Hi Guys
Wondering if you could help with bird id .
I live in Moruya southern NSW about 15 ks from coast
I fly model aircraft at night and often see a strange bird who is attracted by the light I would guess in search of insects .
Sometimes it appears in groups of around 3 -4 other times is solitary .
I really cant see the bird but i know it isnt a frogmouth because I have seen them in yard and they are not fussed enough to move when I approach. This fellow doesnt seem people freindly but I have had it land 10 m or so away but this is closest it allows me to approach
It is about the size of a magpie and I think a brownish colour but this could be wrong as it is dark . Could be any dark colour I suppose .
It's most interesting feature for me is its eyes which reflect a very vivid orange in even the faintest of torchlight . I hope this is key to it's identification.
Ive never seen birdeyes like this before almost like a cats .
My partner thinks I'm just not getting enough sleep and hallucinating but a friend also saw one recently and this has made me believe they are real and now I need to know .
Thanks for any assisstance
Peter
Could it be a fruit bat?
Given you said you fly model planes at night i presume you fly at a park or field for space? If so may i suggest Masked Lapwing because they like the forementioned for nesting and feeding. Cheers Beef.
I do have fruit bats here but this is definately a bird.
Masked lapwing is a wading bird with white bits. This bird is dark and flys around
I live on farm and fly in front yard which backs onto a dry gum forest with small hills valleys . Backyard overlooks flat grazing paddocks and freshwater river.
This bird may be slightly smaller than a maggy , not much
edit ; I also have a few lasers and I have seen it drawn out by them , once again I presume for insects not because it likes light
Your description about the eyes, sounds like a Nightjar to me, they have amazingly bright eyes when you shine a light at them. Is it landing on the ground or perching in trees? If/when landing on the ground, does it sit still? I don't think Nightjars move around much when on the ground? Also, does it sit quite low & flat(horizontal), compared to the more upright stance of a Frogmouth? If it's a Nightjar, considering your location, it would be a White-throated Nightjar.
as i was reading the above i was thinking nightjar .Steve is a bit sharper then me on birds so i would say he is right. nightjars do sit on the ground i have seen them on dirt road at night and open areas surrounded by trees in two's & three
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Yes, Steve is most likely right
, his knowledge is amazing
Around my house though the Boobooks catch moths when the outside spot lights are on. In the light their eyes look orange.
M-L
yeh thanks Steve and guys .I think you are correct . I google imaged a picture and it looks pretty much like the size and colour and even a few there with the orange eyes , even though they must not photograph well.
I did do a little research previously , or googled nocturnal Aus birds and it only came back with a few possibilties , nightjar was one
Those orange eyes really are amazing . They must appear brighter to me because wearing. a headlamp and i know from my laser experiences with street signs and number plates , acouple of degrees away from perpendicular , you wont see the brilliant reflection
Noting that the bird was described as having orange eyes, that rules out nightjars (except frogmouths) as they have black/dark eyes which don't reflect light. If you say it's definitely not a frogmouth, the only other suggestion would be a Southern Boobook...
Brandon (aka ihewman)
But what about when light shines into their eyes?
E.g : https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7oaC71FVKjk/TXHfX_cVuJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/-l2E7k963XQ/s1600/Spotted+Nightjar.jpg
I have never seen the bird in light , I don't really know what colour its eyes are .
The only thing I see is the reflection of the birdes eyes from my LED headlamp at which time they are a very bright orange , very reflective , much more than a dog and more so than a cat . I can get a reasonable look at it's colour and it is a dark colour
I do sometimes have Tawny Frogmouths in yard , I know what they look like and know them to be not that frightened of me .
This bird is smaller than tawny Frogmouth and much more flighty , I cannot get any closer than 10m before it scoots off . It does get closer but only when airborne . This thing is a lot more agile and active than I have observed Tawny Frogmouths to be
I did check the photo of the nightjar and am reasonably certain this is it .
I often see White-throated Nightjars at night with my torch. Their eyes (in cold LED light) appear glowing, firey red. Orange sounds feasible.Do you hear funny calls? They sound like an ascending
whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop
and the whoops get faster as the pitch increases then it can sound like the whoops are falling over each other into a big mess of a call. Google the call, then try to imitate it by whistling. I can and usually get a vocal response if a WtNJ is in the neighbourhood.
Hey dna , you must be good to impersonate it and get a response . At best i could take laptop and play them an MP3
I googled the call , at first I thought I had heard it but wasnt sure if it was some bias from hearing the recording .
http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/sounds/white_throated_nightjar.mp3
i think I had heard it before but had attributed to kite or goshawk or something like It maybe because of whistling .
Then tonight , just on dark , about 7.30 here , I heard it .I fired a bright red laser outside into bush after which I heard two calls . I dont know if this prompted them or was coincidence . i have seen them come out for lasers previously .I was very pleased with self for knowing definately the call of another bird apart from the commoners around such as chough and leather head
Sounds like your mystery is no longer. Great stuff. Many people never ever get to see these nightjars!