Animal warning calls

[Ecobogan]

This could well be coincidence but has anyone experienced animals of different species heeding each others warning calls?
I've got a good population of white wing choughs at my place that are real inquisitive busy bodies of birds and will follow you in the trees in small groups. They have a distinctive barky cough type of warning call and do this as they're checking me out when I'm hunting.
We've all heard the double thump warning sign that roos and wallabies make as they take off when lurky danger is spotted.
The reason I ask is there are suspiciously NO rabbits in the lower green gullies at my place when the choughs or roos give out.
I'm not talking about a herd of roos belting through where the rabbits would be feeding which would scatter anything. They're a fair ways off but still audible.
It's been noted that monkeys and certain apes have cottoned on to bird calls as have birds to other birds apparently.
But rabbits? Not known for their contribution to nano technology or high end art it's probably just brainless coincidence.

[Harrynsw]

This could well be coincidence but has anyone experienced animals of different species heeding each others warning calls?
I've got a good population of white wing choughs at my place that are real inquisitive busy bodies of birds and will follow you in the trees in small groups. They have a distinctive barky cough type of warning call and do this as they're checking me out when I'm hunting.
We've all heard the double thump warning sign that roos and wallabies make as they take off when lurky danger is spotted.
The reason I ask is there are suspiciously NO rabbits in the lower green gullies at my place when the choughs or roos give out.
I'm not talking about a herd of roos belting through where the rabbits would be feeding which would scatter anything. They're a fair ways off but still audible.
It's been noted that monkeys and certain apes have cottoned on to bird calls as have birds to other birds apparently.
But rabbits? Not known for their contribution to nano technology or high end art it's probably just brainless coincidence.

I would tend to agree. I saw a documentary filmed in Africa where a collection of animals ie gazelle, warthog and every thing else would scatter when the baboon sentry put out a warning scream.

When on the stalk and approaching a cluster of trees, don't know what type of bird it is, but it's starts making noise which sure anything in area is listening for.

[Ricochet]

I'd say that's a yes. Rabbits thump the ground too, they will bolt down a burrow and stomp from under ground. I have heard this whilst doing my Elmer Fudd routine. And I think I have heard of animals reacting to danger signals from other species.
Are those damned choughs ( I've also gad those buggers ruin a hunt) protected? If not I'd recommend cleaning them out, if they are protected just allow extra time, stalk in earlier put up with the noise, sit for a while and birds will sod off, and the bunnies will come out again.

[RoginaJack]

Yep, geese are another pain in the neck. In N.Z. there is a duck ( name escapes me) that deer will take notice of...

[Ecobogan]

Thanks for the replies lads, it makes sense.
Pretty remarkable how they'd make the connection as it'd be a learned not innate sense you'd think.
I couldn't get an exact on the choughs protected status after a quick Google search but being native I imagine they would be.
The roos make much more of a racket and will make efforts to skirt round them next time.
Good that it's probably not just a coincidence as coincidences are much more boring.
Cheers fellas

[Blr243]

Even though certain animal species may dislike each other because of competition for food or because they eat each other , I would not be surprised if , when a man started walking through their turf , they ignored their personal grievances, and all banded together to put out a very convincing warning to all the locals......whether it be screeching , chirping, thumping or snorting , together these work extremely well over a very broad area , and are as effective in the animal world as 4g internet is in our world .....I was once useing a bow and creeping up on some pigs bedded in the open amongst tall grass ...a Willy wagtail frantically flew around the mob going absolutely mental almost doing backflips in the air in an effort to let them know of my approach

[bladeracer]

Willy Bloody Wagtails always give the game away for me
They seem to derive enormous pleasure from bouncing along with me, screaming "look at this d**khead I found!"
Noisy miners and mudlarks are two more nuisance birds, but crows are the ones that sit calmly in a tree, giving out updates on my position in their well-defined language.

I've had foxes run and prop, barking to warn their mates about me.

[Blr243]

Blade , if u don’t like wagtails allow me to tell u a tale. My mate once was watching a polar bear gently strolling across his pen floor in a zoo....a wagtail was skipping and jumping and flying along with him annoying the bear knowing that he was too fast for the bear and was therefore safe. Or so he thought ...for just a fraction of a second the bird was on the floor in front of the bear and like a bolt of lightning the bear lifted its paw and bought it back down On top of the bird with enough force to nearly crack the floor ... then the bear swivelled his paw around while bringing it up towards his mouth and in one motion using his tongue licked the flattened bird from the inside of his paw and then carried on walking across his pen as if it never happened .... one less wagtail to bother you while out hunting

[bladeracer]

Blade , if u don’t like wagtails allow me to tell u a tale. My mate once was watching a polar bear gently strolling across his pen floor in a zoo....a wagtail was skipping and jumping and flying along with him annoying the bear knowing that he was too fast for the bear and was therefore safe. Or so he thought ...for just a fraction of a second the bird was on the floor in front of the bear and like a bolt of lightning the bear lifted its paw and bought it back down On top of the bird with enough force to nearly crack the floor ... then the bear swivelled his paw around while bringing it up towards his mouth and in one motion using his tongue licked the flattened bird from the inside of his paw and then carried on walking across his pen as if it never happened .... one less wagtail to bother you while out hunting

But did your mate get the bear!
I actually like the little buggers for their joyful take on the world, but when I'm stalking foxes they drive me batty I'm sure they're even more annoying to the foxes though.

[Blr243]

It was in a zoo so not allowed to take big bear hunting rifles into the zoo. And spectators at the zoo wood b horrified

[TassieTiger]

If I saw someone carrying a gun into a zoo - my first reaction would be that a lion is now hunting ME...you go fella. He’s behind me somewhere...laters.

