Alarm calls

Hi All, There are also different calls for sitting versus flying raptors of the same species. What we hear as “urgency” greatly increases when a Hobby gets off its perch and starts raking the ‘burbs. Mick I agree there seems a very high level of urgency relating to hobbies, and I think this may be because they have a habit of flying rapidly over the suburbs/tree tops trying to flush things. Everything gets very suddenly scared. You can definitely track a Hobby by listening to the wave of alarm calls and fleeing birds. If the hobby is below the tree/roof tops, and you can’t see it, look for the lorikeets flying above it, and the pied butchebirds going up and down, dive bombing, as it passes thtrough their territory. Also, not only miners, but many other species have different bird calls for different raptor species – ones that I’ve observed regularly enough to be sure of this include BF honeyeaters (honorary miners anyway), various Melithreptus (esp. white-throated honeyeaters), drongos, woodswallows, swallows, fork-tailed swifts, little friarbirds, grey, pied and BB butherbirds. I’m sure there’s more I’ve forgotten. Most species recognise other species’ alarm calls I think, and respond/join in accordingly. Peaceful doves seem especially challenged though in this respect and hence the regularity on hobby’s menu. Great topic, a favourite of mine. Regards, Eric Vanderduys Technical Officer CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences Phone: +61 7 4753 8529 | Fax: +61 7 4753 8600 | Mobile: 0437 330 961 eric.vanderduys@csiro.au | www.csiro.au | www.csiro.au/people/Eric.Vanderduys.html Address: CSIRO, PMB PO, Aitkenvale, Qld 4814. Deliveries: CSIRO, ATSIP, Bld 145 James Cook Drive, James Cook University Douglas Campus, Townsville Qld 4814, AUSTRALIA —–Original Message—– From: birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Mick Roderick Sent: Tuesday, 17 December 2013 8:49 AM To: Shirley Cook; Messages Birding-aus Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Fw: Fw: Alarm calls I totally agree with Stephen and have been trying to nut this out at home. Here at Shortland (on the edge of Hexham Swamp, Hunter Estuary, NSW) we are blessed with a good variety of raptors. I have had 18 species fly over my house during the past 12 months (I work from home so spend a lot of time here!). We are also “blessed” with an uber-aggressive mob of Noisy Miners (I have seen them near-kill a White Ibis and have brought egrets down to the ground). As Stephen says, one can tell which type of raptor is approaching by the pitch and ‘urgency’ of the Noisy Miner alarm calls. The most frantic calls occur when an Accipiter approaches (less so for a Grey Gos), followed by Hobby, Peregrine then maybe other falcons. The Hobby can really get the neighbourhood going though and is possibly the only bird that causes every antenna-perched pigeon to leave their perches in a panic. You can almost track a Hobby by listening to the wave of alarm calls and fleeing birds. I was first alerted to this (pardon the pun) by when my first Little Eagle flew over the house. The alarm was completely different to any of the others I had heard and sure enough, a ‘different’ raptor appeared. They do not bother sounding off at Whistling Kites and only do so at Black Kites because they’re a rare visitor here. The alarm for Corvids (there are resident Aussie Ravens and Torresian Crows here) is completely different. It’s hardly an ‘alarm’ at all but is that relentless ‘near near near’ that Noisy Miners are famous for. It’s probably the same for the cuckoos. Mick On Tuesday, 17 December 2013 9:25 AM, Shirley Cook <shirleycook@skymesh.com.au> wrote: DEar all Here is a very interesting comment from Stephen Debus. Shirley Cook —– Original Message —– From: “Stephen Debus” <sdebus@une.edu.au> To: “Shirley Cook” <shirleycook@skymesh.com.au> Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 5:31 PM Subject: Re: Fw: [Birding-Aus] Alarm calls > Hi Shirley, > > I’m convinced that Noisy Miners can tell the difference between, for > example, a Brown Goshawk and a falcon (Black or Peregrine), and that > differences in their alarm calls (e.g. the ‘urgency’) reflect which > species they’re concerned about, and how much.  I can now predict pretty > accurately, on the basis of the miners’ calls, which raptor (or category > of raptor danger, e.g. goshawk, Little Eagle or Brown Falcon, vs Black or > Peregrine Falcon) to expect to see in the air when the alarm goes up.  At > least, that holds for a site I regularly visit for raptors where there are > lots of miners.  (The miners also know one another’s individual voices and > know who is calling, about what, as established by researchers in Zoology > at UNE). > > Cheers, > > Steve > > > > > At 05:08 PM 16/12/13, you wrote: >>Anything to add?? >> >> >>—– Original Message —– From: “Paul Osborn” <passerine@iinet.net.au> >>To: <birding-aus@vicnet.net.au> >>Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 12:15 PM >>Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Alarm calls >> >> >>>David, >>> >>>I posted on this subject several years ago. I used to have an office >>>overlooking bush and at about tree top level. I often heard Noisy Miner >>>alarm calls and can confirm that they do indeed have different alarm >>>calls for different situations. I initially thought that they had >>>different calls for different raptors but continued observation led me to >>>believe that the calls varied according to the proximity and degree of >>>urgency of the perceived threat. >>>Paul Osborn >>> >>> >>>—–Original Message—– From: david robertson >>>Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 9:38 AM >>>To: birding-aus@vicnet.net.au >>>Subject: [Birding-Aus] Alarm calls >>> >>>Whilst I was painting the house yesterday I heard the alarm call go up, >>>mostly from the Noisy Miners.  I looked up just in time to see a small >>>raptor flying over (Hobby or male Sparrowhawk).  I tried to remember what >>>the calls sounded like.  Was there anything different because it made me >>>wonder whether alarm calls are all the same.  We know that some animals >>>have >>>different calls for whether the predator is on the ground, in a tree or >>>in >>>the air but what about birds? >>> >>>Some larger local predators, female Goshawk or Peregrine), would appear >>>to >>>present much more of a threat that the smaller ones so does the call vary >>>or >>>is it one call fits all? >>> >>>David Robertson >>> >>>Adelaide >>> > > > > —– > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG – www.avg.com > Version: 2014.0.4259 / Virus Database: 3658/6925 – Release Date: 12/16/13 >