The Whipcrack Vocalisations of the Eastern Whipbird Osophodes olivaceus on the Southern Atherton Tableland, Queensland

Abstract

The vocalisations of the Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus were studied on 73 days at first light over a year, between December 1997 and November 1998 near Malanda, Queensland. The typical Whipbird call consists of an introductory (lead) note, a whipcrack (whip call), and a response (tail call). Over 13 000 calls were analysed to classify variations (upward and downward inflections) in the frequency of the whip call, and a sample of recordings was measured to determine the frequency range and duration. The frequency of 297 lead notes, and the relative sound-levels of lead notes and whip calls, were also measured. Sonagrams of call variations and of some previously undescribed calls indicate that vocalisations of the Whipbird are more variable than previously reported.