Hi guys,
I live on a couple of acres outside Townsville, North Queensland and lately a bird (maybe a pair) spends the night outside our bedroom window. The call is very distinctive. It has 7-12 short even squawks, often slightly ascending. Then 8-10 seconds rest. This is repeated all night. Previously we have heard this (rarely) during the day but this is the first I have noticed it during the night. It is very loud in the quiet of night.
I cannot see the bird so I’m sorry I can’t give any more information, but I would love to know who this guy is.
Thank you.
Channel-billed cuckoo? Here's a link to its call from the BIB profile of the bird:
http://birdsinbackyards.net/images/audio/scythrops-novaehollandiae.mp3
But I also often hear masked lapwings call out in the middle of the night. They sound like this:
http://birdsinbackyards.net/images/audio/vanellus-miles.mp3
Taz
Thanks Taz,
Someone also said it could be a Pallid Cuckoo? Does this sound right? Since listening to it again the call is actually descending.
What is the best way to rid them from my tree?
Thanks.
Hi Lizec,
The call you've described does seem to fit with the Pallid Cuckoo. They're migrants, so won't be outside your window forever. Do you think there's any way to tolerate their call, keeping in mind that they won't be there forever?
If not, something that you could try is putting a model of a bird of prey or owl in the tree. I've read that some people find that helpful in deterring birds. I'm wondering if bird models could be purchased from garden supply stores?
I've never seen a Pallid Cuckoo and would actually love to have one outside my window... but I do understand that any constant noise could become problematic.
Kind regards,
Andy.
Thanks Andy,
I have heard that the call is usually only in Spring which is encouraging. We had our first baby boy 3 weeks ago and sleep is at an absolute premium otherwise it wouldn't be as bad.
It’s the repetitiveness of the call that grabs you.
I certainly didn't what to do anything harmful or drastic, but if we could help them choose another tree... we might try a model.
As they don't have their own nest, do they just keep close to the host's nest? Or is this purely a mating/territory thing?
Thanks again.
Congratulations on your baby :-) Yes, I bet sleep is extremely valuable at the moment!
I think that the calling is for attracting a mate or declaring territory. I'm thinking that perhaps when they've mated and laid eggs, they won't need to be so vocal, and I've never heard that they they hang around the host's nest after they've laid eggs. So hopefully it won't be long before they move on.
But yeah maybe give the bird of prey model a go. You might even find info on the net about deterring birds - type in "bird of prey model deter birds" or something like that and you might find info about using bird models.
Best of luck.