Bird from Hell: Please help!

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s2160
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Bird from Hell: Please help!

Hello guys, this is my first post on these forums and I am utterly desperate for any help you guys have. I live in Western Sydney and for the past 2 weeks, our quiet street has been terrorized by the mating call of a bird that can only be described as satanic!

HERE'S MY STORY:
Every morning from about 4am til about 5.30am, a mid sized greyish thin bird will sit atop my neighbour’s tree and begin its loud, harrowing and incessant cry. Words fail me to describe just how loud and just how stomach churning this irritating noise is. Of course, it’s not unusual to be woken by the sound of birds at this time of year but this distressingly loud mating call can only be compared to what a pterodactyl must have sounded like back in the Jurassic age.

I've lived in the same house for 28 years, I've heard many birds but this is a first and for the first time I ever in my life I was compelled to call the council and the National Parks Services for HELP!

Just the other morning, we were nearly hit by a flying stone that another distressed neighbour threw at this bird.

I was compelled to contact you guys for some help! We are all desperate! It’s been over 2 weeks of pure hell. Just when it hits 4.30 and you think he’s going to quieten down, he starts up again and this vulgar production lasts for an hour by which point you are so stressed, angry and enraged, that you can’t get back to sleep and it’s soon time to get up for work, which leaves you in a sleepless and foul mood for the day.

ABOUT THE MATING CALL:
It starts off with a long noise instantly followed by a staccato of shorter repetitive calls. Then the cycle begins again after about 5 seconds of silence.

The call goes something like this:

Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk
Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk
Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk
Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk
Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk
Raaaaaaaaah awk-awk-awk-awk-awk

It’s thin, long and grey. Not too big, maybe a medium size?. I’ve already ruled out the Koel. Someone said it might be a type of cuckoo but thus far the one's I've researched sound nothing like it.

He only appears at 4-5am and NEVER during the day although my mum did see him at about 5pm and she said he was grey, and a lot like a skinny longer turtle dove?

Amateur

I'm thinking a channel-billed cuckoo.

Amateur

No ignore that, I hadn't heard one before but now I have it doesn't sound like your description of the noise, and + it's around twice the size of a TS Dove.

Amateur

Or maybe it is..... I'm sure some fellow members will help you out here, I'm lost on this one :)

Araminta
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Hi s2160,.........look at the bright side,after 2 weeks of mating, it will be totaly exhausted,and to weak to call.... (no wonder the bird looks skinny, but not a bad place to be?) What ever it is, hope it's having fun!

M-L

Andy
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I've replied in your "general" post - I'd say it's a Channel-billed Cuckoo. The call you've described is definitely a CBC call.

s2160
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Hi all,

Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my post and help me out. It's greatly appreciated.

@Andy - I've listened to the MP3 on this site of the CBC mating call and I've got to say, it's not the sound I'm hearing. The format of the call might be the same but the shrilling intensity of what I'm hearing is phenomonal. I'm not doubting you and your knowledge but I'm just not 100% convinced... but then again, maybe not all the CBC calls are 100% exactly the same?

The best way I can describe the tone of his call is that of a rooster, I can literally hear him "gurgle" between calls as his catches his breath. It's this slurring gurgle before he begins his "reeeeaarr wah wah wah wah wah".

Hmmmm, lets say it is the CBC, is there anything I can do help shoo him away? I mean, why at 4pm? Can't he get his rocks off at noon or something???

Oh and I've noticed they've been described as "shy"... ain't nothing shy about this little bastard.

If anyone else has any suggestions other than a CBC I'd love to hear it.

Cheers once again for all of your information!

Amateur

Perhaps you could get a recording or perhaps a photo of the bird?

s2160
s2160's picture

Any ideas of the best way to record him?

What do you guys normally use?

Amateur

I and Birdie (I think birdie does) just record it wth a digital camera and put it on yourube.

s2160
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Sweet, thanks mate. Will have to get my hands on a cam corder then.

birdie
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Ha ha ha ha ....... so sorry s2160 ..... but yes that is a Channel Bill..... you are lucky... I am listening to them at 2 - 3.00am LOL Admittedly they are not right outside my window. The awkk awkk awkk awk is a dead give away and it is a shrill screeching call like something is being attacked!
Not very romantic unless you are a female CBC obviously. I would bet anything it is that.

He'll get sick of it soon so try some ear plugs in the mean time. it is only once a year :')

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

s2160
s2160's picture

It's been over SIX weeks and NOTHING has changed.

Can anyone recommend the best procedure to cull this bird?

Have contacted the council, the wildlife services, pest control all to no avail.

Before I attempt getting an air rifle and taking him out myself, any other ideas to spare this bastard his life and get rid of him?

Six weeks of SLEEPLESS nights is beyond a joke. This bird must die.

birdie
birdie's picture

Sorry mate.... don't expect to find any helpful answers to a comment like that. Remember ... they are just birds

Sunshine Coast Queensland

s2160
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Thanks for the reminder that it's just a bird.
It's not like the daily wake up calls aren't enough of a reminder, I'm well aware of what sort of species this is.

BryanT
BryanT's picture

You said you contacted the council, the wildlife services and pest control. I am interested to know what they said??

Bryan

Andy
Andy's picture

You mentioned it arrives and starts calling at approx. 4am. And you now mention that you have had 6 weeks of sleepless nights. So has it started arriving earlier?

Have you tried ear plugs, like Birdie suggested?

There are possibly other things you could try. Environmental modifications - changing your own environment to minimise the disruption caused by the bird. E.g, closing your windows (if they're open ) to reduce the noise; using a fan or airconditioner to block the noise (which would also keep temperature tolerable if you've had to close the windows); putting the radio on quietly on static (white noise); go to bed earlier so that when you wake up at 4am you've still had a decent amount of sleep.

Of course, some or all of these suggestions might be impractical for you. We don't know your circumstances because you've described only the call of the bird; you've not described why a 4am wake-up is such a problem (e.g., Do you have a new baby? Are you a shift worker?)

Andy.

birdie
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My sentiments exactly Andy...
I actually posted before I finished my thoughts before.
I am now awake at 4.30am most days and I find the noise outside my bedroom goes on till about 6.30. So as a result I am getting to bed earlier and on some occasions closing the window. I have a chorus of a howling catbird, a pied butcher bird, an extremely loud bush pigeon with a repetitive and insistent loud coo and a constantly chirping baby blue faced honey eater.
The other night I was disturbed by the human sounds of someone having a loud party. Give me the sounds of nature any time. Are you really so out of tune with the natural world that you want to kill a bird for disturbing you morning sleep?
Maybe if you tell Wires that it is in danger for its life, they will come and save it from you and your neighbours.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

GregL
GregL's picture

These days you need a license for an air rifle, its very expensive with the training course as well.
I think what is keeping you awake is your anger, not the noise.

Araminta
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Man, I don't believe this, get a life, put the stereo on,have some noisy sex, and be happy!!! Leave the birds alone!!

M-L

Araminta
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AMEN!

M-L

birdie
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Absolutely..... I couldn't agree more . Oh and by the way, I forgot to mention the duelling whipbirds RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW at dawn and the Kookaburras.
I am thinking of starting a petition to get them banned from residential areas due to the obvious mental health issues they provoke. :')

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Woko
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Quint, going on the dates on these posts you might be six years too late - thank goodness.

teganb02
teganb02's picture

Quint, why would you want to kill an innocent creature?

Tegan - Melbourne Vic.

dwatsonbb
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Appears admin didn't approve of Quint's comments, and they have been deleted.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

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