I went to check on a male Firecrest in a local wood this morning. I hadn't been to look at it for a few weeks but last time I did it had paired with a female Goldcrest and she was making a nest. I'd never heard it sing, despite others telling me it did so regularly. However, after re-finding the right spot in the wood and hearing what I thought was a Goldcrest sing close-by I locked my bins on the male Firecrest moving around the folliage. It was good to know he was still in residence. After a couple of minutes I heard the Goldcrest sing in the same tree - a bit close for comfort I thought, especially as I know Firecrests and Goldcrests don't really get on. I then realised the 'Goldcrest' song was actually coming from the Firecrest!
My ears are definitely getting slowly worse with age, but I have never heard a Firecrest give a song so close to a Goldcrests before. I recorded it on my Remembird and have created a sonogram in Ravenlite, as well as recording a Goldcrest in the same area, and I have also created a sonogram of a 'normal' Firecrests song I recorded a couple of years ago. Take a look and listen and please drop me a comment if anyone's come across this before - it had me a bit foxed!
I do wonder if because it's paired with a female Goldcrest it has adapted its song to be more attractive? It is certainly something I've never come across before, however I have now seen at least four mixed pairings of Firecrest and Goldcrest, several of which have made nests and at least one of them feeding young, although I never saw the outcome of that nest. Are there any definite hybrids know about? I may have to do some Googling to find out...
Edit - found out somre more. See here.
Edit - found out somre more. See here.
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| Firecrest singing like Goldcrest |
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| Goldcrest |
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| Firecrest normal song |
