Five clear, tonal whistles that people mistake for a person every spring. Play each one, commit to an answer, and read why it sounds the way it does.

Ear test

Can you tell these whistlers apart?

Play each clip, name the bird, and find out what makes it recognisable.

5 rounds · about two minutes

  1. 1ListenReplay the clip as often as you like.
  2. 2CommitName it before the answer. The guess is the practice.
  3. 3Learn the tellGet the mnemonic, and what it is mistaken for.

Every clip is a real recording of the species named. Prefer to read first? Read the whistle guide.