Was hoping someone could help me.
I live in Sydney, inner West, and there is an extraordinarily loud bird I hear at nighttime, after midnight. Sometimes I hear it during the day as well. I asked my Dad what it could be, and he said it's a type of cuckoo that migrates down from PNG. I have looked up as many different types of cuckoos on youtube that it could be, but to no avail. I've had a Koel on my street, but it's not a Koel. And from the Channel-Billed Cuckoo videos I've seen, it doesn't sound like them. This is like an alarm/siren sound. A very deep, VERY loud 'aaaaaaah aaaaaaaah aaaaaaah' sound as opposed to a 'whoop whoop'. Seriously sounds like a very loud warning siren from some sci-fi movie. You can usually hear the sound of other small birds chasing it like crazy. The sounds continues as it flies overhead and can be heard echoing around the bays. Any ideas? From all the videos of Channel Billed Cuckoos I've seen, I haven't found audio of one being really noisy (so it could be a CBC, unfamiliar with their call at full volume).
I really want to look up this bird, but not having any luck!
Cheers,
Cam. :)
Hi Cam,
Welcome to the forum.
I do think your bird is a Channel-billed Cuckoo. They often call during the night (and the day). Their call is extremely loud. Some might describe it as "Raaawk". I've noticed that the call often raises in pitch slightly towards the end.
The fact that it'b being chased by other birds also supports the idea that it might be a CBC.
Regards,
Andy.
Thanks for your help, Andy.
Just found a better audio file and I guess it is a Channel-Billed Cuckoo. I wish I had some way of recording this one to share with everyone, because it is much deeper than any of the audio recordings I can find. Same sort of noise coming out, but almost like an octave or two deeper! Strange!
Regards,
Cam. :)
I've also found that, at close range, you can hear them making a quiet, low-pitched gurgling noise, sort of like a warm up. A bit like the sound that a kookaburra makes prior to its call.
Hi Im new to this site. I live in a rather isolated rural pocket of SE Qld close to a rocky creek bed and bushland. I am really familiar with the voice of the Channel Billed Cuckoo, but I wonder if the bird that Cam is hearing could be the same one that we hear on rare occasions at night from the gully? For want of a positive identification, we refer to it as "The Screaming Woman Bird" It has terrified a couple of visitors and gave us the creeps the first time we heard it as it is truely blood curdling. The curlew is a mournful sounding bird, but this is a very loud and anxious screaming bird.
If this doesn't sound like your bird Cam, I wonder if anyone out there has any idea about my unidentified screamer? LOL
Hi Ali, welcome to teh site.
The barking owl is often referred to as the "Screaming woman bird" due to one of its calls. Perhaps this could be your screamer?
Regards,
Andy.