Mooing bird

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Kris
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Mooing bird

Hi everyone. I live in Bellbird Park on the western side of Brisbane. Every morning about 4:30 until 8:30 or so a bird in nearby bushland calls monotonously with a single low and resonating 'mooing' sound - each call about a second in duration and about a second between calls. The same birds calls the same way in the afternoon from about 5:00-ish until dark. Always in the same group of trees. Never hear it during dark hours, and not during the rest of the day. Suggestions made by friends have been Wonga pigeon (definitely not that sound) and a Tawny Frogmouth (also definitely not). Can anyone help please. PS its not a cow!!

GregL
GregL's picture

Sounds like a tawny frogmouth - single low note and morning /afternoon. Why do you say definitely not?

Araminta
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Hi Kris, I like your sense of humour,"cows don't fly" I'm with GregL on this one, tawny frogmouth. The only other animal I could think of, would be some kind of frog,we have one in our waterhole,that sounds very similar,it calls;bonk, bonk in a deep voice.Is there some water ?

M-L

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Maybe a Bronzewing.

Araminta
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Hi Windhover,to start with, I thought Bronzewing,we have about 5 hanging around the back of the house.They make a more deepthroated,muffled sound,I think,and they make that sound all day, when ever they feel like it? Kris, you could try and follow the sound,back to the tree,and try to spot the bird? Good luck!

M-L

Windhover
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The best way is to search for sound files of the abovementioned species from which the OP person can ID. Google is your best friend Kris.
You could also start by browsing the birds in backyards site to see which of the birds we have mentioned have a sound file to hear.

Kris
Kris's picture

Thanks people for taking the time to reply. I don't think its a Tawny Frogmouth - we do have these birds calling at night, as do the Mopokes. Our bird sound is somewhat deeper pitch and a more drawn out 'Oom', with more time between 'ooms' - slower repetitive sound pattern than Tawny Frogmouth. Sound is quite resonant like an owl and carries long distance. Continuous for up to 4 hours early from first light and 2 to 3 late in the day. Maybe its an imported Frogmouth, blown in from NG?? But we have heard another similar call about half a km away in the same bushland, at the same time our bird was calling (so at least 2 must have been blown in!!). Bronzewing is a much higher pitch sound and more rapid in frequency than out bird. Don't think its a frog - sound always coming from up in trees and never at night ... whatever it is can see me because it will stop when I move close, no matter how sneakily. I have looked and looked but I have never been able to see anything in the trees that looks like a bird (which is why initially I thought it might have been an owl). One of the locals here reckons its a Wonga Pigeon, but from what I can hear on the bird sound sites, a Wonga call is totally different. I have been on a number of Aussie bird sound sites (and frogs) but just can't get anything like our moo bird!! May be this will stay one of life's little mysteries ... but I'd love to identify it!

Windhover
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If there is a way for you to record it and upload it that would help.....

Windhover
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GregL
GregL's picture

I still think tawny frogmouth. There is considerable variation amongst birds and calls from the same species can vary a lot.

Windhover
Windhover's picture

Thanks Birdie
You are my hero now. :)
Greg
I have also thought Tawny Frogmouth so will probably upload a call for Kris to hear soon enough. But to me the Common Bronzewing sounds a little more like a cow, however, totally agree with ya about some call variations from different areas. :) Cheers mate,

Holly
Holly's picture

OK all. I have deleted all posts unrelated to the identification topic at hand and warnings sent to the appropriate members.
We are all adults here (well mostly) and name-calling etc is not acceptable. Please keep threads on topic.
Holly

Araminta
Araminta's picture

O dear o dear,(mon dieu),what have I missed? There was a thunder, and I ,one of the adults (?),lost the internet for a week. Can't leave you lot......

M-L

Tassie

I am going to go with you Greg, I reckon its Frogmouths

GregL
GregL's picture

The difference between frogmouths from QLD and from southern states is quite surprising. The qld ones are smaller and paler. I would expect that their calls are quite different. Maybe you have both races in the area.

Kris
Kris's picture

You're all wonderful!! I'm chuckling over your feedback. Some of you sound as frustrated as I am!! Unfortunately I'm not technically literate enough to record and upload the sound of my Moo-bird. Thanks Windhover for the recording of the Bronzewing. My bird has a single uniform note (very monotone!!), without the dip-off I heard in your recording. Also slightly deeper pitch that Bronzewing. Definitely not a cow or calf - none around this area, and I can stand within maybe 10 metres of this bird as it calls, and it is definitely up in the trees. Also I'm a country girl originally from Tamworth, and know what a calf calling in the distance sounds like. If it is a Tawny Frogmouth, is it usual for them to keep calling up to 8:30 or so in the morning? This one also starts in the afternoon when it is still quite light, a lot earlier that the Frogmouth I have heard in other areas? Yet the very fact that I cannot for the life of me see the bird makes me wonder if it might be a Frogmouth (which of course are notoriously hard to spy in a tree). Thank you all for your input.

crtrees
crtrees's picture

Has there been any further updates, as we have exactly the same query from opur farm out from Wingham, mid-northcoast of NSW?

peter-b
peter-b's picture

I came acrooss your post via a google search which included the 'Mooing" word. I have been hearing that very call for years  in the Yarra Valley region of Melbourne where we live. All the answering posts never came up with a result.

The same search incredibly, brought up another enquiry about the very same noise, described very precisely, leaving no doubt about a match with our call, but this time from Phoenix, Arizona US. Go figure! Their forum went through the same guessing game that your's did.

Finally somebody said he had the answer, it was a Great Egret.   He saw the bird landing in his pond, and it made the same call. He referred us to a local site (natureinstruct.org) where we could hear the call and see the picture. Naturally the call was not even similar!

So the mystery continues. Any further information would be most welcome!

Devster
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Its a White-Headed Pigeon. I had the same frustration at work a while ago with a low drawn out mooing. I heard the same noise at Kobble creek then I found the culprit. I checked it against the Morcombe app and sure enough thats it.

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