Amden 2023 Prep Cheatsheet

Images and brief info about song and calls. A total of 10 species is included.
Non-musical: rattle Non-musical: cawing Simple rhythmic Simple rhythmic: drumming Stereotype melodic Stereotype melodic: trill Sings 30 seconds or longer
Name/Image Song mnemonic/description Description
Non-musical: rattle
Mistle thrush / Misteldrossel (Turdus viscivorus)
Misteldrossel. 2020-05-07 12.56.02 Hungerseeli Profile 		Song Song: Gesang ähnlich Amsel, aber eintöniger mit geringerem Tonumfang [auch kürzer, kein schnirpsliges Ende -- Bill] [Link] ♫ XC800869 - Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus. Source: XENOCANTO XC800869 - Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus.mp3 (song?)

Calls General: I mistook this one for a woodpecker the first time I heard it, partly because BirdNet also did! Rattle generated in vocal tract, not with the beak! 		Song: Gesang ähnlich dem der Amsel, aber weniger abwechslungsreich und melancholisch, fast weinerlich klingend. Meist von Tannenspitze aus. [Link] Song: Song loud, far reaching and melodic. Most similar to Blackbird, but pitch is higher, phrases shorter (3-6 notes) and most notably, pauses between phrases are much shorter. All which gives the song a much more hurried feel than that of the Blackbird. Timbre is thinner and slightly shivering, and tonal range more limited. May have recurring favourite motifs, but does not repeat phrases like Song Thrush. Sometimes adds higher pitched parts and imitations. [Link] Calls: Rufe:schnarrend „kerr“, daneben „tück-tück-tück“ [Link] Calls: Other calls; a dry rattle, likened to the sound of a piece of wood drawn over a coarse comb, and a Fieldfare-like "chuck". [Link] Similar to: Common blackbird
Non-musical: cawing
Spotted nutcracker / Tannenhäher (Nucifraga caryocatactes)
Wikipedia Tannenhaeher Nucifraga caryocatactes. Von Jyrki Salmi from Finland - Nutcracker, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link Source: WIKIPEDIA Wikipedia Tannenhaeher Nucifraga_caryocatactes.jpg Profile 		Song Grehh, grehh, grehh!! ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC641465 - Spotted Nutcracker - Nucifraga caryocatactes - song is a series of calls.mp3 (song)

Calls Like crow or its cousin the Eurasian jay (Eichelhaeher). 		Song: Song a quiet improvisation of whistling and clappering sounds, interspersed with mimicry of other birds. [Link] Calls: Warning call a characteristic dry and rasping "karrr karrr karr" in even pitch. [Link] Similar to: Eurasian jay (Tannenhäher noch harscher als Eichelhäher)
Simple rhythmic
Willow tit / Weidenmeise (Poecile montanus)
Willow tit. 2020-04-25 08.51.40 Luppmen Profile 		Song Songs I've heard alternate two notes and look like a sine wave on the sonogram. Vogelwarte.ch: Apart from minor differences in diet and size, Alpine Tit and Willow Tit can only be identified by their song. The Willow Tit utters a series of long, descending notes («tyoo tyoo tyoo tyoo»), whereas the Alpine Tit’s territorial song consists of short notes on an even pitch («dee dee dee dee dee»). See more here. ♫ Source: OTHER 509229 (song)
Calls Automatically generated from Xeno-Canto recording ♫ Willow tit st moritz. 2020-06-09 16.09.28 Sils (song?)
 Song: 1.Gesangstyp: „ziü ziü ziü „ etwas wehmütig, die einzelnen Töne leicht absinkend, nicht klappernd. Bei Unterart Alpenmeise auf gleicher Höhe bleibend. 2.Gesangstyp: variable, schwätzende, helle Folge m. trillerndem Schluss. [Link] Song: Song: One or two soft, clear, melancholic notes repeated in a slow, even rhythm. At first rising slightly in pitch, then gradually falling. In some areas song is evenly pitched. [Link] Calls: Folge v. etwas heiser näselnden „zi zi dääh dääh. (einmalige Laute) [Link] Calls: Call: Most characteristic call a frequently uttered, nasal "ti ti chaa chaa chaa". First notes high pitched and the following lower, coarse, nasal and drawn. Sometimes uttered without the introductory high pitched notes. [Link]
Black grouse / Birkhuhn (Lyrurus tetrix)
Wikipedia: Black grouse Source: OTHER 1200px-Black_Grouse_Nationalpark_Bayerischer_Wald.jpg Profile No documented observation ■■ Habitats: Mountain
 Song Song can be a rapid dove-like cooing that goes up, then repeats. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC731604 - Black Grouse - Lyrurus tetrix.mp3 (song)

Calls Automatically generated from Xeno-Canto recording ♫ XC731604 - Black Grouse - Lyrurus tetrix. Source: XENOCANTO XC731604 - Black Grouse - Lyrurus tetrix.mp3 (song?)

