The Common Chaffinch, a species native to Europe and known for its song, has a vocalisation known as the “rain call.” This call, often described as a soft, repetitive “pink-pink” or “fink-fink,” has intrigued ornithologists for centuries. The rain call has historically been believed to predict rain, a belief deeply rooted in European folklore. Introduced...

Birds with abnormal plumage colours that are caused by genetic mutations such as leucism, albinism and melanism, are considered very rare in wild birds. One published study suggested that only one in every 30 000 birds suffers from these abnormalities! Another even rarer plumage mutation is known as a ‘fawn’ or non-eumelanic mutation. This is illustrated in...