‘Pink!’ The nine vocalisation vocabulary of the Chaffinch

There’s a Chaffinch shouting ‘Pink!’ at me. That’s where finches got their name; from their call of ‘Fink’ or ‘Pink’.

Chaffinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They have nine different vocalisations in their vocabulary:

  • A flight call
  • A social or aggressive call
  • An injury call
  • Three courtship calls
  • Three alarm calls

You can listen to them all here in a British Library article.

Chaffinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I’ve increased my powers of observation over the past two years by photographing birds.

Chaffinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Now I need to really concentrate and listen so that I can identify more species from the sounds they make.

Chaffinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

After hearing all the sounds they make, I’ll never listen to a Chaffinch in the same way again.

Chaffinch - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Will you?

Feel free to leave a Reply :)