Well I was going by my own extensive experience
of both (including in the NT). The Black Kite has a far more hoarse (and
horse-like) call. By all means question my suggestion but have a look at the
film first. A clue is that you never actually see the bird calling. It is filmed
flying and surely the sound is dubbed on, there is nothing to suggest that
vision and sound occurred simultaneously. I also go by my experience of tour
guides (not birders) referring to both species as "kite hawks" and not
appreciating that there is any difference between the two species.
Philip
-----Original Message----- From:
Andrew Taylor <> To:
<> Date:
Saturday, 23 March 2002 14:22 Subject: Re: [BIRDING-AUS]
Rabbit Proof Fence
On Sat, 23 Mar 2002, Philip A.
Veerman wrote: > Indeed what definitely was a Black Kite always was
accompanied by the = > call of a Whistling Kite
Are you
sure? I've heard Black Kites in the NT make calls that sound
very similar to the characteristic territorial(?) call of Whistling
Kites.
rlack Kites seem to give a softer, more slurred version of the
call, but I suspect Whistling Kites do this sometimes too.
HANZAB
quotes Debus as saying: "more tremulous quality, not
descending so vigorously and staccato notes not ascending so vigorously
as in Whistling Kite. The sonagrams in HANZAB (Black Kite C And
Whistling Kite A) have strong similarities. Surprising given they
are from different genera.
Andrew
Taylor
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