Key to Garden and Village Birds

Key to Common Garden and Village Birds of Europe — Tomi Trilar

This key is limited to observations of birds that are singing or otherwise producing sounds with their bills. Geographic Scope: Central Europe — Source: (original work) — Collaboration: open — Status: Under testing: Sounds of 3 species are missing. Species pages not done (species links in red = not yet created). — Edited by: Tomi Trilar, Gregor Hagedorn (formatting and minor adaptations), Bob Press (style and language improvements)

1	a	Bird either clattering its bill or drumming on wood.    ► 2
1	b	Bird singing or calling.    ► 5
2	a	Black and white bird, 100 to 115 cm tall, with half of that height being made up by the red legs. Often clattering its bill. Template:Inline Sound    White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
2	b	Bird less than half as large, usually climbing the trees using stiff tail as a support. Drumming rhythmically on tree trunks (woodpeckers).    ► 3
3	a	Back black with the white spots. Drums in spring, the drum rolls characteristically short. Template:Inline Sound Song consists of short, sharp, high-pitched notes. Template:Inline Sound    Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
3	b	Back green.    ► 4
4	a	Head and crown grey. Drums frequently with loud and rather fast rolls. Song a series of 6-9 mechanical-sounding whistles, which gradually drop in pitch. Template:Inline Sound    Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus)
4	b	Head green with a red crown. Drums rarely with soft, fast rolls. Song a loud, laughing series of 10-18 notes, which do not drop in pitch. Template:Inline Sound    Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
5	a	Singing mostly during the night.    ► 6
5	b	Singing mostly during the day.    ► 9
6	a	Song a long, rattling or gargling shriek, regularly repeated. Template:Inline Sound    Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
6	b	Song composed of clear, short notes with a pause between each one, regularly repeated.    ► 7
6	c	Song usually long and melodious, without a pause.    ► 8
7	a	Song a loud, short, deep whistles, constantly repeated every 2-3 seconds. Template:Inline Sound    Scops Owl (Otus scops)
7	b	Song a series of soft, deep hoots, regularly repeated. Template:Inline Sound    Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
8	a	Song containing recurring whistles in crescendo lu lu lü lü li li. Template:Inline Sound    Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
8	b	Song fluting and warbling, often begining with a few high, drawn-out, thin notes, then the verse droping in pitch and speeding up with fast runs of trembling and excited, clear squeaky notes. Template:Inline Sound    Robin (Erithacus rubecula) Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
8	c	Song loud and complicated, with characteristic krschkrschkrsch sounds. Template:Inline Sound    Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
9	a	Bird climbing tree trunks using the stiff tail as a support or climbing in all directions.    ► 10
9	b	Bird rarely climbing tree trunks and then only climbing upwards without using tail as a support.    ► 14
10	a	Bird climbing in all directions (even head downwards), but not using its tail. Back grey, breast and belly orange. Singing very loud: tüü-tüü-tüü-tüü Template:Inline Sound, qui-qui-qui-qui Template:Inline Sound or twee-tweet twee-tweet Template:Inline Sound    Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) Portrait of Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) can climbing in all directions, even with a head downwards. Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
10	b	Bird always climbing upwards using its tail for support.    ► 11
11	a	Very small brown-grey bird, one third the size of a Blackbird. Song a soft, high, whistling verse lasting one and a half seconds. Template:Inline Sound    Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) Portrait of Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
11	b	Medium sized woodpecker, somewhat larger than a Blackbird. Back black or green. Making loud calls or drumming on wood.    ► 12
12	a	Back black with the white spots. Drums in spring, rolls characteristically short. Template:Inline Sound Song consists of short, sharp, high-pitched notes. Template:Inline Sound    Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
12	b	Back brown-grey coloured back. It is not drumming. Song is a series of 12-18 loud, whining notes. Template:Inline Sound    Wryneck (Jynx torquilla) Portrait of Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
12	c	Back green. Drums in spring.    ► 13
13	a	Head and crown grey. Drums frequently, with loud and rather fast rolls. Song a series of 6-9 mechanical-sounding whistles, which gradually drop in pitch Template:Inline Sound    Grey-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus)
13	b	Head green with a red crown. Drums only rarely but then with fast, soft rolls. Song a loud, laughing series of 10-18 notes, which do not drop in pitch. Template:Inline Sound    Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
14	a	Bird 2 to 3 times the size of a Blackbird.    ► 15
14	b	Bird approximately the same size as a Blackbird.    ► 23
14	c	Bird at most half of the size of the Blackbird.    ► 24
Larger bird, 2-3 times the size of a Blackbird
15	a	Bird uniformly coloured (black or grey).    ► 16
15	b	Bird bi-coloured or multi-coloured.    ► 19
16	a	Bird mostly uniformly medium or light grey, the breast and belly only slightly lighter than the rest of the plumage.    ► 17
16	b	Bird mostly uniformly black or dark grey.    ► 18
17	a	Abundant in parks, often feeding on grass lawns. Neck with a large white patch at the side. Wing with uniformly grey underside and a white transverse band clearly visible on the upper surface in flight. Singing high up in the canopy. Song is a hollow, hoarse, stifled, growling hooh-hrooo ... Template:Inline Sound    Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
