Bird calls

Comprehensive wildlife surveys are essential for documenting and managing biodiversity and researchers now listen as well as look.

Since 2012, Dr. Karen Rowe and her students at Museums Victoria have been conducting research in the field of bioacoustics and in 2015, began Listening for Nature.

The Listening for Nature research programme uses digital acoustic technology and bioacoustic approaches to document species presences and evaluate their use of habitats over time and geographic space.

 

The quiz

How well do you know your bird calls? Take our quiz and see if you can identify them all!

Which bird makes this screech?

The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo makes this loud and harsh vocalisation.

Which bird is this?

This is the territorial call of the Australian raven. 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.

Which cute little bird makes this distinctive call?

It is the Willie Wagtail. The Willie Wagtail is a fantail and has been given its name as a wagtail because it wags its tail when looking for food on the ground.

Do you recognise these noisy birds from a trip to the beach?

It's a Silver Gull. Adult Silver Gull's beaks are red. Next time you see a group of Gulls have a closer look. The older the gull, the brighter the red.

Which of these birds is an amazing mimic?

Lyrebirds are so good at mimicry. They can sound like other birds, dogs, car engines and even chainsaws.

Which bird is the largest flying bird of prey in Victoria?

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is the largest bird of prey in Victoria. This wonderful eagle is also the bird emblem of the Northern Territory and has no known predators.

Which bird is the largest native bird in Victoria?

Emus are the largest native bird in Victoria. They have two sets of eyelids. One is for blinking and the other keeps away dust.

Which of these is Victoria’s smallest bird?

The Weebill is Victoria's smallest bird. Scottish people say 'wee' to describe something very small. This tiny bird's beak is very small, hence the name 'wee'bill.

What is Victoria's state bird emblem?

The Helmeted Honeyeater is Victoria's state bird emblem. Sadly, this lovely bird is critically endangered and only lives in three very small areas of Victoria. Find out how to help by visiting The Friends of Helmeted Honeyeater.

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Credits

All original sound files were shortened for use on this website. The full versions can be found here:

Australian National Botanic Gardens www.anbg.gov.au/sounds/

Marc Anderson, XC171927. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/171927 

Marc Anderson, XC204408. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/204408

Nick Talbot, XC188403. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/188403

Xeno Canto sounds are released under Creative Commons

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0

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