The most common animal screaming at night in Australia, often mistaken for a woman or baby, is the Bush Stone-curlew, known for its eerie, wailing contact calls, while other culprits include possums (like the Brush-tailed possum's chattering/hissing) or even introduced Red Foxes with their sharp barks and screams, all contributing to Australia's unique nocturnal soundscape.
Coyotes, bobcats, and foxes all can make noises that sound like a scream. Male red foxes make noises similar to the sound of a screaming woman to warn off competing mates.
Curlews scream at night in Australia primarily for communication, especially during breeding season for courtship and territorial defense, but also to contact mates, call chicks, or warn of predators, with their eerie calls often mistaken for human cries, leading to folklore and a reputation as "ghost birds". These nocturnal birds use loud, wailing calls, sometimes in choruses, to stay in touch across open areas like forests, grasslands, and even suburban parks, often sounding like a screaming woman or baby.
Common brushtail possums make a medium to high pitch growling sound. They also loudly shriek, screech and hiss at night when they are active.
The Australian bird that screams at night, often sounding like a woman or baby wailing, is the Bush Stone-curlew (also called Bush Thick-knee), known for its eerie, high-pitched contact calls used at night in woodlands and grasslands, sometimes in a chorus, and is famous for its haunting, mournful sounds.
Common Brushtail Possum – Screeching
D1B These wheezy screeching calls are often given in dispute when two possums are close to one another.
The screaming piha has one of the loudest calls in the wild with a whistle that can hit 116dB, that's about as loud as a rock concert or sand blasting. #screamingpiha #naturesalarm #sandiegozoo.
Possums are loud movers. You might hear heavy thuds, screeching, or growling noises as they walk and communicate. Rats, on the other hand, are quieter. You'll typically hear scratching in walls, ceilings, or roof spaces, particularly at night.
Opossums don't actually scream, but they open their mouths wide when they're scared (like when a rehabber is checking on them). The fun part is that you can imagine them singing just about anything.
Australian possums are nocturnal, meaning they become active after sunset, typically leaving their nests (like roof spaces or tree hollows) around dusk to forage for food, with activity peaking in the first half of the night before they return around dawn. You'll usually hear them start moving, scratching, or thumping around after dark, with noises often heard closer to 10 pm as they venture out.
The Golden Whistler belongs to the Family Pachycephalidae, which means 'thick-head' after the group's robust necks and heads. This species is one of Australia's loudest and most beautiful songsters.
This species of bird is considered Low Risk; Innocuous. The bush stone-curlew is highly unlikely to cause any serious injury.
Their beaks are large and wide, hence the name frogmouth. The genus name, Podargus, is from the Greek work for gout. Why? Unlike owls they don't have curved talons on their feet; in fact, their feet are small, and they're said to walk like a gout-ridden man!
Male limpkins are well known for producing a repetitive, high-pitched wail or scream that sounds remarkably human-like when it wakes you up in the dead of night.
Raccoons make several different sounds depending on whether they feel threatened or happy. For example, threatened raccoons may hiss, growl, squeal or scream. Happy raccoons, on the other hand, make purring and cooing sounds.
The nocturnal call of the a Shearwater (aka Mutton birds) is like no other bird you are likely to hear. It sounds like a baby crying, complete with split second pause for breath.
Possums come to your house seeking easy food, water, and safe shelter, attracted by unsecured garbage, fallen fruit, pet food, and dark, quiet spots like roofs, crawlspaces, or woodpiles that mimic tree hollows. They are opportunistic nocturnal scavengers, so your yard becomes a convenient buffet and resting place, especially if natural habitats are scarce.
Possums hate strong, pungent smells like garlic, peppermint, eucalyptus, and ammonia, as well as sudden physical disturbances like motion-activated lights/sprinklers and unpleasant tastes (like chilli or bitter sprays), which disrupt their sensitive noses and sense of security, but they can get used to static deterrents, so regular reapplication or movement is key.
Possum Sounds vs Rat Noises
Possums: Loud thumping, heavy scurrying, growling, screeching, and hissing. Rats: Light scurrying, squeaking, gnawing or scratching.
Wild rats are not used to human contact and will bite when handled or when people attempt to feed them by hand. The nocturnal creatures have also been known to bite sleeping people, particularly children and infants, on exposed body parts such as fingers, hands, toes and the face when foraging for food.
Opossums are great climbers, and they can climb trees near your house or scale the siding of your home. Opossums can also get into the walls from the crawl space. They may have entered through a foundation vent or broken vent, then climbed into the wall void.
Rats and mice are the most notorious pests found in roof cavities. They are easily identifiable by their nightly activities of scratching, squeaking, chattering and gnawing. Since they're moody little creatures, the noises can often be loud and quite annoying!
Foxes are mostly nocturnal, so you'll see (and hear) them mostly at night. A scream is the most common sound you'll hear from them. When foxes scream, it can be alarming as it sounds like a human scream.
Buruwagan | Bush Stone-curlew. Often heard at night, the bird's distinctive call has been described as akin to the call of a screaming woman or baby. In many Australian Aboriginal cultures Bush Stone-curlews have close associations with death and features in many Aboriginal stories across Australia.
Most types of birds are quite territorial, especially during breeding season. Males often chirp at night to warn other males to keep their distance since this where they do their breeding and nesting. Diurnal birds spend most of the day protecting their territory, and that can spill over into nighttime, as well.