Jays impersonating buzzards

[Neal 1,922]

Earlier this year, over a month ago so before the leaves came out, I thought I could hear the "plaintive mew" of a buzzard which was then being answered by another. I looked up, expecting to see one circling over the top of the wood, but couldn't see one.

I heard the call again so looked up again and still no buzzard. The only bird I could see was a jay. Then, while watching it, I saw it open its mouth and let out the buzzard call! I've since seen this pair of jays doing the same thing several times.

I looked it up online and several other people have said they'd witnessed it too.

One thing I've noticed is that they only seemed to be doing it when they were perched high up in the oaks, so I'm wondering if their aim is to panic smaller birds into flying off and thereby giving away the location of their nests.

[tatsblisters 10,925]

5 minutes ago, Neal said:

Earlier this year, over a month ago so before the leaves came out, I thought I could hear the "plaintive mew" of a buzzard which was then being answered by another. I looked up, expecting to see one circling over the top of the wood, but couldn't see one.

I heard the call again so looked up again and still no buzzard. The only bird I could see was a jay. Then, while watching it, I saw it open its mouth and let out the buzzard call! I've since seen this pair of jays doing the same thing several times.

I looked it up online and several other people have said they'd witnessed it too.

One thing I've noticed is that they only seemed to be doing it when they were perched high up in the oaks, so I'm wondering if their aim is to panic smaller birds into flying off and thereby giving away the location of their nests.

Find that fascinating mate . I think i would have got my phone out and gone on the merlin bird app that I've found myself using more often now with the dawn chorus.

[Neal 1,922]

7 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

Find that fascinating mate . I think i would have got my phone out and gone on the merlin bird app that I've found myself using more often now with the dawn chorus.

Good idea! It was good enough to fool me so I wonder if it can fool the app.

[mushroom 13,938]

7 hours ago, tatsblisters said:

Find that fascinating mate . I think i would have got my phone out and gone on the merlin bird app that I've found myself using more often now with the dawn chorus.

Is it any good that app? Can it filter the many calls of a dawn chorus or is it just one call at a time?

[Franks dad 1,782]

6 minutes ago, mushroom said:

Is it any good that app? Can it filter the many calls of a dawn chorus or is it just one call at a time?

Does them all at once , sometimes it can struggle and you get a false one but it’s pretty spot on tbh 

[pesky1972 5,632]

Really interesting observation that. Corvids are very smart so there’ll definitely be method to them doing it.

Not the same but I posted on here last year about a starling around me singing what sounded like a pond full of mallards. Never managed to record or ‘merlin’ it yet.

[Franks dad 1,782]

12 minutes ago, pesky1972 said:

Really interesting observation that. Corvids are very smart so there’ll definitely be method to them doing it.

Not the same but I posted on here last year about a starling around me singing what sounded like a pond full of mallards. Never managed to record or ‘merlin’ it yet.

Strange you say that , I wasn’t gonna mention as I thought it might just be me  , but the starlings nesting in my eves do a good impression of a buzzard , I’m always looking out … 

[pesky1972 5,632]

4 minutes ago, Franks dad said:

Strange you say that , I wasn’t gonna mention as I thought it might just be me  , but the starlings nesting in my eves do a good impression of a buzzard , I’m always looking out … 

When I was a kid we had a telephone in the house identical to the one in the photo. Those of a certain age will remember the trill sort of tone it made rather than the bell sound of other phones. Anyway, my mum used to do her nut as a starling would sit on the fence outside the kitchen window mimicking the sound of that phone, and she’d run off to answer it.

[Qbgrey 4,254]

She must of looked stupid putting a starling to her ear

[fireman 11,334]

3 hours ago, mushroom said:

Is it any good that app? Can it filter the many calls of a dawn chorus or is it just one call at a time?

Yes it is mate and yes it does and highlights the bird that's singing at the time as well as it can do...

[tatsblisters 10,925]

3 hours ago, mushroom said:

Is it any good that app? Can it filter the many calls of a dawn chorus or is it just one call at a time?

I find it spot on mate though I could hear a crow calling and a cock pheasant though it took about 5 minutes before they came up but soon as I switched it on within minutes it picked half a dozen different birds up.

[Gilbey 1,490]

Mentioned it before on here, but the starlings at home have bits of buzzard and duck mixed into their song, and for as long as I can remember they have called like curlews 

[FLATTOP 5,065]

I think it’s a fantastic app when I’m laying there shooting I just switch it on and pick up all sorts, I was in Mexico at Christmas time and down loaded the Caribbean package and really picked up some interesting stuff.

[pesky1972 5,632]

16 hours ago, Gilbey said:

Mentioned it before on here, but the starlings at home have bits of buzzard and duck mixed into their song, and for as long as I can remember they have called like curlews 

Curlew yes. One near me has just a little bit of car alarm now too.

[pesky1972 5,632]

To me the merlin app is incredible. I can identify plenty of birds by their song, but there are plenty I can’t. The app lets you know what’s around you even when you can’t see it, especially the little brown jobs, the warblers, black caps, white throats, chats etc.

This time of year is the best too, when the dawn chorus is in full flow. Such a buzz watching the birds pop up on the app as it picks them up.