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.
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.
Australian Owlet-nightjars make a variety of sounds, the most commonly heard calls include a series of soft churring notes. The calls of this species are one of the most commonly heard sounds of the Australian bush at night.
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.
LAUREL SYMES: People sometimes describe night-calling insects as cicadas. But typically, cicadas call during the day, and what we're hearing at night are crickets and katydids.
High-pitched chirping in the house is likely coming from birds. Birds like to nest in the attic after making their way through soffits and attic vents. Birds cause a big mess with their droppings, so it's important to take care of them as soon as you hear the chirping.
Some of the larger species of Australian cicadas can produce sounds measuring over 120 decibels and at close range can be uncomfortably loud. Many cicada species call in chorus, timing their individual drones in sync with others around them, resulting in a deafening 'mexican wave' of sound moving through the forest!
include owls, frogmouths, nightjars, owlet-nightjars, kites (Letter-winged) and parrots (Night Parrot).
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.
Sometimes birds chirp at night because they are quite simply confused. With towns and cities expanding all the time, streetlights and light pollution can affect birds sleeping habits. Some birds such as robins and thrushes can be fooled in to thinking that it is dusk, when it is in fact the middle of the night.
Broad-winged Hawks give a plaintive, high-pitched whistle that lasts 2–4 seconds, with a short first note and a long second note: kee-eee. The male's call is an octave higher in pitch than the female's.
The Australian Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis) is a common songbird found in woodlands and forests throughout east and south-eastern Australia, as well as the south-west.
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.
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.
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.
English folklore connects nightjars to another, equally eerie tale. These inhabitants of the British Isles believed that nightjars were manifestations of the souls of unbaptised children, doomed to wander the wild night sky.
The phenomenon of birds chirping at 3am has captivated the hearts and minds of spiritual seekers for centuries. While the specific meaning behind this nocturnal serenade will vary for each individual listener, the songs of these winged creatures can serve as powerful symbols of hope, renewal, and divine connection.
In Native American culture, birds are believed to be messengers from the spirit world. Birds chirping can signify good luck, positive energy, and the presence of spiritual guides.
The Night Parrot, Pezoporus occidentalis, is a rather undistinguished looking bird: plump, medium-sized and mottled with yellowish green and dark brown. Yet it is one of Australia's most intriguing birds and, despite being reported from every state on the Australian mainland, is possibly Australia's least known.
A migratory bird, the koel usually arrives in Australia from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to breed from late September to early October each year, when the male will sing his advertising call day and night to attract a female.
What are some nocturnal Australian animals? Some nocturnal creatures that call Australia home include the cane toad, sugar glider, Tasmanian devil, bats, bilbies, wombats, owls and bandicoots.
Not only do they tend to sing at night but also during hot weather, and as a pack.
In Australia we know it is summer when the Cicadas starts their chorus. Cicadas are the loudest insects in the world and emerge from their underground world in late spring and summer. The peak Cicada season is November and December.
Like cicadas, only male katydids and crickets produce sounds. Crickets make a chirping sound by running the top of one wing along the other in a process known as stridulation.