Tin whistle
In recent years a number of instrument builders have started lines of "high-end," hand-made whistles, which can cost hundreds of dollars US each — expensive in comparison to cheap whistles, but nevertheless cheaper than most other instruments. These companies are typically either a single individual or a very small group of craftsmen who work closely together. The instruments are distinguished from the inexpensive whistles in that each whistle is individually manufactured and "voiced" by a skilled person rather than made in a factory.
Pigeon whistle
Pigeon whistles are small devices fitted to pigeons that emit a noise as the bird flies through the air. They have been used in China, where they are known as "geling" or "geshao", since at least the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and also in Japan and Indonesia. Traditionally they were made from lightweight bamboo or from gourds and attached to the pigeon by a toggle fixed between its tail feathers - causing no harm to the bird. They are used to deter birds of prey, for entertainment and as a means of an owner recognising their pigeons. They have been used in Taiwan on racing pigeons and may also have been used by the American Army. The carrier pigeons used by banking houses in Peking to carry reports were fitted with particularly intricate whistles carved with animal head designs and capable of emitting a number of different tones at once. During the 1986 visit of Queen Elizabeth II to China a flock of pigeons fitted with whistles was released in Tiananmen Square.