Hello, I am new here so sorry if there's a specfic forum/thread for problems relating these cars.

I bought this car about a month ago with 200k miles on it, I'm loving the car so far though. Until recently, I've been hearing this odd sound which sounds like a bird found its way under the hood. At low revs this sound comes up till I push down the accelerator and returns at low revs. It's really awkward, is this sound the initial phase of something serious coming along the way or is it something I shouldn't be worried about?

On start up a dawn chorus chirping sound on the right hand side when sitting in your car is probably drive belt related.I wouldn't be overly concerned get it checked out when convenient 👍

On 1.6 petrol I had strange noise which I failed to identify until alternator drive belt came off on M1 a hundred miles from home. This revealed what my fault was. Failed bearing on alternator belt tensioner. Might just be belt. Sprinkle water on belt whilst engine on tickover. Does sound change.

These cars also have dual mass flywheel which can be noisy on tickover but usually  sounds like someone rattling a bag of spanner’s , not really a bird noise. Putting foot on clutch would alter sound if it is the flywheel.

19 hours ago, williamweb said:

On start up a dawn chorus chirping sound on the right hand side when sitting in your car is probably drive belt related.I wouldn't be overly concerned get it checked out when convenient 👍

Agree it does sound like it’s probably a belt making that noise. 

I can offer an alternative explanation, from my own experience. At 17 years young, your car may well have the same problem.

A 58 plate Fiesta Titanium 1.6L TDCi I have just sold would produce a very odd squealing noise after a long hot drive on the motorway, then abruptly disappear as quickly as it started. Also I could more often hear a slight rumble coming from the front end when veering slightly to the right, making me suspect a worn wheel bearing.

My experienced servicing mate was skeptical about a worn bearing after only ~40000 miles. Eventually he traced the source of the problem to a ring of rust that had built up on the perimeter of the off-side brake disc - whether the inner or the outer perimeter I never did find out, and why only on the off-side was puzzling.

Carefully taking a file to the ring of rust on the disc solved the problem, and it never returned in the following five or more years.

Another alternative; is it only on low rpm, but more intermittent as if only occurring over bumpy bits in the road? If so, lower arm bushes are a likely candidate. They can tweet like he'll if left to it. Otherwise if more consistent then sounds bearing/pulley/belt related from that brief description