 Personal notes: Rolf hat einen auf dem Amdener Hoehenweg Mai 2023 gesehen, wuerde den gerne sehen!
Ring ouzel / Ringdrossel (Turdus torquatus)
Ringdrossel. 2023-05-27 11.28.22 Amden Hinder Hoechi Profile 		Song BirdID says Song a primitive, plaintive series of short phrases, often with only 1-2 syllables (I heard 2-3 in Amden, sometimes chirpy, sometimes less musical). ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC721589 - Ring Ouzel - Turdus torquatus - song.mp3 (song)

 Song: Habe mit dem Buntspecht verwechselt - Ringdrossel singt 2-3 Noten - hilft das? [Link] Song: Song a primitive, plaintive series of short phrases. Often with only one or two syllables. Interspersed with eerie, higher pitched sounds, reminiscent of Song Thrush. [Link] Calls: Alarm call a series of "chok-chok". Thicker and more resonant than Redwing. [Link]
Simple rhythmic: drumming
Eurasian three-toed woodpecker / Dreizehenspecht (Picoides tridactylus)
Männchen mit gut erkennbarem gelben Oberkopf. Von Alberto Chiarle - https://www.flickr.com/photos/alberto_chiarle/5373229161/, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link Source: WIKIPEDIA Wikipedia Dreizehenspecht.jpg Profile 		Song Fast drumming, constant volume, longer than great spotted woodpecker's. ♫ Dreizehenspecht trommelt Source: XENOCANTO XC627431 dreizehenspecht drumming.mp3 (drumming)

Calls Behavior: Seine unauffälligen Rufe sind nicht laut und tönen ähnlich wie jene des Buntspechts. [Portrait] ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC498796 Dreizehenspecht call.mp3 (call)
Stereotype melodic
Dunnock / Heckenbraunelle (Prunella modularis)
Wikpedia photo because mine is poor. Source: WIKIPEDIA Dunnock oder Heckenbraunelle aus Wikipedia weil nur gehört.jpg Profile 		Song General: High-pitched, repetitive but complex little tune.
Song: Melodisch, slowly rising, roughly like black-cap warbler, which I guessed in the bird-song.ch quiz. [Link] ♫ XC778759 - Dunnock - Prunella modularis - song recorded in Spain. Source: XENOCANTO XC778759 - Dunnock - Prunella modularis - song recorded in Spain.mp3 Spain (song)

Calls Swooping staccato call 0.5 seconds long heard near Lendikon. Repeated irregularly after 1-3.5 seconds. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC594397 - Dunnock - Prunella modularis modularis - call recorded in Poland.mp3 (call)

 Song: Singt schon im Vorfrühling. Klangfarbe ähnlich Gartenbaumläufer. Aufbau ähnlich Zaunkönig, aber ohne Triller. Viel leiser und dünner. [Link] Song: Song a fast and evenly paced, high pitched stream of clear notes. No consistent phrasing. Similar in timbre to Robin, but does not vary tempo or pitch nearly as much. Often compared to the sound of a squeaky wheelbarrow. [Link] Calls: Hohe „zi“ „tsi“. Auf dem Zug „zieht“. Etwas absinkend.. [Link] Calls: Contact call a dry, thick trill "trrr", and a short King Fisher-like, high-pitched "zeep". [Link] Similar to: Black cap warbler , European robin (Dunnock song stays around same pitch, isn't cascading)
Eurasian bullfinch / Gimpel (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Gimpel gesehen das erste Mal, Ammler Höhenweg. 2021-08-02 15.55.56 Profile 		Song 3-note long M, pause, HL (somewhat falling)...Gim! Gim-peeel! Sounds a bit like a pirol. ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC637392 - Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula - song, recorded in France.mp3 (song)

Calls laconic 1 note call w slight dip? Song NABU 1 parakeet like puppy-dog whining, NABU 2 whistles, 2-syllable peek-a-boo, ... ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC214867 - Eurasian Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula - contact call, recorded in Germany.mp3 Germany (contact call)

 Song: Song a quiet, modest mix of contact call and various chirping sounds, with peculiar harmonics. [Link] Calls: Contact call a soft, full-bodied, descending, pure whistle; "peeuu". [Link]
Stereotype melodic: trill
Grey wagtail / Gebirgsstelze (Motacilla cinerea)
Gebirgsstelze am Wissbach. 2024-04-27 09.16.16 Schachen, Tobel Wissbach till Degersheim Profile 		Song BirdID says Song simple but variable. I hear trills up to 2 seconds long and chirps. Another description says a series of calls, not very melodic. I noted zwitx3, sometimes hhhhhll. [Link] ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC767550 - Grey Wagtail - Motacilla cinerea - song with trills and a cheek-cheek.mp3 (song)

 Song: Song simple but variable. Sometimes with more elaborate song-flight like White Wagtail. [Link] Calls: Contact call short, metallic and with a clipped ending. Often disyllabic, "tzeet-tzeet", with each syllable more separated than in White Wagtail, and timbre more "dirty". Often starts with the contact call, followed by short melodic phrases. [Link]
Sings 30 seconds or longer
Alpine accentor / Alpenbraunelle (Prunella collaris)
Wikipedia: Alpine accentor Source: OTHER Alpine_accentor_saganta.jpg Profile No documented observation ■■ Habitats: Mountain
 Song Fast, long, chirpy ♫ Source: XENOCANTO XC688398 - Alpine Accentor - Prunella collaris - long song recorded in France.mp3 (song)

 Song: Song is a varied stream of melodious and chattering notes, more resembling skylark than the much higher pitched Dunnock. [Link] Calls: Most common call a noisy "tchrt", often repeated in short, retarding series. Also has a more pleasant, ringing Snow Bunting-like "prrrriitt". [Link]