Birds in Backyards

Top 40 bird songs

Pied Currawong © Bird Explorers Pied Currawong
Photo: K Vang and W Dabrowka © Bird Explorers

Our 'Top 40 Chart' lists the most curious or distinctive bird calls in urban areas (mostly around Sydney), based on common enquiries to the Australian Museum.

All audio files provided by Fred Van Gessel. Full details available here

Top 40 song list
RankSongGroupFactsheetAudio
1 Common Koel The Sorrows Factsheet Sound file (338kb MP3)
2 Channel-billed Cuckoo The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (190kb MP3)
3 Southern Boobook The Hooters Factsheet Sound file (236kb MP3)
4 Tawny Frogmouth The Hooters Factsheet Sound file (191kb MP3)
5 Grey Butcherbird The Carollers Factsheet Sound file (313kb MP3)
6 Willie Wagtail The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (297kb MP3)
7 Masked Lapwing The Cacklers Factsheet Sound file (282kb MP3)
8 Little Wattlebird The Cacklers Factsheet Sound file (234kb MP3)
9 Australian Raven The Criers Factsheet Sound file (281kb MP3)
10 Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (226kb MP3)
11 Australian Magpie The Carollers Factsheet Sound file (219kb MP3)
12 Pied Currawong The Carollers Factsheet Sound file (283kb MP3)
13 Laughing Kookaburra The Cacklers Factsheet Sound file (243kb MP3)
14 Red Wattlebird The Clocks Factsheet Sound file (260kb MP3)
15 Spotted Turtle-Dove The Cooers Factsheet Sound file (236kb MP3)
16 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (265kb MP3)
17 Magpie-lark The Peepers Factsheet Sound file (253kb MP3)
18 Galah The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (244kb MP3)
19 Noisy Miner The Peepers Factsheet Sound file (294kb MP3)
20 Red-whiskered Bulbul The Waverers Factsheet Sound file (287kb MP3)
21 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike The Waverers Factsheet Sound file (223kb MP3)
22 Barn Owl The Hooters Factsheet Sound file (265kb MP3)
23 Australian Owlet-nightjar The Hooters Factsheet Sound file (319kb MP3)
24 Powerful Owl The Hooters Factsheet Sound file (302kb MP3)
25 Fan-tailed Cuckoo The Sorrows Factsheet Sound file (242kb MP3)
26 Pallid Cuckoo The Sorrows Factsheet Sound file (220kb MP3)
27 Brush Cuckoo The Sorrows Factsheet Sound file (242kb MP3)
28 Common Blackbird The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (247kb MP3)
29 Common Myna The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (298kb MP3)
30 Common Starling The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (318kb MP3)
31 Olive-backed Oriole The Waverers Factsheet Sound file (267kb MP3)
32 Australian King-Parrot The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (242kb MP3)
33 Rainbow Lorikeet The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (280kb MP3)
34 Crimson Rosella The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (209kb MP3)
35 Spotted Pardalote The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (249kb MP3)
36 Superb Fairy-wren The Trillers Factsheet Sound file (299kb MP3)
37 Silvereye The Peepers Factsheet Sound file (299kb MP3)
38 Little Corella The Screechers Factsheet Sound file (263kb MP3)
39 New Holland Honeyeater The Squeakers Factsheet Sound file (277kb MP3)
40 Figbird The Whistlers Factsheet Sound file (285kb MP3)

Why do birds make sound?

Many species of bird are more often heard than seen. Most birds have some kind of sound-making ability and they vocalise for a variety of reasons, including:

How do they do it?

Birds generate sounds from a structure called the 'syrinx', which is located at the junction of the two bronchi (air passages) in the respiratory tract (breathing organs). The syrinx is controlled by pairs of muscles. Generally, bird species with more muscle-pairs produce more complex calls. The songbirds, also know as passerines (of the order Passeriformes), possess between four and nine of these muscle pairs and make the longest and most elaborate calls.

The Ornithology.com website has more information about how and why birds make sounds.

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