what does a rain bird sound like

While watching the news yesterday, I had an unexpected guest. A large coucal entered the TV room through the kitchen and then abruptly appeared there. I needed at least fifteen minutes to remove it from the house. These are pretty big birds, so I was pretty scared when it suddenly appeared. Luckily, I had taken my daily medication.

I have been delighted to hear what South African poet Douglas Livingstone referred to as “the rainbirds liquid note” from the trees that separate our home from the neighbors next door over the past few days. It is the lovely call of the Burchells Coucal (Centropus superciliosus), also referred to as the rainbird because it appears to call more frequently during humid spells, which has led to the theory that it heralds impending rain.

It is the eating habits of this bird that lead me to call it “nasty” – and I admit that is an anthropomorphism indeed. The Burchells Coucal is a voracious bird which eats almost any prey smaller than itself, and its quite a large bird, and is particularly partial to young nestlings and the eggs of other birds. For these it will frequently raid the nests of other birds and devour whatever it finds there, to the evident dismay of many of the owners of the nests. Not a nice thing to do from a human point of view, but it is after all a wild bird and will do what it has to to survive.

This bird is in fact found as far north as Ethiopia, in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. It is found in the highveld region of South Africa and to the north, as well as on the coastal regions from Maputo to the Western Cape.

This bird is specifically linked to the former Transkei region of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, as noted by Dr. Basil Holt in his book Where Rainbirds Call: “It may be true, as the bird books tell us, that it is found as far north as Tanzania and Malawi.” I do not know. It will always bring back memories of the places I was young: the cool, shaded Matiwane Mountains above Umtata; the deep forest at Ngcwanguba, where the Xhosa chief, Old Tshiwo, has been buried since 1702; and the Mount Packard Mission, which overlooks the sea and the valley below, where ships pass by en route to Durban. ”.

The rain birds are here

When relocating to a new place, there is always a lot to learn. The rainbirds in Jalisco informed us that the rainy season would arrive in a few weeks. In the beginning, they are just one or two singing occasionally at dusk, but after a few weeks, they are singing nonstop.

What are rain birds? When we first moved here we read about them on the local groups and wondered what people were talking about. What kind of bird sings at night, anyway? Well actually they aren’t birds at all, they are cicadas. I seldom see them, just the occasional wing on the patio in the morning.

To hear what they sound like at dusk, turn on your speakers and watch the video above.

After three nights of rain a week ago, which was a blessing for the garden, we’re looking forward to the rain.

FAQ

What bird makes a OO EE sound?

The loud, repetitive ‘coo-ee’ song of the male Pacific Koel is a familiar sound of spring and early summer in eastern Australia. Males also make ‘rolling’ type phrases and female koels make a high-pitched shrieking ‘kik-kik-kik-kik’ notes often when interacting with a male.

What bird calls for rain?

The Rain Crow – The Yellow-billed Cuckoo The call of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo may sound a bit like a car engine struggling to turn over before revving to life. But for generations and generations, people recognized these rattling gulps and hollow hoots as a precursor to something else — rain.

What is a Stormbird?

The Pacific koel (Eudynamys orientalis), also known as the eastern koel or formerly common koel, is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. In Australia, it is colloquially known as the rainbird or stormbird, as its call is usually more prevalent before or during stormy weather.

What bird sounds like a water drop?

Swainson’s Thrush, Catharus ustulatus It frequents moist woodlands and during the non-breeding season you are more likely to hear its call note, which sounds like a drop of water, than its ethereal flute-like song.