birding-aus

birding-aus crake calls revisited

To: "bird oz" <>
Subject: birding-aus crake calls revisited
From: "KEITH BRANDWOOD" <>
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 22:59:39 -0000
birding-aus

Hi david/bird ausers
in answer to your request I will endeavour to describe the call which I
have allways 
associated with the Ballions crake.I would point out that I have never seen
the bill
open when calling for the same reason I never watch to see if the bill is
open for
spotted or spotless or any othr bird when calling.In fact if you was
watching for open bills to verify a birds call you could easily get fooled,
I could imagine a situation if a bird was hidden and calling you might
believe it was the call of the bird you was watching,just as you suggest
may have been the case with our Ballions calls.What I can say with
certainty is I have never heard the call I associate with Ballions to be
connected to Spotted or Spotless when I have watched them.I have seen
scores of Ballions and Spotted but fewer Spotless.From my experience the
call is a much quieter call than either of the other two crakes mentioned I
would say at least 40%to50% quieter and it appears to be less vocal.The
call when chasing is kec kec kec kec followed by a drawn out
churrrrrrrrrrr,other calls I associate are a clicking and cricket like call
as you can see I am no expert at describing calls.Athol Coleman a well
known birding identity describes three Ballions at Prospect resivour, out
in the open by themselves chasing and giving the same type of call as
described above.Some years ago a chap was filming from a hide for some
days@ BAKERS lagoon Windsor NSW does any one know who this was has he may
have recorded the calls of the Ballions. The 3 crakes, Lewins & Banded
rails were in good numbers there at the time.  
 
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