Nature Overheard: Tune in to your streets © Theo Blossom

British wildlife

Know your nature sounds?

Think you know your birds from your bees? See how good you are at recognising the nature on your doorstep by testing yourself in our animal sounds quiz.

What's that sound?

Test your knowledge of nature sounds and keep track of your score as you go.

1. What's making this charismatic croak?

Natural History Museum · Croaks

I think it's a toad

Close, but a toad doesn't make this sound.

Toads can travel as far as two kilometres to reach their breeding sites.

A toad sits on some moss — © Svitlana Tkach/ Shutterstock

It sounds more like a frog

Correct! It's the croak of a common frog.

You can tell the difference between a frog and a toad by looking at their skin. Frogs have a dark patch behind the eye and smooth, moist skin, while the toads have bumpy skin.

A commons frog half in the water, clinging to a green reed — © RYosha/ Shutterstock

2. How about this haunting scream?

Natural History Museum · Scream

Could it be a red fox?

Correct! A red fox makes this harrowing sound.

The high-pitched wails you hear are made by female foxes in their breeding season, which begins in January.

A red fox looks into the camera as it stands in the grass on a sunny day — © Sandra Standbridge/ Shutterstock

Sounds like an owl to me

Good try, but an owl doesn't make this sound.

The short-eared owl doesn't usually make a lot of noise, but can bark or scream when defending their nest.

An owl flied through grass in the red light of sunset — © RobDemPhoto/ Shutterstock

3. What bird sings like this?

Natural History Museum · Bird - Song

A magpie

Correct! It's a magpie.

A magpie makes a noisy chatter.

A magpie sits on a branch witha blurry background — © Butterfly Hunter/ Shutterstock

It's a blackbird

It's not a blackbird, try again.

A blackbird sitting on a wooden fence post — © DKeith/ Shutterstock

Red poppys and blue cornflowers grow under a tree with a city in the background — What's buzzing around these flowers? Wildflowers provide pollen for insects in cities and towns © Theo Blossom

4. What buzzes like this?

Natural History Museum · Buzz

A bee

Correct! It's the sound of a bee buzzing from flower to flower.

A bee sits on a purple flower — © HeatherJane/ Shutterstock

It's more of a wasp sound

Try again, this isn't the sound of a wasp.

There are over 7,000 wasp species living in the UK.

A wasp walks along a log — © Keith Hider/ Shutterstock

Natural History Museum · Wasp

5. Finally, do you recognise this chirping sound?

Natural History Museum · Chirping

Surely it's a cricket

Correct! It's a cricket.

Crickets make sound by rubbing their legs and wings together.

A cricket sits on a leaf in the sun — © Sandra Standbridge/ Shutterstock

I think it's a grasshopper

It's not a grasshopper.

Grasshoppers live for around one year.

A grasshopper sits on a leaf in the sun — © Eileen Kumpf/ Shutterstock

Your score

1 You croaked.

2 You need more legs.

3 Nice work, you've winged it.

4-5 You're the bee's knees!

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