7 rare bird calls and where in the UK to hear them

With Spring around the corner, many avid bird spotters are looking to catch a glimpse of the rare native birds of the UK, and hear their unique calls and songs.

Nightingale
The famous Nightingale is a spring migrant often found hidden in areas with lots of woodland, bushes and vegetation and is most commonly heard singing at night but can also be heard in the day. Nightingales have a high-pitched, lilting song and have a rich repertoire able to produce over 1000 different sounds.

Where to hear them: Nightingales are most likely to be found in the South East of the UK in areas like Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Sussex and Lincolnshire.

Spotted Flycatcher
The Spotted Flycatcher (or not so spotted) is a woodland bird known for its impressive insect-catching skills and the rare bird with its squeaky song is best glimpsed in the late spring. Its thin, scratchy warble sounds almost like a creaky door or wheelbarrow and is often overlooked or unheard due to its quiet volume.

Where to hear them: The slowly diminishing species is often hard to spot, but those looking to take on the challenge should be headed to the areas of Devon, Kent and Scotland.

The Woodlark
The Woodlark might not be much to look at, but its beautiful birdsong is one that twitchers around the globe long to hear. Woodlarks can usually be found singing high up in the trees, where they’ll often be heard before seen, with their distinct lullu-ing that rises and falls in pitch and volume.

Where to hear them: Nesting on the ground in Southern Heathlands like the New Forest, Surrey/Berkshire heaths, Breckland and Suffolk heaths.

The Curlew
The Curlew’s recognisable display call ‘cur-lee’ is most likely to be heard in areas of wet grassland and moorlands. Bird watchers looking to discover the Curlew and hear Its unmistakable and thrilling call are best looking to search for the bird between the months of February and July.

Where to hear them: Curlews can be found across Northern England, Wales and Scotland in areas of wet grassland and moorland.

The Nightjar
The Nightjar has one of the most unique sounds that isn’t beautiful, but is extremely intriguing due to its intensity and ability to remain unbroken for many minutes. The mechanical tune rises and falls as the bird turns its head and is most likely to be heard on a summer’s evening.

Where to hear them: Those looking to hear the Nightjar’s unusual song should head towards Southern England, where it can be found at Quantock Hills in Somerset, New Forest, Dorset and Surrey heathlands and Thetford Forest in Suffolk.

Tawny Owl
Hidden by day pressed tightly against a tree trunk in a woodland, the Tawny Owl emerges at night and delivers its contact call of ‘twit’ and ‘twoo’.Bird seekers looking to see the Tawny Owl and hear its song should aim to look for it from the months of August through to December (also known as hooting season).

Where to hear them: Whilst tawny owls can be found throughout multiple destinations in the UK, they are extremely difficult to see within the day, so those looking to hear their call will have to venture out in the evening.

Puffin
Last on the list is the Puffin, a beautiful sea bird that lets out a unique purring, growling call from its underground burrow. The unique birds are now on the red list for endangerment, making them an even more desired bird for twitchers to tick off their list.

Where to hear them: Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, British sea cliffs north of Scarborough, Pembrokeshire coast, Farne Islands, and along the North Cornish coast.

But what about those suffering from hearing loss? High-frequency tones are one of the first sounds hearing-impaired individuals lose, meaning the sweet sound of a bird’s song can be difficult to hear or distinguish.

ReSound have created high-quality hearing aids that can give users back an improved quality of day-to-day life, allowing them to hear the beautiful sounds of nature.