{"id":34396,"date":"2024-02-08T15:22:46","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T14:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/51bcf371-2274-408c-95a1-b9b37c10b0ba"},"modified":"2024-02-08T15:39:22","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T14:39:22","slug":"15-of-the-most-sweet-sounding-songbirds-in-britain","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/15-of-the-most-sweet-sounding-songbirds-in-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"15 of the most sweet-sounding songbirds in Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Britain we are blessed with an incredible variety of beautiful birdsong from late winter into early summer. From the nightingale to the blackbird, here is your guide to the best British songbirds, including how to identify each species. <\/p>

By Fergus Collins\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 08 February 2024 at 14:22 PM<\/p>

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Birdsong is the most uplifting of natural sounds, raising our spirits from late winter onwards. Some species such as robins<\/a> tend to sing all year round but for most songbird species, the longer days after Christmas<\/a> spell the start of the breeding season and more and more of them start to sing. Some, like the great tit, offer little more than uplifting two-note songs while blackbirds<\/a> and song thrushes have more elaborate melodies.<\/p>

By mid February<\/a>, there will be quite a chorus of birdsong, which is swelled from mid March by the arrival of migrants such as warblers. But by the end of June, when many birds are busy with raising young, the chorus of birdsong dies away, leaving the countryside rather quiet for much of the summer and autumn.<\/p>

Learn how to identify British birds with our essential birdsong guide, including advice on how to improve your identification skills. We’ve also rounded up a selection of bird identification books<\/a> and the best foods to feed wild birds<\/a>.<\/p>

What is a songbird?<\/h2>

Essentially, a songbird is a small to medium-sized bird that has a springtime breeding song. Scientifically speaking, a songbird is a member of the order of birds called Passeriformes (in Latin this literally means “sparrow-sized” though Passeriformes also include the crow<\/a> family. The raven is regarded as the world’s largest songbird but its rasping, kronking call is hardly a melody). They are also sometimes known as ‘perching birds’, which is derived from their foot structure: three forward-pointing toes and one that points backwards, enabling them to grasp a twig or other perch to stand on.<\/p>

Confusingly, not all songbird species sing \u2013 and not all singing birds are songbirds. For instance, the turtle dove included in this list is not strictly a song bird but we felt its tune was worthy of inclusion.<\/p>

Why do birds sing?<\/h2>

Almost all birds communicate through calls \u2013 telling each other about danger or perhaps where there is a good roosting spot or food supply. And a great deal of bird call is simply to keep in contact with others. The more complex bird songs are very different. Performed almost solely by the male, the song has a key purpose: to show how fit and healthy he is to potential mates \u2013 and that he is strong enough to maintain a territory full of food and good for nesting in. Scientists have discovered that females tend to be drawn to a male with a stronger, more varied song. The song also tells rival males to keep out.<\/p>

Robins are on of the few species found in the UK where both sexes sing. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

What time of year is best for birdsong?<\/h2>

You can hear birdsong from late December onwards but it becomes much stronger and louder as the days lengthen. Late winter<\/a> and early spring<\/a> is when birds are looking for mates and beginning nesting. They time the hatching and fledging of their young to coincide with warmer weather and more food in the form of spring and summer insects. Many resident bird species begin their courtship songs in early February and they are joining from March to May by many tuneful migrant songsters. By July, most birds fall silent.<\/p>

What is the best time of day to hear birdsong?<\/h2>

While most species will sing throughout the day, the best time to hear birdsong is usually early in the morning, just before dawn. If you visit a woodland<\/a> at daybreak in April or May, you will hear a marvellous symphony of birds \u2013 where many species sing together. As fewer humans are up and about, making noise, the birdsong is all the more dominant \u2013 birdsong can travel up to 20 times further without the usual background noise.<\/p>

Ornithologists also believe that birds sing at dawn because it may be too dark for predators to see them. Plus, as the day warms, insects become more active and the birds will turn their attention to feeding.<\/p>

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