DUNCANVILLE, TEXAS — My thoughts are far from chilly, wet Texas tonight. Come away with me. Hear the voices of New Guinea birds.

I recorded these birds in the hill forest just above Madang town, Papua New Guinea, in June 2005. The quality isn’t like National Geographic, but then neither is my equipment.

• White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes (Coracina papuensis) are widespread in the lowlands. See my picture here.
  • coracina-papuensis.mp3 (00:07, 116 KB)
  • coracina-papuensis.wav (00:07, 305 KB)
• Variable Pitohuis (Pitohui kirhocephalus) are one of the few birds known to be poisonous. The birds I saw near Madang looked similar to Mehd Halaouate’s Variable Pitohui photo in the BirdForum database (also on the page are brief comments on the bird’s toxicity). I have to confess, I’m about 99% certain that this recording is the pitohui, but unfortunately, I didn’t label the file back when I recorded it. If I’m wrong, somebody please correct me.
  • pitohui-kirhocephalus.mp3 (00:08, 138 KB)
  • pitohui-kirhocephalus.wav (00:08, 375 KB)
• Helmeted Friarbirds (Philemon buceroides) are abundant in PNG’s lowlands, and their raucous cries are one of the most commonly heard bird sounds. A Papua New Guinean in Western Province told me that when the birds begin to call in earnest toward evening, the people know it’s time to leave their gardens and start walking home. Like Carolina Wrens, Red-eyed Vireos, and many other songbirds, Helmeted Friarbirds sing several different versions of their song, as you can hear below.
  • philemon-buceroides-01.mp3 (00:07, 114 KB)
  • philemon-buceroides-01.wav (00:07, 308 KB)
  • philemon-buceroides-02.mp3 (00:13, 213 KB)
  • philemon-buceroides-02.wav (00:13, 583 KB)
  • philemon-buceroides-03.mp3 (00:09, 151 KB)
  • philemon-buceroides-03.wav (00:09, 410 KB)

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed