I led an outing for COG into Brindabella National Park (just out of the
northern edge of ACT border) on 1-11-1998 and my main aim was to find
Cicadabirds. They are at best, an uncommon (and difficult to find) summer
migrant to the higher parts of our region. I bought along the BOCA "Field
guide to Australian Birdsong" cassette (no. 6) and played the calls of the
Cicadabird. At one site a male Cicadabird appeared and started calling. Of
course I have no way of knowing whether it heard or responded to the
recorded call or turned up independently. Although the bird was furtive and
in the tree tops, fortunately it called often enough and moved little enough
for us all to see it. That was rewarding but the point of this note is to
mention that in between their usual odd buzzing it made a whole lot of
chirping sounds. These were new to me, quite parrot like and totally
different from the buzzing sound. This same call is included on the BOCA's
cassette. The available books vary as to whether they include such a sound
in the species' account. If Pizzey & Knight mention it, it is described as
the female's call. However this was all the male's doing. I just thought
someone might be interested. (I was also intrigued to note that the bird in
flight, showed a quite striking underwing pattern. It was pleasing to note
afterwards that Frank Knight's picture shows this.)
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