to keep members of a flock in contact. Alarm calls are a reaction to danger; they can be a warning for nestlings or other flock members, and sometimes, even individuals of other species. In most cases, to make sounds, birds use a special organ situated at the base of the trachea, where it divides into two bronchi. This organ is called the syrinx or the lower larynx. Some birds make non-verbal sounds known as mechanical or instrumental. To provide an example, it is not the syrinx but the bill that is used by storks to produce clattering. Similarly, the woodpecker drumming is made when the bill pecks on a branch or a trunk rapidly. Wings and feathers are also used to make sounds. Some species of birds, such as the Long-eared Owl, clasp their wings. In the mating season, the male Snipe, circles high over a territory, then, diving towards earth, it spreads rectrices, and thus, its characteristic “bleating” is produced.
We encourage you to watch and listen to the birds that you can meet while walking down the trails of the Świętokrzyski National Park and its vicinity.
Tooting Pheasant – maleyTooting Pheasant – male
Corncrake, a singing maleCorncrake, a singing male
Northern Lapwing, tooting Northern Lapwing, tooting
Northern Lapwing, a nestling soundNorthern Lapwing, a nestling sound
Common Snipe, tooting Common Snipe, tooting
Barn Owl, a sound of nestlings Barn Owl, a sound of nestlings
Long-eared Owl, a territorial call of a male Long-eared Owl, a territorial call of a male
Tawny Owl, a territorial call of a male and a sound of a female Tawny Owl, a territorial call of a male and a sound of a female
Ural Owl, a territorial call of a male and a sound of a female Ural Owl, a territorial call of a male and a sound of a female
Little Owl, an alarm call Little Owl, an alarm call
Little Owl, a singing maleLittle Owl, a singing male
Black Woodpecker, a territorial call of a male Black Woodpecker, a territorial call of a male
Black Woodpecker, drumming Black Woodpecker, drumming
Middle Spotted Woodpecker, a territorial call of a male Middle Spotted Woodpecker, a territorial call of a male
Great Spotted Woodpecker, drummingGreat Spotted Woodpecker, drumming
Great Spotted Woodpecker, a sound of anxiety and a nestling soundGreat Spotted Woodpecker, a sound of anxiety and a nestling sound
Skylark, a singing maleSkylark, a singing male
Grey Wagtail, a singing male Grey Wagtail, a singing male
Winter Wren, a sound of anxietyWinter Wren, a sound of anxiety
Winter Wren, a singing maleWinter Wren, a singing male
Robin, a singing male Robin, a singing male
Common Redstart, a singing maleCommon Redstart, a singing male
Black Redstart, a singing male Black Redstart, a singing malesamiec
Whinchat, a sound of anxiety Whinchat, a sound of anxiety
Whinchat, a singing male Whinchat, a singing male
Common Blackbird, a singing male Common Blackbird, a singing male
Fieldfare, a singing male Fieldfare, a singing male
Whitethroat, a sound of anxietyWhitethroat, a sound of anxiety
Whitethroat, a singing maleWhitethroat, a singing male
Blackcap, a singing maleBlackcap, a singing male
Barred Warbler, a singing male Barred Warbler, a singing male
Chiffchaff, a singing male Chiffchaff, a singing male
Red-breasted Flycatcher, a sound of anxiety Red-breasted Flycatcher, a sound of anxiety
Red-breasted Flycatcher, a singing maleRed-breasted Flycatcher, a singing male
Great Tit, a sound of anxietyGreat Tit, a sound of anxiety
Great Tit, a singing maleGreat Tit, a singing male
Coal Tit, a contact callCoal Tit, a contact call
Coal Tit, a singing maleCoal Tit, a singing male
Red-backed Shrike, a sound of anxietyRed-backed Shrike, a sound of anxiety
Golden Oriole, a singing male Golden Oriole, a singing male
Jay, imitation of a Hawk call Jay, imitation of a Hawk call
Jay, imitation of a Buzzard call Jay, imitation of a Buzzard call
MagpieMagpie
Sparrow, flock soundsSparrow, flock sounds
Chaffinch, a singing male Chaffinch, a singing male
Chaffinch, other soundsChaffinch, other sounds
Eurasian Siskin, flock soundsEurasian Siskin, flock sounds
Bullfinch, a singing maleBullfinch, a singing male
Corn Bunting, a singing maleCorn Bunting, a singing male
Yellowhammer, a singing male Yellowhammer, a singing male
Yellowhammer, other soundsYellowhammer, other sounds
Reed Bunting, a singing male Reed Bunting, a singing male