A beautiful looking predatory bird, it mostly takes insects and small reptiles which it gets by diving down from an exposed perch. The commonly heard sound is a strange sort of sucking scolding noise.
MAGPIE (Pica pica) - Pie bavarde
A common species of wooded gardens and urban parks, field edges and small woodlands. It is a familiar feature of rural life and many myths and folk tales surround it. It has a complex vocabulary, some of which is explained here, but its most easily recognised call is a harsh staccato chattering:
JAY (Garrulus glandarius) - Geai des chênes
Jays are noisy messy birds, tumbling around in woodlands and forests. They make a wide variety of sounds, can mimic other species, but the most defining call is a raucous squawk.
SPOTTED NUTCRACKER (Nucifraga caryocatactes) - Cassenoix moucheté
A fascinating bird of mountain forests, which has a close relationship with a particular pine tree. It makes a wide variety of sounds but the most commonly heard is a harsh rasping:
ALPINE CHOUGH (Pyrrhocorax graculus) Chocard à bec jaune
A black “crow” with bright yellow beak and red feet this bird is unmistakable in the high alps. Often seen scavenging around restaurants, refuges and picnic spots.
JACKDAW (Corvus monedula) Choucas des tours
A fairly common bird of forest edge, agricultural areas, towns and villages. The smallest of the European Crows, compact, active, with a blue eye and grey behind the head. The call is a sharp, rather high-pitched explosive “kiew”
CARRION CROW (Corvus corone) Cornelle Noire
A common bird of woodlands, forest edge and agricultural areas. Black with a pointed black beak, makes a wide range of sounds but is most noted for its harsh “cawing” calls.
RAVEN (Corvus corax) - Grand corbeau
The heavy-duty crow of the high mountains. Bigger than a Buzzard with heavy flight, often with a whistling coming from the wings, and a characteristic deep croak.
EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus oriolus) - Loriot d’Europe
A very active bird of open woodlands, parks and gardens right up to the treeline. It feeds on tree trunks and major branches usually head-down. It’s most frequent call is a sharp far-carrying “chweep”:
CHAFFINCH (Fringilla coelebs)- Pinson des arbres
The most common bird in Switzerland! Found in parks, gardens, forests and woodlands up to and beyond the tree-line. It has a very characteristic rolling song.
LINNET (Carduelis cannabina) - Linotte mélodieuse
This beautiful little bird can be found in open and semi-open country, common in the lowlands and again around 2000m , less common at intermediate altitudes. It has a very melodious song as the French name suggests.
GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis) -Chardonneret élégant
One of our most beautiful finches, often found in twittering flocks from which it is hard to distinguish its rather hurried but pretty song.
GREENFINCH (Carduelis chloris) - Verdier d’Europe
A great looking bird with a very lively cheerful song usually delivered from an exposed perch.
SISKIN (Carduelis spinosa) - Tarin des aulnes
Often seen in large flocks in winter. Its chattering song and active behaviour, with distinctive black cap of the males makes it easily identified.
CITRIL FINCH (Serinus citrinella) -Venturon montagnard
A small finch of the mountains, yellow-green like a Greenfinch, but smaller with a grey neck in the male. It has a quite complex song, and is more easily identified from a musical call-note.
SERIN (Serinus serinus) - Serin cini
A dumpy little finch of gardens and forest edge, yellowish and streaked. It has a rather frantic sounding tinkling song.
BULLFINCH (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) - Bouvreuil pivoine
The male Bullfinch is beautiful bird with pink breast and black cap. Rather shy it is usually seen high in the treetops where it sings a quiet and rather mournful song.
HAWFINCH (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) - Grosbec casse-noyaux
The biggest of our finches but the Hawfinch is a rather shy retiring bird which makes a very high-pitched quiet call.
YELLOWHAMMER (Emberiza citrinella) - Bruant jaune
A bird of the forest edge and scrub adjacent to agriculture. The male takes on a brilliant yellow head and breast during the breeding season, the female is more of a yellowish-brown colour, quite streaked all over.
CIRL BUNTING (Emberiza cirlus) - Bruant zizi
A bird of sunny slopes mostly below 600m, frequently around vineyards, but of scattered distribution in Switzerland. Frequently sings within cover but can be picked out by a rather “dry” rattling song.