DUNCANVILLE, TEXAS — Nearly eleven months ago (how is that possible?) I wrote a post called Backyard birds in PNG. Not only did I see many of those birds daily in the Aiyura Valley, I also became acquainted with their songs and calls. Shortly before I left last October, I turned on the recorder one morning to capture a few of their voices.

• Willie-wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys) are perhaps the most frequently encountered bird in PNG. They thrive from the hot, sticky lowlands to the cool mountain valleys, and they seem perfectly content to live near people. Here’s a rather faint recording of a song phrase. Their bright, perky songs can be heard at all hours of the day and night.
  • rhipidura-leucophrys.mp3 (00:03, 50 KB)
  • rhipidura-leucophrys.wav (00:03, 132 KB)
• Grey Shrike-thrushes (Colluricincla harmonica) whistle varied, musical phrases. It’s a joy to wake up to this song!
  • colluricincla-harmonica.mp3 (00:40, 633 KB)
  • colluricincla-harmonica.wav (00:40, 1.69 MB)
• Brush Cuckoos (Cacomantis variolosus) puzzled me for months. They start calling before dawn and continue after dusk, but from March to July, I never actually saw a bird, and I had no idea what species this was. Finally, I saw Brush Cuckoos on Pak Island, Manus Province, and the mystery was solved. The birds sound plaintive and frantic to me; I imagine them saying, “Wait for me, Wait for me, WAIT FOR ME!” In this recording, two birds are calling together.
  • cacomantis-variolosus.mp3 (00:34, 548 KB)
  • cacomantis-variolosus.wav (00:34, 1.47 MB)
• Morning chorus. Given what you’ve just learned, you should be able to identify some of the songs in this sample. Others though, you’ll be hearing for the first time. The recording starts out with a different version of the Brush Cuckoo’s call — a descending series of whistles. At about four seconds in, an Ornate Melidectes (Melidectes torquatus) gives three warbling calls. At about the 15 second mark, you can hear a Brown-breasted Gerygone (Gerygone ruficollis) begin soft, stuttering whistles in the background. A Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) chatters briefly during seconds 21-23. The occasional screeching in the background is from distant Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus).
  • highlands-morning-chorus.mp3 (00:37, 594 KB)
  • highlands-morning-chorus.wav (00:37, 1.59 MB)
• Unidentified songster. Yes, we end this post with a plea for assistance. There was one song I never could positively identify, but I did manage to get a marginal recording. In this clip, I’ve snipped out the spaces between the bird’s phrases so that you hear them one right after the other. In actuality, the phrases were separated by gaps of 5-15 seconds. If you know what this bird is or know anyone who might, please let me know!
  • unknown-png-bird.mp3 (00:05, 91 KB)

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)

GREENE CO., MO — Part five of a series in which I set out explore some of the ways that birds help us celebrate Christmas.

Can you name five Christmas carols that mention birds? The first one that sprang to my mind was “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” in which birds are given as several of the gifts. Mike has done such a thorough job with this song over at 10,000 Birds that I’ll just point you to his post rather than say more myself: Birds Of The Twelve Days Of Christmas.

Several other carols feature birds, but unfortunately, they are rather obscure. One of these is “Whence Comes This Rush of Wings?” (or “Carol of the Birds”), which originated in the Bas-Quercy region of France. I’ve adapted the score for three men’s voices and sung it, presenting the recording here as my Christmas gift to you: carolofthebirds.mp3 (1.24 MB, 1:21 duration).

The lyrics and score are available on a scan from hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com: Whence Comes This Rush of Wings? French lyrics (with a literal English translation) are available here. Evidently the third verse, which mentions the greenfinch and philomel (nightingale), was not part of the original French carol.

Another carol in which birds come to sing for the Baby Jesus is “The Friendly Beasts” (or “(The) Gifts They Gave”):

“I,” said the dove from the rafters high,
“Cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry;
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I.”
“I,” said the dove from the rafters high.

More…

Several different songs are known in English as “Carol of the Birds.” One, as mentioned above, originated in France. Another “Carol of the Birds” was sung first in Catalan, a Romance language spoken mainly in Spain and Andorra:

Upon this holy night,
When God’s great star appears,
And floods the earth with brightness
Birds’ voices rise in song
And warbling all night long
Express their glad hearts’ lightness
Birds’ voices rise in song
And warbling all night long
Express their glad hearts’ lightness

The Nightingale is first
To bring his song of cheer,
And tell us of His gladness:
“Jesus, our Lord, is born
To free us from all sin
And banish ev’ry sadness!
Jesus, our Lord is born
To free us from all sin
And banish ev’ry sadness!”

Full Catalan and English lyrics. (Warning: This page will make you squint.)
Alternate English lyrics.

Yet another “Carol of the Birds” features owls, cuckoos, pigeons, and onomatopoeia, and it comes in English and Irish flavors. (You’ll have to scroll down a bit after following each link.)

Not to be outdone, the Australians have produced their own “Carol of the Birds,” and I really like it:

Out on the plains the brolgas are dancing
Lifting their feet like warhorses prancing
Up to the sun the woodlarks go winging
Faint in the dawn light echoes their singing
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day.

More (including midis)…
About the song.

And with that, we conclude our “Birds of Christmas” series this year. You can access the other posts under “related posts” below. Maybe we’ll continue the series next year (send in your ideas!), but until then…

Merry Christmas!