OK. This is driving us mad. When we were in Costa Adeje (La Caleta end) a few weeks ago, we could hear these bizarre bird cries from overhead. They looked to be big white birds, but they sure didn't sound like seagulls. Words can't really describe the sound, but it was a sort of cartoony-muppet type wocka wocka wocka noise. If you've heard it you'd know it..
Can any of you locals help me (or visitors who were sensible enough to ask when you were there..?)
Cheers
Yes I hear them too up in Torviscas Alto where I live. So you are not mad. I mainly hear them at night. They do make the most strange noise, nothing like a bird squawk!
Cant remember what there called but they ARE birds and not bats. Someone did tell me what they were called but I cant remember sorry.
Cant remember what there called but they ARE birds and not bats. Someone did tell me what they were called but I cant remember sorry.
Bard would probably know
From the description it sounds like they could be Monk Parakeets.
No - I've just found a sound file of the monk parakeet, and it's a lot higher, more like a proper tweety bird, not what we heard.
Any more ideas?
Any more ideas?
We saw large groups of odd looking, large white birds with crests and black legs, in the trees in arrecife,when we were on Lanzarote several years ago. They also made a really strange sound! Wondering if they were the same birds?... and maybe they're native to the canaries? ( Or maybe they were just some kind of egret and I don't know what I'm talking about! 
:lol:)
P.S.The ones we saw looked a bit like white herons and they made a kind of croaking sound.
:lol:)P.S.The ones we saw looked a bit like white herons and they made a kind of croaking sound.
Just found a photo of a bird just like, or at least really similair, to the ones we saw...Is this like the ones at Costa Adeje? http://www.assateague.com/sn-egret.html
I suppose it could have been the Snowy Egret as they have them up in the Loro Parque and they are not in cages but free roaming. Not sure if they have had their feathers clipped.
Have just spoken to my hubby about the birds on Lanza. and he says he remembers them well. He was saying he saw one just like them, on the beach on Tenerife.Showed him the photo and he agrees that was the same type of bird that we saw.
Have just been reading that there are a flock of cattle Egrets at Arrecife on Lanzarote! similair to the snowy-Egret,but smaller. There is also another called the Little Egret,which is seen on five continents. So,it may have been one of these Egrets after all?........
You can also see pictures of the other two, little egrets and cattle egrets here http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/little-egret.html
http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/cattle-egret.html
Have just been reading that there are a flock of cattle Egrets at Arrecife on Lanzarote! similair to the snowy-Egret,but smaller. There is also another called the Little Egret,which is seen on five continents. So,it may have been one of these Egrets after all?........
You can also see pictures of the other two, little egrets and cattle egrets here http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/little-egret.html
http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/cattle-egret.html
-
Edited by
FionaI
2006-11-30 09:04:31
Ooh - this could be it! After trawling the web for egret sounds (well, it beats work!), the cattle egret does sound similar, although not quite as cartoony. I guess it makes a difference, hearing birds when strolling happily along after a nice meal and a few glasses of good Spanish red, or hunched over a computer, with wind whistling around the house and rain battering against the windows...
Thanks everyone!
Thanks everyone!
All those birds are too big.
These fly over head and are a lot smaller. The only way I can describe their noise is.... "Milel-milum Milel-milum Milel-milum" (stop laughing!). I asked my friend "the Bard", who is quite a naturalist here on the Island and he told me they are probably ... "Corey's Shearwaters" which are night birds. They circle in small groups and make the above noise or a similar "wotcha-wotcha-wotcha".... Apparently
Here is a pic...
http://www.mdbirds.org/birds/gallery/pages/image011.html
Bill Oddy over and out
These fly over head and are a lot smaller. The only way I can describe their noise is.... "Milel-milum Milel-milum Milel-milum" (stop laughing!). I asked my friend "the Bard", who is quite a naturalist here on the Island and he told me they are probably ... "Corey's Shearwaters" which are night birds. They circle in small groups and make the above noise or a similar "wotcha-wotcha-wotcha".... Apparently
Here is a pic...
http://www.mdbirds.org/birds/gallery/pages/image011.html
Bill Oddy over and out
Reckon it was definitely the little egret or the cattle egret we saw on Lanza. I was reading about the little egret here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3099.shtml
http://www.grandespirito.it/inglese/garzettaeng.html
Did have a few drinks that day at Arrecfie ,but knew I wasn't going mad. 
If we see any of them on Tenerife now,at least we'll be able to recognise what they are, I suppose.
Was just thinking that myself makum110!... I'll be sounding like a female version..... Williamina Oddy over and out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3099.shtml
http://www.grandespirito.it/inglese/garzettaeng.html
Did have a few drinks that day at Arrecfie
,but knew I wasn't going mad. If we see any of them on Tenerife now,at least we'll be able to recognise what they are, I suppose.
Was just thinking that myself makum110!... I'll be sounding like a female version.....
Williamina Oddy over and out.
Yippee!
This has got to be the most educational holiday I've ever been on! Thanks Makum, for this and your help on my other postings, it is definitely a Cory's Shearwater, and the sound can be found here : http://selvagens.seawatching.net/sounds.html - 3rd sound clip (the 13 sec one) is spot on. The sound absolutely creased us up as we came home, it sounds like an Elmer Fudd duck call or something.
Cheers all!
This has got to be the most educational holiday I've ever been on! Thanks Makum, for this and your help on my other postings, it is definitely a Cory's Shearwater, and the sound can be found here : http://selvagens.seawatching.net/sounds.html - 3rd sound clip (the 13 sec one) is spot on. The sound absolutely creased us up as we came home, it sounds like an Elmer Fudd duck call or something.
Cheers all!
What a funny sound!!!!
We heard these noises at night down near the front in Palm Mar. Never heard anything like it.
We had a walk down and could see them circling overhead.
From a distance thought it was someone having a fall out.
Thanks for the info, at least we know what bird it is now.
Just played the clip on the laptop, dog went mad and I couldn't turn it off.
Dianne
We had a walk down and could see them circling overhead.
From a distance thought it was someone having a fall out.
Thanks for the info, at least we know what bird it is now.
Just played the clip on the laptop, dog went mad and I couldn't turn it off.
Dianne
WestEnd Girl et all,
May I take this opportunity to thank you all for keeping the members of this forum entertained and also for the nature lesson in birds. I'm sure that a lot of us will be looking out for the wotcha-wotcha-wotcha birds. Will make a change from avoiding the PRs etc.
May I take this opportunity to thank you all for keeping the members of this forum entertained and also for the nature lesson in birds. I'm sure that a lot of us will be looking out for the wotcha-wotcha-wotcha birds. Will make a change from avoiding the PRs etc.
Trying to play the clip on my PC has a dramatic result - Internet Explorer falls overs and aborts !
Chris
Chris
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