Birdsong for the
Curious Naturalist

Scarlet honeyeater

Chapter 10: More birds! More Sounds!
Subchapter: More birds! More Sounds!—Australia
From page 170 in the book.

A stunning looker, and what a delightful series of high, tinkling whistles he sings from high in the trees. I pick a song and hear him return to it periodically. How many different songs does he have, I wonder, and in what pattern does he sing them? Those calls between the songs during the first half minute make this performance sound much like an energized dawn chorus singer. At 2:17 a Lewin's honeyeater chimes in.

The songs are different from any in North America, but there are just so many ways in which a repertoire of songs can be presented, and the pattern here sounds similar to that for many North American birds.

♫722. October 1, 2007. Utopia, near Mount Walsh National Park, Queensland. (2:30)