17	b	Widespread and abundant in towns and cities, usually in flocks. Generally grey, but also in many colour variants. Wings white on underside. Song is a moaning drroo-u, repeated several times, often with faint increase in volume.    Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica)
17	c	Abundant in the areas with individual houses with gardens. Light grey (pale) bird with the narrow black bar (stripe) across side of neck. Song with three syllables coo-coo-coo, repeated a few time. Template:Inline Sound    Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) Portrait of Collared Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto)
18	a	Bird appearing completely dark at a distance but at closer range is dark grey with lighter grey over neck and nape. Call a rather short and cutting kyack.    Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
18	b	Bird uniformly black. Very noisy, commonest call, also functioning as song, is a hard rolling croak repeated 3 to 4 times, krra-kraa-kraa.    Carrion Crow (Corvus corone corone)
19	a	Bird bi-coloured (generally only two colours of plumage).    ► 20
19	b	Bird multi-coloured.    ► 21
20	a	Black and white bird with very long tail. Most calls are hoarse and unmusical. Best known is long-drown-out, fast very hoarse staccato series tsche-tsche-tsche ... Template:Inline Sound    Magpie (Pica pica) Head, breast, wings and tail glossy black with a metallic green and violet sheen; the belly and shoulder feathers (scapulars) pure white.
20	b	Black and grey bird. Very noisy; the commonest call, which also functions as song, is a hard rolling croak repeated 3 to 4 times, krra-kraa-kraa. Template:Inline Sound    Hooded Crow (Corvus corone cornix) Dirty light grey body and black wings, tail and head.
21	a	Wings broadly rounded; wings and tail black and white striped. Orange body and crown with an erectile crest like that of a Native American Chief. Bill long, narrow and slightly down-curved. Song hollow, muffled with 3 (sometimes only 2) syllables oop-oop-oop. Template:Inline Sound    Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
21	b	Wings pointed and triangular; wings and tail long. Bill short.    ► 22
22	a	Back, head and breast plain blue-grey, the sharply defined belly area white with dark bars. Familiar song of two syllables kooo-koo is repeated for a long time. Template:Inline Sound    Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
22	b	Bird of prey with reddish-brown back contrasting with dark grey wing tips. Frequently hovers with hanging tail spread like a fan. Calls in flight with a fast series of short, sharp notes kee-kee-kee ... Template:Inline Sound    Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Medium-sized bird, similar in size to a Blackbird
23	a	Bird mainly black, with yellow bill. Singing high up in the tree canopy and at the top of buildings. Song long and melodious. Template:Inline Sound    Blackbird (Turdus merula) Male of Blackbird (Turdus merula) in winter Female of Blackbird (Turdus merula) in spring Female of Blackbird (Turdus merula) in winter
23	b	Bird black with many white spots on the body. Song very complicated sequence of loud whistles and rather soft knocking sounds or squeaks. Often imitating other birds. Template:Inline Sound    Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
23	c	Black and yellow bird. Song a beautiful, loud, fluting whistle. Template:Inline Sound    Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) Bright yellow body and black wings and tail.
Small bird, the size of a Sparrow
24	a	Bird with very powerful, triangular bill, big head and thick neck, and short tail. Dominant colours are rusty-brown with black, white and grey patterns (embellishments). Calls are sharp, dry and high-pitched explosive notes pix. Template:Inline Sound    Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Bill of Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
24	b	Bird more delicate in all its parts. Tail longer.    ► 25
25	a	Breast uniformly bright orange.    ► 26
25	b	Breast yellow.    ► 27
25	c	Breast whitish, grey or brown.    ► 28
26	a	Back brown, belly white. Legs brown. Song fluting and warbling, often beginning with a few high, drawn-out, thin notes, and then the verse dropping in pitch and speeding up with fast runs of trembling and excited, clear, squeaky notes. Template:Inline Sound    Robin (Erithacus rubecula) Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
26	b	Back grey; belly orange like the breast. Legs black. Song with a short, soft, melancholy verse at high pitch, which is constantly repeated from first morning light until the evening. Template:Inline Sound    Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
27	a	Head yellow, like the breat. Back brown with dark strips. Song consists of a series of 5 to 8 high-pitched, rapidly repeated trills, flagging at the end si-si-si-si-si-süü. Template:Inline Sound    Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)
27	b	Head blue. Wings and tail bluish. Song consists of clear fast trills sisiüdu, which are repeated after a short pause. Template:Inline Sound    Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) (= Parus caeruleus) Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Portrait of Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
27	c	Head black with large,white cheek patch. Underparts yellow with a black band stretching from the throat towards the tail. Rhythmic ringing song ti-ta ti-ta ti-ta or ti-ti-ta ti-ti-ta ti-ti-ta. Template:Inline Sound    Great Tit (Parus major) Male of Great Tit (Parus major) Female of Great Tit (Parus major)
