Not a Whip Bird?

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clbartkus
clbartkus's picture
Not a Whip Bird?

I have a couple of birds that are very shy, in deep bush, with a call similar to a whip bird but not so drawn out and definately never a (Choo, Choo) at the end. Just as loud, just as lovely. Starts off on the same note, has a whip at the end too that is more pronounced like whipsering the word "two" quickly off the end of your tounge. The note goes done a notch after the whip. I have listened to countless whipbird calls off youtube and also the eastern and western whip bird and none of these is a match, although very close. I live in Northern NSW and back onto thick rainforrest like bushland.

timmo
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One interesting thing about the whipbird call, is that it is actually two calls - the male does the first whipcrack half, while the female responds with the "chew chew" part, so if you are not hearing the second part it could be just the male.

Another bird that I find often sounds a bit like a whipbird - and would be found in the sort of environment you describe - is the Golden Whistler.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Devster
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Thats exactly what I was going to say Tim. Also a Rufous Whistler has a similar high pitched call as well.

clbartkus
clbartkus's picture

Thankyou for your feedback. It is very much inbetween the Rufous Whistler and the Whipbird. But seems to be neither. I hear a few birds making the same call only. There is no different reply as a pair of Whip birds would do (male &female). Also I havnt noticed any other type of chatter comming from the birds. Some days I will hear the same call almost all day.  Still wondering. 

GregL
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rufous whistler - sometimes called false whipbird.

Woko
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Is there any chance you're hearing a Grey Shrike-thrush? One of its calls has a whippy end to it.

timmo
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That's interesting about the Rufous Whistler, Devster and Greg. It may be a RW I've heard and not a GW.

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

Devster
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What about a Figbird. They have a variety of calls and one of them is like a whip call. They can also mimic some birds. I hear one regularly mimic the sound of a King Parrot in flight and the advertising call.

soakes
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I agree with grey shrike thrush.  They have a wide variety of lovely calls.

soakes
Olinda, Victoria, Australia

JuliasHill
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I live in Northern NSW (rural - backing onto National Park) and have been trying to identify a birdcall too. I read your post a few days ago and wondered if we were listening to the same type of bird. I finally found the one I’m listening to: it’s a whip bird, but an unusual call. It’s been recorded in Northern NSW before. It’s the second recording at this link. Maybe it’s what you’ve heard?

Wild Ambience Whipbird Calls

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