It is a slow, high ah-ah-aaaah with the last note drawn out. Which bird makes this distinctive sound? It's a Kookaburra! The loud distinctive call of the laughing kookaburra is widely used as a stock sound effect in situations that involve an Australian bush setting or tropical jungle, especially in older movies.
Bell Miners (Manorina melanophrys) are often called 'bellbirds' in Australia and are named for their unique bell-like, chiming calls.
It's the American woodcock, a member of the shorebird family.
Australian Owlet-nightjar – Variations of Typical Calls
Although most-commonly heard at night, Australian Owlet-nightjars can sometimes be heard calling from their roosting hollows during the day. The bell-like notes in this sample are from a Crimson Rosella. Recorded in Yengo National Park, New South Wales.
"This species is sometimes known as the Storm-bird or Stormbird." The Australian Museum says the Channel-billed Cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen, the Pied Currawong, Strepera graculina and members of the crow family (Corvidae).
Australian Magpie Mimics Sound of Emergency Sirens.
Laughing kookaburra
This nostalgic Australian icon can be found in open forests across the country, particularly in gumtrees, and are often heard in suburbs around the Adelaide Hills. Its loud cackle of 'koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa' is often sung in a chorus with other kookaburras.
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'.
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.
There is the familiar “whoop, whoop, whoop” of a pheasant coucal calling from a gully; the sound of the common koel, the “storm bird” that visits South East Queensland every summer and calls endlessly for a mate – “ko-el, ko-el, ko-el…”; the musical tweets and burbles of the red-eyed figbird.
If you reside in Southeast Asia, there's a huge possibility you've probably heard the call of the Asian Koel in the wee hours of the morning (or night). In case you need a refresher, here's that "annoying sound" (or charming, depending on who you ask) the bird makes.
The bird species use this skill to communicate with each other, claim their territory, and announce the presence of food. The birds use chirping as flight calls when traveling during the migration season, which is once or twice a year-round.
For example, a seet is the universal danger call made by birds and small mammals. Chickadees, it turns out, chirp about predators a lot. In fact, their name comes from the warning call they make when they see a suspicious character lurking around the neighborhood: Chickadee-dee-dee-dee-dee.
Steller's Jays
In particular, these jays are known to mimic the sounds of loud alarms and, especially, ambulance sirens. They are sometimes referred to as 'the noisy jay' because they can make a variety of very loud noises. What is this?
Willie Wagtails often sing through the night, especially in spring and summer and on moonlit nights. Recorded in Wollemi National Park, New South Wales. Willie Wagtail Calls & Song. The sounds of a Willie Wagtail singing in the Australian bush.
If you hear birds chirping at night from 1 to 2 AM (or even midnight) then you probably have a warning in your future. This tends to be a sign that you should watch yourself and keep your eyes open for danger.
The call of the Australian Boobook is one of the most common sounds of the Australian bush at night. Typical song consists of a double note 'boo-book' which can be heard throughout the year.
Echo the Lyrebird
Perhaps the most famous example of a Superb lyrebird crying like a baby is Echo, who lives at the Taronga Zoo in New South Wales, Australia. When you hear Echo crying, there is absolutely no question: that sounds exactly like the wail of a screaming infant!
"You're not hearing things, our resident lyrebird Echo has the AMAZING ability to replicate a variety of calls - including a baby's cry." Echo is a superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), an Australian bird named for the shape of its tail during courting, according to Britannica.
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).
The Laughing Kookaburra native to eastern Australia makes a very familiar call sounding like raucous laughter. Their call is used to establish territory among family groups, most often at dawn and dusk. One bird starts with a low, hiccuping chuckle, then throws its head back in raucous laughter.
A Kookaburra Call or Laugh
The distinct voice of the Kookaburra sounds like human laughing— some people think!
The laughing kookaburra of Australia is known for its call, which sounds like a cackling laugh.
Sooty Owls
The Greater Sooty Owl is native to the south-eastern forests of Australia and is nocturnal, spending its days in tree hollows, caves and under rock overhangs. Its typical call is known as a 'falling bomb whistle', a short, descending screech or shriek that can be heard over long distances.
In fact, the White Bellbird has the loudest bird call ever documented, according to a paper published today in the journal Current Biology. Its short, booming, two-part call is three times the sound pressure level—a measure of sound intensity—of the Screaming Piha's call, the previous record-holder.