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153 musicians represent 153 bird species! The raw material for the Coalface 2014 score was selected from a list of mnemonics and onomatopoeias collected from bird books and archives, and from suggestions made by ornithologists, friends and bird lovers. Each musician was given one of these written call descriptions and recorded their call based on it.
Thirty children from Bundeena and beyond made these beautiful observed illustrations of the birds, with thanks to Deborah Barrett.
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Black-shouldered Kite
A short plaintive piping ‘siep’ repeated regularly at intervals of about 5 seconds; a drawn out wheezy, husky or scraping ‘scrair’ at intervals of 5-10 seconds. Also a ‘chek-chek-chek’ contact call and a sharp ‘kik-kik-kik distress call given agressively when defending the nest.
Letter-winged Kite
Call is a high, harsh, wheezy, drawn out, descending ‘pei-ir-ah’; mainly heard in spring breeding season. At the nest, harsh, wheezy whistling sounds.
Black Kite
Call is a plaintive, peevish, descending, quavering ‘kwe-ee-ier’; also a sharp, staccato ‘kee-ee-ki-ki-ki’.
Whistling Kite
long descending 'seeo' followed by an upward staccato 'si-si-si-si'. “one more rabbit and I’ll spew
Spotted Harrier
Usually silent but said to utter short shrill squeal. Pizzey
Brown Goshawk
Calls loudly in vicinity of nest, a high ‘keek-keek-keek’, rising in pitch. Also a rapid, excited, descending ‘kik-kik-ki-ki-kikik’, possibly in defence of nest site. At times uses a slow, drawn out ‘youwick, youwick’; female deeper than male.
Collared Sparrowhawk
a shrill, chattered ‘ki-ki-ki-ki’ and a slower, mellow ‘kwiek-kwiek-kwieek-’. Morecome
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Feeble yelps and squeals
Little Eagle
The call is a far-carrying, musical, yelping whistle in distinctive double- or triple-note sequence: a very rapid ‘chik-a-chuk’ or ‘chik-a-chuk, kuk’; the first ‘chik’ strong, sharp and high, the ‘-a-chuk’ softer, lower, mellow; sometimes a soft low fourth note, ‘kuk’, at the end. Morecombe
Brown Falcon
Probably the noisiest Australian Raptor; screeches, demented hoarse cacklings, at times like a laying hen. Pizzey
Black Falcon
Call like that of Peregrine, but deeper, slower, ‘gaak-gaar-gaak-’, becoming a more excited ‘gak-gak-gak-’ if an intruder is near the nest tree. In sudden alarm a single ‘gaaark!’. Also gives a call quite unlike other falcons in courtship and display flights – a loud, high, sharp, scratchy ‘eeik-eeik’ every 3 to 5 sec. Morecombe
Nankeen Kestrel
The sharp, high, almost metallic ‘ki-ki-ki’ has many variations, territorial defence, displays, fighting, approaching nest with food: ranges from fast, shrill, chattered ‘kikikik-’ to slower ‘kee-kee-kee,’ and very slow, metallic, tapping ‘kik, kik, kik’. Also has a drawn out, screaming, rising ‘keeeiir, keeiir’ at food exchange and copulation. Morecombe
Black Breasted Buzzard
Usually silent but quite vocal near nest. On return to nest excited yelping, ‘kyik-kyik-kyik; as alarm high long ‘screee’. Also a variety of harsh scratchy grating sounds.
Black Breasted Buzzard
Usually silent but quite vocal near nest. On return to nest excited yelping, ‘kyik-kyik-kyik; as alarm high long ‘screee’. Also a variety of harsh scratchy grating sounds. No.31 Garlo : Collared Sparrowhawk a shrill, chattered ‘ki-ki-ki-ki’ and a slower, mellow ‘kwiek-kwiek-kwieek-’. Morecome
Spotted Bowerbird
Loud chirring grating hissing or throat-clearing noises. Pizzey
Singing Bushlark (Horsfield’s)
Sweet clear if spasmodic song; notes alternately shrill and trilling or rich and melodious. Pizzey.
Australasian (Richard’s) Pipit
Brisk splintered ‘pith’ or rasping drawn-out ‘zwee’. Pizzey.
Zebra Finch
Loud ‘tya’ like a toy trumpet; song a series of such notes connected with chattering trills. Pizzey
Double-Barred Finch
Toot like toy trumpet, long-drawn-out ‘tiaat, tiaat’. Pizzey.
Black-Throated Finch
Somewhat mournful far-carrying descending ‘peew’; soft ‘beck-beck-beckadeck’. Pizzey. "Fortunately the black- throated finch has wings and can fly…” Clive Palmer (aspiring Coal mine magnate)
Plum-headed Finch
Reported to be a single ‘tlip’ or ‘tleep’; at times drawn-out and high-pitched, scarcely audible. Pizzey.
Brolga
Whooping bugle or trumpet like calls and harsh croaks. Simpson and Day
Australian Bustard
Deep booming, rather like the roar of a distant lion, rising then falling. Closer, sounds include an abrupt, hoarse exhalation ‘huhh!’, often leading into a hoarse throaty growling – ‘huhh!, huhh! -aa-a-r-r-rgh, aa a-r-r-rrrgh’. Morcombe (NB everyone was asked to play the Bustard!)
Little Button-quail
Woop woop. Simpson and Day. Soft, high, resonant, musical ‘whoo, whoo, whoo…’ Squeaky chatter when flushed. Morecombe
Red-chested Button-quail
Call is a soft, quite high, booming ‘oom, oom’ at one second intervals; notes slightly slurred and rising through a sequence of 20–30 calls. Morecombe
Bush Stone-curlew
’eerie, a drawn out, mournfull-‘wee-ier, wee-ier, wheee-ieeer, whee-ieer-loo. Each call rises, strengthening, faster, building to a climax, then trails away.’ Morcombe
Black-fronted Dotterel
Metallic pink; trilling calls. Simpson and Day
Masked Lapwing
Loud cackling Kerr-kick-ki-ki-ki; single kek. Simpson and Day