Although the background bird calls heard during Australian televised golf tournaments are no doubt genuine, the same can’t be said concerning those televised from the US. The golf networks are notorious for playing background tapes during the broadcasts, but do get caught out every so often playing an east coast call during a west coast tournament, and vice versa. That’s why you don’t hear a variety of calls, usually just the one over and over. Apparently it adds to the ambience, and they freely admit it! At least the Carolina Wren is found there.
Thanks Marty - certainly adds to the interest. At Australian golf events, common bird sounds, together with typical commentator remarks are –
Eastern Koel [especially at Coolum: “Is that a rain bird?”]
Rainbow Lorikeets and Noisy Miners [“Those birds are getting really noisy today”]
Purple Swamphen, usually shown near a water hazard [“Is that a duck?”]
Yes, Carolina Wren. The males and females engage in antiphonal singing pretty much all day long this time of year. The other two birds one often hears in the background at the Masters are Northern Cardinals (clear whistled "sweet-sweet-sweet-sweet","purty-purty-purty", "widow-widow-widow" or similar pattern), Northern Mockingbirds (mimics and makes up their own patterns, usually repeating a phrase 6 times or so), and the occasional Eastern Towhee ("sip-your-teeeeaaa"). I'm not a golf fan in particular, but I've watched the Masters for years to see the spectacular azaleas and hear the birds.
On 4/5/2012 6:14 PM, Geoffrey Dabb wrote:
Particularly loud on the US Masters golf at the moment, what I take to be the “teakettle, teakettle” of the Carolina Wren flitting around the ground mikes. Happy to be corrected.
