Whip cracking

A sound synonymous with the Australian bush (on the east coast), is the unforgettable call of the Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus, a piercing whipcrack whistle heard on many bushwalks and usually without seeing the bird making the call. They are a ground frequenting bird found in the dense underscrub of rainforests and their margins, as well as the wet woodlands. We are fortunate to have at least one pair that spend some time around our house in the dense shrubs. The male is responsible for the whipcrack and the female if in the vicinity generally answers with a resemblance of an echo. As well as the whipcrack they have chuckles and melodic whistles in their repertoire. The male at times will come to the garden behind the cottage to make his whipcracks as the back porch acts like a sound shell to broadcast the call. They are very wary birds and will quickly disappear if they see you. This photo was taken from inside the house with the windows acting like a mirror to block his view inside.