British Birdsong Essentials
Learn to identify 30+ British birds by their songs and calls.
The 10-week online course
Back for 2026! Starts February
By the end of this course you will have a grounding in how to identify more than 30 species of common British birds by sound.
The lessons and practice sessions span a 10-week period between February and May. We start with common resident species and add summer-visiting migrants as they arrive through the spring.
“Discovering an aural soundscape changed the way I move through different habitats. In woodland, I no longer look (and get frustrated). I listen.”
— Dr Duncan Green, Birdsong Essentials 2022
The course includes:
Step-by-step audio lessons on the different types of bird sound, ways to learn and techniques to identify 30+ different species by ear
Fortnightly live Zoom Q&A and quiz sessions
The option to join an additional in-person session in Sussex during the spring, at half price.
Ongoing access to Birdsong Academy audio guides to 60+ species after the course
Plus new for 2026 - coaching to let go of any excessive Merlin habit you may have acquired
The Birdsong Essentials course is suitable for those with little or no previous knowledge of identifying birdsong. The course is led by Charlie Peverett.
Course structure
Week 1 - Orientation & first birds
In week 1, we explore the different types of bird sound, and how we can interpret them. We’ll go through how the learning process works, introduce the key ways of getting to know bird sounds, and meet the first key species that we can ‘tune our ears’ to: Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Wren and Chaffinch.
Weeks 2 -3 - Garden Birds pt 1
We put names to more of the commonest sounds in our gardens, parks and streets, including the common crows, Blue & Great Tits, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Dunnock. We consider how these widespread resident birds use sound at different times of the year and in different contexts.
Weeks 4 - 5 - Garden Birds pt 2
More building blocks. We explore more familiar garden residents, including Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Starling, and two of our earliest summer arrivals - Chiffchaff & Blackcap.
Weeks 6 - 7 - Woodland Birds
Into the trees. We discover a wider selection of woodland birds, including residents such as Goldcrest, Green Woodpecker and Nuthatch and newly arriving Nightingales, Redstarts and Willow Warblers.
Weeks 8 - 9 - Open Country Birds
Out among the hedgerows, heathland and field edges. We pick out Yellowhammer, Skylark, Linnet, Swallow, Meadow Pipit, Common Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat.
Weeks 10 - Summer
We reach a crescendo with the peak of the dawn chorus and familiarise ourselves with the sounds of House Martins and Swifts overhead, Garden Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers and Nightjars in the woods, and Reed and Sedge Warblers at the waterside.
“I would thoroughly recommend Birdsong Essentials. The sessions were informal and fun and Charlie has some great tips to help the songs ‘stick’ in your mind - who could forget a goldcrest riding along on a tiny, squeaky bicycle?”
— Lindsay Lycett, Birdsong Essentials 2022
Session timings
British Birdsong Essentials starts again in February 2026.
Lessons are released every two weeks.
Live practice / Q&A sessions will be held fortnightly, between 8 and 9pm on Thursday evenings via Zoom.
An in-person practice session in Sussex - option to join an additional half-day session in March, April or May, at half the usual price (£17.50)
Cost
The standard 2026 course fee is £125 per person.
For those who would find the fee a barrier, there are three low-cost places available in the next run. Please contact Charlie for further details.
Secure your spot
Places on the 2026 Birdsong Essentials course are limited.
Any questions?
If you have questions about British Birdsong Essentials or other Birdsong Academy activities, please contact hello@birdsong.academy