Kingfisher, swan
1 sound
Two of the most notable bird species of this stretch of the river are kingfishers and swans. You might see them if you look carefully. Or you might hear them if you listen. Kingfishers make a penetrating high-pitched call as they fly up and down the river. You can hear these calls in this recording, followed by a range of different sounds made by swans. The hissing sound you can hear at the end of this clip was made by an angry swan when somebody got too close to its cygnets - it's a warning to stay away. Swans eat water plants, which they take from the riverbed using their long necks. They also eat water snails that cling to the vegetation together with small fish, frogs and worms. Kingfishers, as their name implies, eat fish, especially sticklebacks, elvers (small eels) and minnows. They also eat aquatic insects, freshwater shrimps and tadpoles to top up their diet.
