Having heard the call as described by Anthony, once, I can assure everyone that in no way could it be misconstrued as a call for help!! I was working for CSIRO doing an EIS (3rd one!!!) on a potential move
for the Royal Australian Navy to Jervis Bay when I heard it while spotlighting at night and it caused me to break into a VERY rapid uphill run. I know of one other CSIRO employed who was camped in a caravan in the Snowy Mountains when one called above his
caravan – he didn’t bother to open the screen door, he just ran straight through it, it is that terrifying.
I do know of another occasion where an old bushman who lived in a bush “humpy” imitated the call in a busy and bushy picnic area on the central coast of NSW. People, including me, left their picnics and headed for their
cars at a great rate of knots to leave the area. I never did hear if anyone reported a “murder” in the area.
Mark
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Sent: Thursday, 24 August 2023 1:28 PM
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Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Gibraltar falls
Haha, yes, the use of words might exclude a Barking Owl.
However, they do make a horrendous, terrifying, screaming call in autumn, which would lead one to think that one is to be murdered next. Especially if one is camping in Cocoparra National
Park, alone, on a Monday night, and a Barking Owl lets a scream rip while perched about ten feet above one's tent.
On Thu, 24 Aug 2023 at 09:57, Graeme Clifton via Canberrabirds <> wrote:
The report I read was that it was a woman calling “help”.
Graeme Clifton
On 23 Aug 2023, at 10:41 pm, Philip Veerman <> wrote:
Given the reports of a screaming woman at Gibraltar falls on Monday night and a police search having failed to find anything. I am wondering if there could be a Barking Owl there.
Apart from the well known woof woof sound, they also make a very good screaming woman sound.
Philip Veerman
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