28	a	Upper side (at least back in tail) mainly black. Silhouette with long, narrow pointed wings and forked tail (Swallow like silhouette).    ► 29
28	b	Upper side brown.    ► 31
28	c	Upper side grey.    ► 34
28	d	Upper side not black, brown or grey.    ► 37
29	a	Bird entirely black except for the pale throat. Usually observed in flight, catching insects and calling with a shrill, monotone, ringing scream srriiirr. Template:Inline Sound    Swift (Apus apus)
29	b	Belly and underparts of the tail white.    ► 30
30	a	Bird with red throat and long ,deeply forked tail. Usually nesting inside buildings. The rather loud song consists of rapid twitters, interrupted by a croaking sound, and turning into a dry rattle. Template:Inline Sound    Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Portrait of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Male of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) building the nest Flock of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) on migration
30	b	White throat, underparts and rump contrasting sharply with otherwise black upperparts. Black tail is short and moderately forked. Usually breeding in small colonies with the nests attached on the outside of houses. Noisy, especially in colonies. Gives incessant dry but pleasing twitter prrit. Template:Inline Sound    House Martin (Delichon urbica) House Martin (Delichon urbica) on the nest
31	a	Bird more or less entirely brownish. Song long and melodious; pauses between syllables are short.    ► 32
31	b	Bird with only upperparts brownish. Breast and belly whitish or greyish. Syllables of the song are short, with a longer pause between.    ► 33
32	a	Very small, uniformly brown bird, with the tail held erect when singing. Usually found in forest or in city parks and large gardens with dense vegetation. Sings loudly, usually from the lower branches of trees or the tops of bushes. Template:Inline Sound    Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
32	b	Plain brown bird, appearance with slightly darker upperparts and paler underparts. More often heard then seen. Song best recognised by recurring whistles in crescendo lu lu lü lü li li. It also sings during the night. Template:Inline Sound    Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
32	c	Bird light brown with dark brown stripes. Song quite long, consisting of high and even pitched warbling. It is usually delivered from the top of a bush or medium-sized conifer. Template:Inline Sound    Hedge Accentor or Dunnock (Prunella modularis) Portrait of Hedge Accentor or Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
33	a	Crown and cheeks grey. Template:Inline Sound    House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Female of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
33	b	Crown uniformly brown; cheeks white with black spot. Template:Inline Sound    Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) Portrait of Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
34	a	Head colours making a distinctive mask.    ► 35
34	b	Head uniformly coloured.    ► 36
35	a	Bird black, white and grey, slender, with a long tail, which is constantly wagged up and down. Cheerful, two- or three-syllable call is easily recognisable, tsli-vitt or zi-ze-litt. Template:Inline Sound    Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
35	b	Bird grey with paler underparts and black (males) or brown (females) cap on the head. Song beautiful, long and melodious. Template:Inline Sound    Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) Male portrait of Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) Female portrait of Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
35	c	Bird grey with paler underparts and darker tail and crown. Ear-coverts are an even darker grey than the crown. Pure white throat contrasts sharply with the head. Song is loud, rattling series tell-tell-tell-tell. Template:Inline Sound    Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) Portrait of Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
36	a	Upperparts pale grey, underparts whitish-grey. Song a series of simple, quiet, high-pitched whistles. The rhythm is a little uneven with whistles well spaced. Template:Inline Sound    Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Portrait of Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
36	b	Upperparts dark grey. Belly and underparts of the tail red. Tail constantly vibrated. Song loud and complicated with characteristic krschkrschkrsch sounds. Template:Inline Sound    Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
37	a	Bird yellowish-green in general appearance, with no prominent white pattern on wings or head.    ► 38
37	b	Bird more bright coloured, with white patterns on wings or head.    ► 39
38	a	Robust bird with strong, prominent bill. Song a flowing series of twittering and trilling notes. Template:Inline Sound Template:Inline Sound    Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
38	b	Smaller, more delicate bird with tiny bill. Song a very fast and almost strained stream of squeaky, sharp and jingling notes at even pitch. Sings from treetops or in song-flights made with stiff, slow-motion wingbeats. Template:Inline Sound    Serin (Serinus serinus)
39	a	Sides of head and breast rusty-red, contrasting with bluish-grey crown and nape. Wings greyish black with a double white wing-bar. Song loud and complicated, but very characteristic. Template:Inline Sound    Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) Singing Chaffinch male (Fringilla coelebs) Portrait of Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
39	b	Very colourful bird (black, yellow, red, brown, white) with an unmistakable red “face”. Wings black with a broad yellow bar. Song rather quiet; consisting of rapid trills, meowing notes and twittering sequences. Template:Inline Sound    Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)