Finch calls I : flight calls

The flight calls of at least some finches appear to be learned. Birds of a mated pair or those in a social group have matching calls, and the calls can change throughout life as required.

American Goldfinch, birds in flight, the typical flight call (July, ME).












Several birds in flight (Jan, PA)

Flight call by perched adult male.













Pine Siskin, typical klyer flight calls from perched birds (Tufted Titmouse calling, Dec, PA).












Bird in flight 40 minutes before sunrise. Pine Siskins, usually diurnal migrants, apparently will migrate during the night on occasion (Oct, PA).












Common Redpoll, tchet and higher tchit calls in flight (June, AK).


















Redpoll in flight, probably Common but not identified for certain, example of their fast trills (June, AK).

tchit and trill









Common Redpoll tchet in flight (Nov, PA)












The typical flight call of White-winged Crossbills is a low je-je-je-je, which can sound very similar to the tchet of Common Redpolls (June,AK).











Another call is a vheet-vheet, usually heard with the je-je-je call. These birds were in the top of a spruce in SE PA in December 2008. That winter White-winged Crossbills irrupted and were found all over the Delaware Valley region.










A flock of 30 White-winged Crossbills, beginning with the vheet calls, and waee calls at 6 and 15s, both of which are calls most often given by perched birds, followed at 35s by the flock taking off with the je-je-je flight calls (Jan, PA).


Common Redpoll flyover calling, followed by seven flyover White-winged Crossbills, for comparison (Dec, PA).


Red Crossbills have been divided into a number of different types, representing possible species, based largely on differences in their flight calls, This is a Type 12 in flight (July, ME).



Purple Finch flight calls (perched bird,July, ME). A very distinctive call.










Finches are primarily diurnal migrants but these calls were by flyover migrants 50 minutes before sunrise (6.32am, Oct, PA)


The common flight call of the House Finch is a vweet (Mar, PA).











This call can be surprisingly similar some of those of the House Sparrow.
House Sparrow (May, PA).










The Evening Grosbeak flight call also recalls House Sparrow, and is essential to learn in order to detect flyover birds (Oct, PA).

Pine Grosbeak, call by bird taking off (June, AK)