Bird Accents | Saving Urban Birdsong

Update: 2025-05-07

Description

When Ajay Tegala discovers that chaffinches, a small songbird, have a different accent every 30 miles, he’s intrigued.

However, under threat from disease these birds are dying out in urban areas, and their unique urban songs may be lost for ever. But all is not lost. There's a way to find out how this disease is spreading...by recording their song.

Follow Ajay and ecologist and UKYouth4Nature advocate Şeniz Mustafa as they search for this disappearing birdsong.

To send Joe a chaffinch recording:

Identify a chaffinch. You can use apps like Merlin to help you make sure it’s the right bird.

Point your phone at the chaffinch. Be safe and don’t do anything you wouldn’t normally do!

Record for anywhere up to 5 minutes.

Send to joe.cooper@bto.org

Your recording will be added to the database!

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Production:

Hosts: Ajay Tegala and Rosie Holdsworth

Producer: Marnie Woodmeade

Assistant Producer: Katy Kelly

Sound Designer: Jesus Gomez

Contributors:

Şeniz Mustafa

Joe Cooper

Ian Johnson

Discover more:

Find out more about chaffinches and the British Trust for Ornithology here: https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/chaffinch