canberrabirds

Koels in Fraser

To: Suzanne EDGAR <>, 'Geoffrey Dabb' <>, "" <>
Subject: Koels in Fraser
From: Paul Gatenby <>
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2017 07:25:59 +0000

That's my experience too. I have wondered if the Koel call is used when the birds are far apart and the Wirra wirra when they are closer. At Broulee there are very many Koels and I only rarely hear the Koel call.


Paul A Gatenby AM
Professor Emeritus
ANU Medical School



From: Suzanne EDGAR <>
Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 5:36 PM
To: 'Geoffrey Dabb';
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Koels in Fraser
 

Ok, I stand/ sit here  corrected

Sz

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb [
Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 5:33 PM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Koels in Fraser

 

Sz   -   You may be right but whenever I have been able to identify the source of a wirra (or ‘wurra’ or ‘orra’ etc),  it has been a male, usually in the presence of another koel either male or female.   

 

From: Suzanne EDGAR
Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 5:03 PM
To: 'Geoffrey Dabb';
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Koels in Fraser

 

There is also the wi/orra wirra of the female, of course.

Sz

 

From: Geoffrey Dabb
Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 9:26 AM
To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Koels in Fraser

 

Thanks Steve.  This raises a matter that has not been brought to a conclusion on this chatline.  The background c all is what is usually called ‘the female call’  -  an insistent kek-kek-kek.  This varies from softly repetitive to an explosive ‘kuk-kuk-kuk’.   However I have heard and seen that call also given by a male bird, so you may be right this time.  Did you see a m ale giving that call?

 

The ‘different call’ is the single soft ‘skrrrrt’ which seems to interrupt the begging sequence.  This is difficult to interpret without more knowledge of Koelese.   

 

From: Wallaces
Sent: Sunday, 22 January 2017 8:28 AM
To: Canberra birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Koels in Fraser

 

At least three koels have fledged on the northern slopes of Mount Rogers this month. While I was filming one of them, an adult male koel called nearby and the juvenile interrupted its begging to give a different call. It did this twice but when the host returned to feed it the juvenile did not respond to the Koel call. Video linked below.

 

Steve

 

http://www.hbw.com/ibc/1326060

 

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