A bird flageolet after an anonymous instrument

(late eighteenth or early nineteenth century)

The bird flageolet is a tiny instrument used during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries for teaching cage birds to sing popular tunes in order to increase their market value.

This one is tuned in D at 435 Hz. Because of its very shrill sound quality it is difficult to use in ensemble music. The picture below shows how small it is compared to a fountain pen.

You can listen to this instrument here

Tunes for the skylark and nightingale from The Bird Fancyer's Delight (anon. ca 1730)

Other flageolets

A windcap flageolet after Prudent Noblet



A flageolet after an anonymous eighteenth century instrument