On January 5th we will move on to exploring the captivating world of birdsong in winter. Discover how the quiet landscape comes alive with the songs of hedge sparrows, wrens, robins, and more. Learn about the unique calls and behaviors of these birds, and find out the best places to listen in London. Whether you're a bird enthusiast or just love nature, this article will help you appreciate the beauty of birdsong in January.
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Birdsong
In the intense cold or after a snowfall, the whole landscape falls strangely silent. Once this passes, birds soon start to sing again. The relatively quiet hedge sparrow is quick to start duetting. The two birds involved rarely interrupt each other, one starting as another stops. Their short calls can be heard intermittently throughout the month but are more common in the second half. At other times of the year they tend to sing at the same time as other birds and are therefore often drowned out. Being such a popular winter resident it is not surprising it has several other names. Hedge sparrow comes from the old english for “flutterer in hedges”. Shufflewing refers to their habit of continually moving their wings when agitated and dunnock refers to their slate grey and brown colours. Hedge accentor originates from their usual habit of singing along with other birds.
A less commonly known name ‘the foolish sparrow’ is due to it being taken advantage of by cuckoos. Dunnock itself just means small brown bird. Hedge sparrows also have an unusual way of hopping with one leg projecting slightly in front of the other. They are also well known for their promiscuity. Males often have two partners and are also known to change them and share them. The females are little better often giving their alpha males the slip to copulate with a beta male. Copulation itself is quite an affair occurring once or twice an hour for over a week. Frustrated males are even known to destroy eggs to encourage more interest from the females. All this activity from the small drab bird we see skulking under bird tables looking for insects.
Towards the end of the month wrens also start to be heard again. Their rattling call can be heard every month of the year, but now there is a very definite increase in the amount of time they devote to singing.
The robin’s song is for many the most enjoyable as well as being the most often heard in January. Certainly this is true in London’s gardens, where it may be singing night and day being interrupted possibly by a tit, a thrush or a cooing wood pigeon, but little else.
Woods at this time of year are largely silent places, but you can occasionally hear the thin high-pitched repeated ‘tseeu’ calls of the tree-creeper. In coniferous woodland this may be replaced by the even thinner, higher calls of goldcrests. It is now these sounds stand out even if they are only heard intermittently. Towards the end of the month the first chaffinches may also be tuning up. It is worth remembering no two robins sing alike and perhaps you could get to recognise the particular voice of the robin in your garden.
On open grassy areas partridges can sometimes be heard and skylarks may also now be venturing a little song towards the end of the month. It is usually just a short burst of song and even then not flying too high as they deliver it. Impressive flocks of up to eighty of these birds or more are occasionally reported from Rainham, Barnes Wetland centre and the reservoirs around Staines. The ringing call of the green woodpecker as he flies away is one of the most welcome of all January sounds. It comes over as an unmistakably loud and contemptuous laugh.
Starlings may be seen huddling together on telegraph wires, both sexes singing loudly with their throat feathers puffed out. Their songs or vocalisations are a bizarre mix of descending whistles, clicks, grunts, warbles and chuckles. In among all these sounds it is always worth listening for any mimics of local sounds such as wolf whistles or telephones which may also be included.
Crows are not calling a lot, but when they do they make a lot of noise. The male projects his head and almost seems to bellow for attention. He has an even louder motor-horn call which is characteristically heard at this time of year, as well as some coughing.
Tits, particularly blue tits and great tits, all start to sing again as the month progresses. Their familiar calls get noticed more as they have been silent for so long. Odd phrases are heard at first on warm days, but then a change in momentum and frequency occurs.
They may still be part of mixed flocks which possibly include coal tits. In gardens we start to hear the familiar ‘teacher teacher’ call of the great tit. Blue tits are recognised by their three piping notes in quick succession. Although both these birds have a much richer vocabulary, it is these common calls which are easily recognised now with so few other sounds to confuse the listener.
In woods, great spotted woodpeckers may be heard drumming as well as the occasional magpie, jay and cock pheasant. Green parakeets, relative newcomers to London, provide the most raucous calls of the month.
