It might look demure, but the bush
If you hear a startling scream in the swamp at night, chances are it's a limpkin. At least, we hope it's a limpkin. These uncommon wetland birds are found in Florida and parts of Central and South America.
Here in Australia, we have our own nightingales: the Australian magpie whose iconic warbling is recognised throughout the cities and bush; and the lesser known, but even more prolific nocturnal crooner, the willie wagtail.
Lyrebird in Australia perfectly mimics crying baby.
The Northern Mockingbird is typically the culprit in these all-night song marathons. Mockingbirds that sing all night long tend to be young, still-unattached males or older males who have lost their mate, and so the best way to shut him up is to entice a female mockingbird to your yard, too.
Danger. The night chirps of birds can be a warning signal as they have a swift danger sensing ability. Most of the time, when the birds shift their places, they feel fearful of the surroundings, which also results in high tone noise levels at night to stay alert or to seek help from fellow birds.
Although rarely seen, the Koel is well known to many Australians for its loud, repetitive calls, particularly in the early morning.
Porcupines can sound like babies in the dark, video shows | Centre Daily Times.
In the 1930s, a population of lyrebirds was introduced to Tasmania from Healesville in Victoria. For generations, the translocated lyrebirds continued to mimic the whip-crack song of eastern whipbirds, which are not present on the island state.
The repeated, sad-sounding trill of Fan-tailed Cuckoos is one of the most distinctive sounds of the Australian bush in Spring. Sometimes males sit and sing for long periods, particularly just after dawn or towards dusk and like most cuckoos, during the night as well.
The primary reason birds chirp at night or any other time is to communicate. During the spring, you may notice an uptick in nighttime singing and chirping. This phenomenon is quite simple: spring is mating season.
A Kookaburra Call or Laugh
The distinct voice of the Kookaburra sounds like human laughing— some people think!
A bird which is active at night is known as nocturnal, such as an owl, nightingale, etc.
Spotted Catbirds are named for their bizarre cat-like wailing calls (some say it sounds more like a baby crying!) which are a common sound of both lowland and higher altitude rainforests within their range.
Yes, this does sound like hormonal behavior. A lot of pet birds get hormonal in the winter because of people having the heater on. The warmer temperatures stimulate the hormones. Other triggers are longer days, a lot of food especially fresh foods, and a safe place to nest.
The most common call is a raspy mew that sounds like a cat. Catbirds also make a loud, chattering chek-chek-chek and a quiet quirt.
Fast Facts. The Barking Owl is named for its harsh 'barking' call but can also make a much louder, wailing cry, which has given rise to another name, the 'screaming-woman bird'.
It might look demure, but the bush stone-curlew has a call that would make just about anyone's blood run cold. Nicknamed the 'screaming woman bird', their high-pitched, drawn-out shrieks can be heard across the night as they try to contact each other.
To persuade females to come close, the male lyrebird sings the most complex song he can manage. And he does that by copying the sounds of all the other birds he hears around him – including the sounds of chainsaws and camera shutters!
Katydids and crickets are excellent examples of nighttime noise-making insects. These insects, which belong to the same Order (Orthoptera) make noises in similar ways: by rubbing their wings together. These insects usually make their high pitched chirping noise at night to attract mates or to warn off predators.
If you have heard your baby crying, sprung from bed, and dashed over the crib only to realize he or she is fast asleep, this is totally normal according to doctors. The phenomenon is sometimes called phantom crying, and if you've caught these nonexistent calls for help from your little one, you aren't crazy.
The most commonly heard call of the Barking Owl is a double note 'woof-woof' which sounds quite similar to a dog's bark. Male and female often duet with the male making the lower-pitched call and the female the higher notes.
The cassowary is usually considered to be the world's most dangerous bird, at least where humans are concerned, although ostriches and emus can also be dangerous. Cassowary (Queensland, Australia).
White cockatoos
Four of the Australian species are predominantly white in colour including the very familiar and spectacular Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. These noisy birds feed on berries, seeds, nuts and roots. They're equally at home in the city and in the bush.
Australians know magpies best for their penchant for mischief. The Australian magpie is one of the cleverest birds on Earth.