Australian Bird Identification

Factual Questions
1

Because we have about a billion trees in our backyard, we have a fairly large and diverse bird population. We have magpies, minahs, kookaburras, gallahs, rosellas, some other rosella-type thing, top-knot pigeons, regular pigeons, doves, etc., etc. I’ve become a bit of an accidental birdwatcher.

About a week ago, we welcomed a new bird and I’m trying to figure out what it is. It sits in our mulberry tree (not a bush - who knew?) and came right about the same time the mulberries ripened (this may be a coincidence). It’s about the size of a kookaburra (maybe a bit bigger), but has a regular-shaped head, not a boxy head. It’s head, back and tail are banded, like a pheasant. The tail is very long. It’s breast is light brown/beige. The most striking thing about this bird, though, is its song. It is outrageously loud. Seriously, every time it starts up, we all jump.

It goes, “Coo-roo coo-roo, coo-roo coo-roo” (roll that r and stress the last syllable) over and over and over again. There are others, because they’re calling to each other from all the different yards.

We live on the Central Coast, about 1/2 mile from the beach (about a 5-7 minute walk).

Anybody know what this is?

2

Try this site. Registration is free.

http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/calls.html

also here

PunkClown AU bird songs + pics

3

Is it a Koel?

4

Koel call

5

May well be a Koel. We used to have them when I was a kid living… well, half a mile from a Central Coast beach. Terrigal, to be exact. They sounded a bit like that.

6

That’s it!

I wasn’t sure from the picture on the website, but the song provided by astro is the same. In fact, I played it and my husband, not realizing what I was doing, said, “There it is again!”

It must be a female I saw, but I did see another all black bird, so that’s probably the male. Or a crow.

7

TheLoadedDog, we’re right down the road from Terrigal, in Bateau Bay. Maybe I’ll meet you if there’s another Sydney dopefest.

(Oh, and thanks, everyone, for clearing that mystery up for me.)

8

C3, I must warn you that Sydney Dopers are notoriously unreliable. The SDMB Capital of Australia seems to be Melbourne (or maybe Brisbane). The last time we organised one, it fizzled out, but I’m almost game to have another go at it. Goo is another Central Coast Doper, and we’ve a few down here in Smogsville. A few beers in a Sydney (or CC - I’ll make the trip) pub and a bite to eat somewhere, sometime over summer… hell yeah, I’ll be in that.