What is it with Blackbirds ?

Jonny · #1 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 05:10 PM

Why do blackbirds do that chip chip chip chip (I could go on) sound every evening and morning ? I used to think it was a territorial thing, but I recently saw three of them on someones roof going at it and taking no notice of the other two next to them. Is it an alarm call, if so why just at dawn and dusk? We have them nesting in our garden every year and during this time they sometimes go on all day long, starting at around 4 or 5 in the morning. Does anyone have any idea ?.....................Jon

nightshade · #2 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 06:22 PM

The pink pink pink call is a warning/alarm and to date I have only heard it as such but it could be terratorial

Jonny · #3 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightshade

The pink pink pink call is a warning/alarm and to date I have only heard it as such but it could be terratorial

Pink pink pink, chip chip chip, tweet tweet tweet, its a hard sound to describe, but I think you all know what I mean, but why do they do it. I know if I go near the feeders, the blueies start shouting at me and I can understand that, but the blackbirds just go on for what seems to me for no reason..................Jon

Pat · #4 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 07:24 PM

Could be a warning sound. I've noticed when there is a cat about they tend to do it and also when I'm walking dogs nearby.

digi · #5 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 07:29 PM

I agree its a warning distress call, I heard it recently when a cat got a female and the male started the distress call.

Jonny · #6 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 07:31 PM

Everywhere I go I hear it though. I am currently working in a very rural location on the edge of some woodland. As I am packing up, I can hear the blackbirds in the woods going at it big time, no cats or dogs out there...........Jon

Frogbad · #7 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 07:53 PM

Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Fox, Badger, You? All scary things to a blackbird and which will get it's alarm calling.

I used to do a lot of shooting (when I had been taken by the dark side) - and the amount of times a blackbird gave the game away.

Lots of things can alarm a blackbird!

Jonny · #8 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 08:10 PM

I am not disagreeing with you, but why do they mainly do it at dawn and dusk ? Could it be to do with the lack of light and unable to see too well ??????????....................Jon

Frogbad · #9 (**permalink**) 02-02-2006, 08:48 PM

Dawn and dusk is when most of the wild predators are about and also a time when many birds are just finishing roosting, or are preparing to roost. So presumably blackbirds are a bit more 'jumpy' at this time of day because of the higher threat level?

StuartDH · #10 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 07:52 AM

I know what you mean Jonny, we've got a couple of local blackbirds that don't seem to have an off button, and when there's danger about they're even worse (although it's usually a signal that the sparrowhawk is about).

We've also got a robin that does the same thing - sings at the top of his voice for hours, and no apparent reason.

I think the blackbirds and robin just like the sound of their own voice

Helen · #11 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 08:20 AM

I also suspect they are making it very clear where their little patch is, and telling other blackbirds to back off, especially in the evening when they are settling down for the night on their particular favourite tree/bush etc.

Another reason they do this, is when a predator has taken a bird, especially when they see a sparrowhawk eating its kill, the blackbird will be hopping up and down not too far from the sparrowhawk.

They also do it when there is an owl around. Birds tend to "mob" owls during the day.

henrya · #12 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 08:22 AM

Quote
We've also got a robin that does the same thing - sings at the top of his voice for hours, and no apparent reason
Endquote

He's just singing a mixture of "This is my patch, guys, come and get me if you think you're hard enough" and "Hey girls, this is my patch, I'm the greatest and I'm ready for you"

henrya

Tursiops · #13 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henrya

Quote
We've also got a robin that does the same thing - sings at the top of his voice for hours, and no apparent reason
Endquote

He's just singing a mixture of "This is my patch, guys, come and get me if you think you're hard enough" and "Hey girls, this is my patch, I'm the greatest and I'm ready for you"

henrya

Could it be a "she"? I know female robins hold winter territories, but do they sing as well?
Tursiops

kinswad · #14 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 11:45 AM

Hi,
I always thought of the slower 'pink, pink' call as a warning - the "I'm here!", type of thing, and the rapid, rattle call as the alarm call - "Danger! I'm off!" sort of thing (usually just as they take flight).

Then of course, there's the stitting at the highest point they can find (tall conifer or house gable-end) belting out songs of a summer's evening stylee .... Mmmm, marvelous!

henrya · #15 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 12:24 PM

Quote
always thought of the slower 'pink, pink' call as a warning - the "I'm here!", type of thing, and the rapid, rattle call as the alarm call - "Danger! I'm off!" sort of thing (usually just as they take flight).
Endquote

Somewhere at home I have a record of bird sounds recorded and introduced by Ludwig Koch (one of the great pioneers of wildlife sound recording). The two calls you describe are there. The first is introduced as "Blackbird, alarm note" and the second as "Bl;ackbird, extreme alarm note"

henrya

StuartDH · #16 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by henrya

He's just singing a mixture of "This is my patch, guys, come and get me if you think you're hard enough" and "Hey girls, this is my patch, I'm the greatest and I'm ready for you"

henrya

hahahaha

In that case he's definitely singing loud enough to keep the guys away, but he'd better keep going as he's obviously not singing loud enough so the girls can hear...he's been on his own for months

Unless he's a she, like Tursiops suggested

kerfoot · #17 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 01:09 PM

Lots of animals do most of their vocalising around dawn and dusk. The reason for this (amongst others like reduced predation risk) is that sound propergates further at these times than during the day. Its to do with temperature inversions that cause the sound waves to be refracted upwards which means that they travel further.
The benefit of this to the animals is that they can communicate over greater distances. This can be a warning, an advertisment of sexual readyness, contact calls with other pack members (in the case of wolves etc.) territorial defence.
For example if a male blackbird defends his territory with his song that proclaims that this is his patch, intruders beware, females come here, he benefits from having his call heard further away. Rivals can hear him at a greater distance so they establish larger territories and his call has a better chance of reaching receptive females.
For the same reason birds often call from perches because the higher they are, the further their song will travel.

henrya · #18 (**permalink**) 03-02-2006, 02:22 PM

Female Robins sing in autumn and winter (it says in the book) so maybe she is just singing for the joy of it - the way people used to whistle.

henrya