Commercial Irish traditional flute CDs often appear to include tracks recorded on flutes in flute keys other than D. In cases where one doesn’t have access to the sleeve notes is there an easy way for an untutored ear to identify the key of the flute. Eg how do you identify a track is being played on an Eb flute.
Thanks
By ear. Not hard to do for flutes because It is unusual to find recordings in other keys than Eb or Bb, maybe F. If sound similar to D but higher is Eb, same for Bb.
As sligofluter suggests - I also try and play along with the track using a D, C or Bb whistle to see which sounds closest or change the pitch using software.
Thanks for those replies. Couple more questions - if a tune is in the key of G on a D flute what key is it on Eb and Bb flutes. What do Eb and Bb flutes offer over a D flute.
Thanks
If you played a tune on a Bb flute, with the same fingering as you played it on a D flute, it would be in Eb instead of G.
The ‘advantage’ of a flute in another key is that you can more easily play tunes in those keys. But you can also play your regular D, G or E-minor tunes that you played on the D flute, with the same fingering on a different flute and they’ll sound deeper or higher. There seems to be lots of slow airs that sound nice on low Bb flutes.
On an Eb flute it would be Ab
On a Bb flute it would be Eb
Eb flutes are “brighter” in sound being a semitone higher than a D flute, whereas Bb flutes are “moodier” as they are lower than D flute - more suited to slow airs. As a beginner best to go for a D flute
This sort of calculation is easy for those of us who started on a keyboard instrument, and tends to be mysterious to those who didn’t.
Not sure how to make it easier, except for: just count the (half-step) intervals between the home notes.
I had to look at my piano to check it was right. 
Audacityès ^change pitch^ function will select a home note and tell you itès frequency in both letter and Hertz. My experience is limited, but this has never been the key I think I am playing, but it is rarely off by more than a fifth. In fact iès most often off by exactly a fifth.
Any serious gigging flute player will have a variety of flutes, usually in the following keys D, Eb, F and Bb. (sometimes C but I prefer to play in C on a D flute)
The reasons are;
1 If you are accompanying songs (often in C, Bb or F) then you have greater flexibility and can normally cover the keys that are demanded of you.
2 If you play solo/duet sets then you will want to use the variety of colours and textures that this set of flutes would offer.
3 They all sound great in their own way.
4 Some sessions are in Eb
5 An F flute is very handy if you play along with Northumbrian Pipers, especially if you can get just sharp of concert pitch.
Moving along the Circle of fifths.