Begging calls from fledged young

Great spotted woodpecker nestlings can be heard far and wide in early June. Quite monotonous but after one minute they finally get food from their parents.

Begging calls of great spotted woodpecker

Lots of young woodpeckers around this time of year. In my garden I heard a quite rare call, two young lesser spotted woodpeckers were begging for food and kept one parent very busy. At same time I saw two young great spotted woodpeckers and one young green woodpecker. Backyard garden at its best! 20 June 2022 Håga, Uppsala.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (young)

Two goshawks fledglings begging for food. They were still in the vicinity of the nest. My neighbour is not that keen on having them breeding close by since he has a pigeon house... Nåsten, Uppsala. 17 July 2022

Goshawk fledglings begging for food

A typical garden soundscape all through July in Uppsala. Family groups of great tits, blue tits and nuthatches tour the garden's apple trees and you can hear the constant begging calls of the young tits. 30 July 2022, Håga, Uppsala.

Begging calls of tits and nuthatches

Less than one km from home I suddenly heard three sparrowhawks begging for food (uncannily similar to the nestlings of long-eared owl). How could I have missed this nest throughout the year?

Sparrowhawk fledglings begging

This time of year lots of strange calls can be heard from passerine fledglings. This call made me wonder what it was but after a while I saw the parents: wood warbler! Nåsten, Uppsala. 30 July 2022

Wood warbler begging calls

While waiting for the wolves to howl I stumbled upon two young and one parent nightjar on a clearcut. All three were flying around me and from time to time, the young ones got fed by at least one parent. Interesting repertoire of calls quite unlike the call and song of the summer. They should head south any day now. Siggefora, Uppland. August 25, 2022.

Nightjars still around

To hear the young nestlings begging for food like this must be stressful (at least from my anthropocentric perspective). Kvarnbo, Uppland. June 19, 2023.

Stressful to be a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker parent!

It is very rare to have fledged young Tawny Owls already in mid-April in Uppsala. Probably lots of rodents in the near vicinity. In this recording you can hear the noise of river Hågaån in the background. After a while the owlets are discovered by Blackbirds with their distinctive owl warning calls. Kvarnbo, Uppsala. April 24, 2024. 

Warm Audio 84 + Zoom F3

Record-early Tawny Owlets

We had the great luck of finding an active nest of three-toed woodpeckers on our way to the Swedish mountains. Here you can hear the begging calls of the young while the male is quite annoyed that we are there.

Stutvattenberget, Högland. June 26, 2024
Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272

Begging calls of three-toed woodpeckers

The recording as such is nothing to write home about but I have been wanting a recording of the begging call of the Common Redstart for a long while now. It has a strange metallic crushing quality to it.

Håga, Uppsala. July 7, 2024
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics Parabolic dish

Common Redstart begging calls

At least two fledglings Goshawk begged for food and finally the impressive female came with prey. Lots of lingering rain, also on the microphones...

Nåsten, Uppsala. July 17, 2024
Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272 as tree ears

Hungry Goshawk fledglings after a rainy night

I have not heard that many recordings of begging Great Grey Owl chicks. This recording is from 1.54 AM when the male comes with a rodent to the two (at least) young roughly 2 weeks old. You can also hear the lower frequency begging call of the female. The young beg with "calls without vowels".

Uppland. June 8, 2025.
Mixpre 3ii + Wildtronics Stereo Parabole

Great Grey Owl begging calls from young

Woodpeckers' begging calls are often quite similar to each other but the Grey-headed young beg with some kind of mix between a machine and a reptile. Somewhat scary :) In the background you will hear the "classic" begging calls of Great Spotted Woodpecker young.

Uppland. June 8, 2025.
Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272

The strange begging calls of Grey-headed Woodpecker

This year we have probably more successful breeding attempts of Great Grey Owl than Ural Owls in Uppland but this morning I stumbled upon one successful nest of Ural Owl. The recording starts of with the typical owl warning call of a Common Blackbird that has discovered the fledged owlets. After about 19 minutes you will hear the female uttering one single warning call and shortly thereafter she delivers food to the young. Otherwise you will hear a closeup roding Woodcock.

Siggefora, Uppland. June 27, 2025.
Zoom F3 + Clippy EM272

Owlets of Ural Owl

Field sound recordist and archivist of vanishing sounds in natural Iandscapes. Highly commended in the Sound of the Year Awards 2024 - Best Natural Sound.

Begging calls from fledged young

Bo Söderström