Hello Canberra
bird-lovers,
Having recently moved to Yarralumla, I have gained an
interest in the local birdlife. We live on the edge of the old Canberra
Brickworks reserve so we are fortunate to wake to numerous bird calls and I
have been trying to identify the birds that relate to the calls.
One call is driving me crazy; I just can’t put
an image to the very distinctive call. I hear it frequently and have caught
sight of the bird briefly but not well enough to be able to clearly describe
it. I have downloaded and listened to almost every call on the Birds of Canberra website (and the Birds in Backyards site) with no success.
Thus my search led me to the COG web site and my
subsequent subscribing to the Canberra Birds mailing list.
The particular call consists of a repetition of the
same sound; usually 6 to 9 repetitions. The tempo is like that of someone
knocking on a door. It is quite loud and clear and is like
tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk. The closest call I can relate it to is that of the
Pied Currawong except the currawong is much more melodious and only repeats the
sound a couple of times.
From my brief sightings, I’d say it is greyish
in colour. It may have some yellow on its chest. However, given my brief
glimpses, I wouldn’t be confident of my descriptions. (Amusingly, my best
sighting opportunity was a time when I wasn’t wearing my glasses.) When I
have heard it in trees nearby, it seems to be perching high in the tree. One
time I saw 2 birds alight from the tree under inspection but the other couple
of times, I think there was a solitary bird. I doubt that it congregates in
flocks. Also, it seems to move around quite a bit as the call may come from one
spot once or twice but then moves on. I’d say it is a little smaller than
a magpie, perhaps pigeon sized.
I hope someone can put me out of my misery by
identifying this bird for me.
Thanks in anticipation,
Graham Wright
