Animal Calls

[Pandabean]

I was just wondering this morning about animal calls, mainly that of squirrel and had a look around the web and youtube. Most of what I found was about squirrel callers rather than the types of call they can make (alarm/distress/calling etc). Does anyone know of a resource out there that would contain these calls for UK wildlife?

What is the best way to learn to recognise all these sounds? Just constant listening to sound clips? Ideally I would like to apply this to birds as well but that may take a while.

I did see a few videos of people making calls using their hands. Does anyone have any info on these methods?

 

[Joonsy]

When you first walk into a wood (if clumsily) the sounds you hear first are very often animal alarm calls, usually birds, one will set off another, after a while when things quiet down again (if you remain quiet yourself that is) the wildlife will resume normal activity. I have called owls by cupping my hands together and blowing through them, foxes hares and deer by either sucking on the back of my hand or holding a piece of grass between my thumbs and blowing through it. Ever heard a muntjac call in the middle of the night, sounds a bit like a dog bark, fallow deer bark too but it’s altogether a different sound (between a bark and a cough). You can listen to birds songs on the RSPB website, you could possibly record the bird sounds you hear on your mobile phone (presuming you have one) and play it back at home to compare it, visible contact is best for recognition of course for example deer will stand and watch you while making their alarm call. Incidentally if you’re hearing an alarm call then you’ve obviously been seen or heard, but if you are trying to call an animal to you then take note of the wind direction if you want to be successful.

 

[Pandabean]

Thanks Joonsy.
I just got thinking about this whilst laying in the hammock a few wondering what all those calls were. I can recognise a few like the fox calls/shrieks.

I can do the owl noise by cupping my hands but never been able to get a proper reply back from an owl yet haha. I did see a youtube clip of a kid showing how to do a squirrell call in a similar way but changing the noise that you make.

What does the noise made by a blade of grass call? I can do that as well but never knew what it was supposed to imitate.

I have used the RSPB site a few times for sounds but there is just so much to listen to and trying to remember it all when back outdoors can get confusing. It is definitely something I want to improve upon. I have done a couple recordings of birds such as buzzards.

When you first walk into a wood (if clumsily) the sounds you hear first are very often animal alarm calls, usually birds, one will set off another, after a while when things quiet down again (if you remain quiet yourself that is) the wildlife will resume normal activity. I have called owls by cupping my hands together and blowing through them, foxes hares and deer by either sucking on the back of my hand or holding a piece of grass between my thumbs and blowing through it. Ever heard a muntjac call in the middle of the night, sounds a bit like a dog bark, fallow deer bark too but it’s altogether a different sound (between a bark and a cough). You can listen to birds songs on the RSPB website, you could possibly record the bird sounds you hear on your mobile phone (presuming you have one) and play it back at home to compare it, visible contact is best for recognition of course for example deer will stand and watch you while making their alarm call. Incidentally if you’re hearing an alarm call then you’ve obviously been seen or heard, but if you are trying to call an animal to you then take note of the wind direction if you want to be successful.

 

[Joonsy]

You can use a blade of grass to call deer, if you make a longish high-pitched tone it imitates the bleat of a fallow deer fawn and does can be called in by imitating this, the distress call of a fawn is louder still and high-pitched and imitating this will often bring in a doe quite fast, fallow bucks make a deep throaty grunting sound, the rut is approaching and a good time to watch deer but don’t try to get close to deer during the rut as it can be dangerous (people and dogs have been charged and even killed by rutting deer) the distress call of an adult fallow doe is a bit like a grunty cough and they will often face you while making this sound sometimes stamping their feet at the same time. Foxes too can be called in with a blade of grass by trying to imitate the squeal of a rabbit. If it is possible it is interesting to have visible contact with a particular animal to see how they respond to your call, sometimes foxes will actually turn and run away when you make a call (if they have been called before and then shot at they can become wary). A high pitched squeal can bring a stoat in, if you ever happen to scare a stoat of a kill just hang about and they will often return in a short while (they are inquisitive like ferrets). Calling doesn’t always work and certain times of the year get better responses for example hares respond better in their mating season around march. Have fun.