Whimbrel
David Attenborough presents the whimbrel.
Tweet of the Day is a series of fascinating stories about British birds inspired by their calls and songs.
David Attenborough presents the story of the whimbrel. Whimbrels are sometimes known as 'seven whistlers' from the number of notes in their call and in parts of the English midlands these sounds in the darkness gave rise to a folk tale about the six birds of fate which flew around the heavens seeking the seventh. When they were all reunited, went the story, the world would end. Mercifully, it wasn't true but it was our ancestor's way of interpreting the mystery of nocturnal migration.
Last on
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
Broadcasts
- Thu 8 May 2014 05:58±«Óãtv Radio 4
- Fri 8 Mar 2019 05:58±«Óãtv Radio 4
- Thu 4 Feb 2021 05:58±«Óãtv Radio 4
- Fri 12 May 2023 05:58±«Óãtv Radio 4
Podcast: Planet Puffin
Exploring all things puffin - the silly and the serious, the scientific and the cultural.
Try this new podcast
Five stories of birds and birdsong are told by the people inspired by them.
Podcast
-
![]()
Tweet of the Day
Discover birds through their songs and calls. 265 programmes of 90 seconds, over a year
