Australia is home to a wide variety of unique and fascinating birds. Many Australian birds are known for their interesting and distinctive calls. Determining which Australian bird makes a particular type of call can require some detective work.
The Laughing Kookaburra
The laughing kookaburra is one of the most well known Australian birds for its unique vocalization. The laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a large kingfisher species native to eastern Australia. The laughing kookaburra is known for its loud, distinct call that sounds like loud laughter. This bird’s laughing call earned it the nickname “laughing jackass” or “bushman’s alarm clock”.
The laughing kookaburra uses its laughing call as a territory call. Both the male and female kookaburras make this call at dawn and dusk to establish their territory boundaries and communicate with family groups. The laughing call carries well through the forest and woodland habitats preferred by the kookaburra.
What does the laughing kookaburra sound like?
The laughing kookaburra’s call consists of a series of loud, chuckling “koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa” sounds that rise and fall in volume. The bird’s head feathers lift up slightly with each call. Listeners often describe the call as sounding like raucous laughter. You can listen to audio of the laughing kookaburra’s distinctive call online to get a sense of this unique vocalization.
Why does the kookaburra make this sound?
The laughing kookaburra uses its trademark call both for territory signaling purposes and for maintaining the social hierarchy within family groups. The laughing call serves to communicate information between kookaburra family groups including signaling territory boundaries, coordinating breeding pairs, and calling young back to the nest. The more dominant kookaburras typically call more often.
Lyrebirds
Lyrebirds are a family of passerine birds endemic to Australia that are also famous for their ability to mimic sounds. Lyrebirds are expert mimics and incorporate many sounds from their environment into their vocal repertoire. The two species of lyrebird found in Australia include:
- Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
- Albert’s lyrebird (Menura alberti)
Superb Lyrebird
The superb lyrebird is known for having one of the most sophisticated sound mimicry skills in the animal kingdom. A male superb lyrebird can mimic a wide range of sounds including other bird calls, camera shutters, car alarms, chain saws, and even human speech. The superb lyrebird stitches together mimicked sounds into elaborate songs used for courtship displays. The male lyrebird’s ability to accurately mimic sounds is so advanced that people sometimes mistake its imitations for the real thing.
Albert’s Lyrebird
Albert’s lyrebird is slightly less accomplished at mimicry than the superb lyrebird but is still capable of imitating sounds from its habitat. Both male and female Albert’s lyrebirds mimic sounds during breeding displays. Albert’s lyrebirds mimic calls of other birds, dingoes, koalas, and other animals that inhabit its rainforest habitat.
Pied Butcherbird
The pied butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) is a black and white songbird found across much of Australia. The pied butcherbird is especially known for its beautiful, melodious song. Its complex song includes its own calls along with mimicry of up to 20 other species.
What does the pied butcherbird sound like?
The pied butcherbird has a lovely, musical song that includes both flute-like notes and mimicry of other birds. Their mimicked calls are interspersed through their own distinctive whistles, chimes, and liquid notes. Common bird calls incorporated into the pied butcherbird’s repertoire include magpies, kookaburras, and cockatoos. The pied butcherbird uses this elaborate song to mark its territory.
Why does the pied butcherbird mimic other birds?
Ornithologists speculate that the pied butcherbird mimics other birds to protect its territory and attract mates. By including the calls of local birds in their songs, they may be signaling to rivals that they are prepared to defend their territory aggressively. Additionally, an excellent mimic may be signaling to potential mates that they have advanced neurological development.
Australian Magpie
Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) are ubiquitous black and white birds found across Australia. Many suburban Australians are familiar with the magpie’s loud territorial caroling and aggressive defending of its nesting area during breeding season.
What does the Australian magpie sound like?
The Australian magpie has a wide range of vocalizations used for different types of communication. One of their most distinguishable vocalizations is a loud musical caroling, often performed as a duet or chorus at dawn during breeding season. This complex territorial song includes flute-like notes interspersed with rasps, trills, and mimicry of other birds.
Why does the magpie make this sound?
Magpies use patterned group singing to defend their territories, signaling clearly defined boundaries to other magpies. Their caroling song, sometimes called their “dawn song” serves as an acoustic warning signifying that a territory is occupied. Magpies also mimic calls of other species, such honeyeaters and friarbirds, in their territorial song.
Other Australian Birds Known for Mimicry
In addition to those described in detail above, several other Australian birds exhibit impressive sound mimicry abilities:
- Satin bowerbird – mimics calls of many species to attract mates
- Regent bowerbird – incorporates mimicked sounds into bower-building courtship ritual
- Spotted catbird – mimics calls of other species, especially the laughing kookaburra
- Golden whistler – mimics calls of its duetting mate and other birds
- Grey shrike-thrush – mimics sounds from its environment like other birds and car alarms
- Grey butcherbird – mimics over 20 species including magpies, cockatoos and kookaburras
Identifying a Bird by Call
Identifying birds by call alone can be challenging even for experienced birders. Several tips can help identify an Australian songbird by call:
- Note the pattern, pitch, tone, and rhythm of the bird call
- Compare it to sample audio from an app or website
- Consider the habitat – which birds are common in that environment?
- Pay attention to mimicry – is the bird incorporating other sounds?
- Note behaviors associated with the call like puffing up feathers
Knowing the most likely species in your area can help narrow down the possibilities. Understanding the context like mating and territory defense can provide clues. With careful listening, you can identify the unique artists singing in Australia’s avian chorus.
Conclusion
The laughing kookaburra, lyrebirds, pied butcherbird, Australian magpie, and several other songbirds are renowned for their impressive mimicry skills and unique vocalizations. By listening closely and comparing bird calls to sound samples, you can learn to identify many Australian birds by call alone. Understanding why and when birds vocalize provides helpful context. With patient observation, anyone can become skilled at identifying Australia’s remarkable singing birds.
