The prettiest birdsong, according to science – with blackbirds taking the top spot

They might not be the most colourful garden visitor – but the blackbird is the bird with the prettiest song, according to science.

Researchers have carried out a study to discover the key features that make tweets pleasant.

They found that calls which are varied, higher-pitched and not too loud are considered the nicest and most enjoyable.

Blackbirds, which create a rich, mellow and flute-like melody, topped the list, followed by the sweet, gentle sound of a willow warbler and the rich, bubbly tune of the blackcap.

In contrast, barn owls – known for making a shrill screeching sound – came last in the rankings.

‘You don’t have to be a “bird person” to find bird sounds beautiful,’ Dr Nadine Kalb, from the University of Tubingen, said.

‘Being able to recognize birds by their appearance or song did not affect how people rated calls.

‘This suggests that enjoyment of birdsong is connected to something more fundamental than just knowing what you are listening to.’

For the study, 84 participants were asked to rate the pleasantness of 123 songs from wild birds commonly found throughout Germany.

They were asked to rate the songs on a scale from one to five, with five being the nicest.

While blackbirds had an average score of 4.52, the barn owl scored just 1.32. Others which came near the bottom of the table include the Egyptian goose, known for its snarls, grunts and honks, and the harsh, raspy gray heron.

The team found a narrower bandwidth and greater complexity were perceived as more pleasant, as were birdsongs at a higher frequency or with a relatively low amplitude.

The songs that scored highest also avoided a key frequency range where human hearing is highly sensitive.

Although people who valued birds more rated songs more highly, knowing more about birds didn’t influence perceived pleasantness.

Study senior author Dr Christoph Randler, also from the University of Tübingen, said: ‘Bird sounds are often considered one of the most enjoyable aspects of spending time in nature, and previous research has shown that they can contribute to psychological restoration and well-being.

‘However, not all bird sounds are perceived equally positively.’

Barn owls – known for making a shrill screeching sound – came last in the rankings with a score of 1.32 out of five (file image)

The researchers explained that their findings, published in Frontiers in Bird Science, could help improve parks and upgrade the design of stressful places such as hospital waiting rooms.

It could also promote conservation through birds with especially lovely songs.

‘We might be wired to prefer more variable sounds with moderate amplitudes and frequencies because they signal a safe, healthy and restorative environment where we can relax,’ Dr Kalb said.

The team said they couldn’t test certain factors, such as call rate, which also might affect perceptions of pleasantness.

Earlier this year, experts warned the Dawn Chorus is getting quieter across the UK as bird numbers plummet.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) said populations of our most familiar songsters including the chaffinch and willow warbler are on the decline.

As a result, the Dawn Chorus is now a ‘much–diminished event’ compared to previous generations that experienced a louder, fuller and more resonant soundscape.

Experts warned the symphony has become an ‘aural shadow’ of its former self thanks to disease and climate change.

The RSPB’s Big Garden birdwatch recently found that greenfinch numbers in Britain have plummeted, leaving the species at risk of extinction.

The charity revealed numbers of these beloved garden birds have fallen by 67 per cent since the annual survey began in 1979.

While the RSPB maintains it is ‘extremely unlikely’ that the greenfinch will go extinct, the ‘severe population drop’ has put the common bird on the UK Red List for endangered species.

According to the charity, this decline is due to the spread of trichomonosis, which is transmitted at bird feeders.