I'm an American birder who is planning an Aussie birding trip later this
year. I plan to drive from Sydney to Cairns over a six week period, mostly
in October, mostly along the coast, with a detour inland to take in Bowra
Station.
I'd like to know what Aussie birders think about the use of recorded bird
songs and calls to elicit a response from birds – either a vocal response
or by the bird flying in to check out the call. Here in the US, it is
rather controversial, with some birders approving of it and some not. Many
birders use recorded songs and calls to locate birds, but it isn't talked
about much, because of the disapproval of some people. I'm not trying to start
a discussion of the pros and cons of the practice – I'm very familiar with
the arguments on both sides of the question - I would just like to know
what Aussie birders think of it.
Here at home, I use recordings sparingly, never for endangered species,
and not when there are other birders around who might get confused into
thinking they heard the actual bird. I am considering doing the same thing on
my Aussie trip, but I would like to know the local feeling about the
practice. I would be glad to get responses by email, since the subject might
not
be appropriate for an extended discussion on the forum. I certainly don't
want to start up one of those discussions that generate a lot of heat and
not much light. I hope that doesn't happen.
Having disclosed that I am considering using recorded calls in Australia,
I would like to know which species might be likely to respond. If it is
like the US, the answer to that would vary with season and location, as well
as with the individual birds, but some species are more responsive than
others, generally. I suspect it is the same in Australia.
Thanks for any info anyone can give me.
Barry BrugmanUSA
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