[Blr243]

I was once sitting in traffic jam on a trail bike when all of a sudden a whole heap of cops came running down between the lanes towards me with vests dogs shotguns and handguns drawn and pointing fwd at the car in front of me. They were not holding back. If a battle erupted everybody around in the cars could sink down behind the dash for some protection but I was sitting high right up there and not liking it I felt like turning the bike around riding across the median strip and scooting off in the other direction but if one of the cops were nervous he might think I was part of the bad team and shoot me in the back as I tried to escape .... so I just took a couple of deep breaths and hoped for the best ... fortunately Johnny no good just got out of his car and put his hands in the air ..... most exciting traffic jam I ever was in

[bigpete]

They ABSOLUTELY pay heed to other animals warning calls...and it pays to do so yourself. I've shot the odd fox and cat simply coz I've heard honeyeaters or other small birds going off at them,alerting me to their presence.

[Stix]

Galah's...
They're probably my biggest or most common nuisance...and unlike other animals, they dont completely disappear, they hang about the area & squalk my every move...they love to give me away...
Bloody things...

Toppies are the next worse for me...that fast whistling wing beat is a dead giveaway warning for anything im trying stalk thats within cooee of me...

[bigpete]

Sulphur crests are way worse imo

[Ecobogan]

So it looks like my 'as if they'd communicate' kinda naive question has turned into 'of course they communicate!' kinda naive question.
Very interesting stuff lads and there wasn't a whole massive amount I could find out on line.
Native species makes a lot more sense but would rabbits evolve an innate sense in 200 years ?. Could prob come up with more naive questions if anyone's wondering

[Oldbloke]

Sulphur crests are way worse imo

Id like a Dollar every time they have given me away.

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[RoginaJack]

livestock and cattle in particular are a bit of a pain too. Roos, goats, pigs, deer etc can all be feeding in the same area and enjoying each others company . If the cattle stop you and start looking in your direction, the deer etc will start looking to see what the cattle have spotted.

[Stix]

So it looks like my 'as if they'd communicate' kinda naive question has turned into 'of course they communicate!' kinda naive question.
Very interesting stuff lads and there wasn't a whole massive amount I could find out on line.
Native species makes a lot more sense but would rabbits evolve an innate sense in 200 years ?. Could prob come up with more naive questions if anyone's wondering

Just read all my crap & didnt want to sound like a cock today...so an edit was due...

To answer the question...I dont think so...

I think animals learn to associate certian things to being killed...eventually that probably developes into an innate sense, but ober thousands of years...not 200...
I doubt the Galah's are telling the rabbits im stalking that Stix has his 204 & is about to come through that patch of mallee to shoot you guys...rather the Galah's are gobbling out their talk to others in the flock that are within ear shot to be wary & keep a few trees clear of me just incase...& the bunnies learn that sound is most often associated with a transient killer in the area...be it fox, cat, you, me, or the local dog...

[Blr243]

The Roos in my pig paddocks just ignore me on my quad and red headlight and let me drive straight past because they have learnt over time that I just don’t shoot them but the bloke in the land cruiser that swings a spotlight all over the place while driving along in first gear the Roos hate him and are always trying to jump out of range

[Oldbloke]

I think the Galahs are just say "warning, there is an intruder in our territory and he is hear".
Not, here comes a preditor.

Another thing many animals understand (instinctuve) is that animals with eyes at the front are hunters and not prey.

[bigpete]

I think the Galahs are just say "warning, there is an intruder in our territory and he is hear".
Not, here comes a preditor.

Another thing many animals understand (instinctuve) is that animals with eyes at the front are hunters and not prey.

Howard Hill wrote about how,if you stare at an animal while stalking,particularly at it's eyes,it'll spook. I've tested this when bow hunting enough times to believe it's true up to a point,enough that I'll tend to keep the animal I'm stalking in peripheral vision

[bladeracer]

I think the Galahs are just say "warning, there is an intruder in our territory and he is hear".
Not, here comes a preditor.

Another thing many animals understand (instinctuve) is that animals with eyes at the front are hunters and not prey.

Howard Hill wrote about how,if you stare at an animal while stalking,particularly at it's eyes,it'll spook. I've tested this when bow hunting enough times to believe it's true up to a point,enough that I'll tend to keep the animal I'm stalking in peripheral vision

Yep, I've found the same thing.

[bigpete]

I'm glad I'm not the only one lol

[Oldbloke]

Sambar deer gave warning signals. Honking, barking and stomping the hooves.

[marksman]

birds are a bugger for giving you up, why l dont like blaze orange, cows look at you giving you away
there are quite a few different calls, clicks, honks, barks, squeeks, croaks, groans ect deer do that can be a "oh fark lets git" or "what the fark are you", when a deer barks at you its a good thing to bark back then shoot the farker in the head as he/she looks at you and fill the freezer
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTaSEwAQNM0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItGNgqSBi78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAD3TK5Qdzs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpwozInmXG0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TrOf2cNw-Q
l cant explain the sound l have heard sambar using when sussing you out and they dont know what you are, like a bird warbling sort of

[NTSOG]

What about plover? They shriek loudly at any intruders and may buzz your head? I have always assumed that a plover shrieking nearby at night [when I'm sitting in cover quiet and still] means a fox or cat around.

Jim

[marksman]

What about plover? They shriek loudly at any intruders and may buzz your head? I have always assumed that a plover shrieking nearby at night [when I'm sitting in cover quiet and still] means a fox or cat around.

Jim

i've had a couple of sambar looking straight at me making the warbling sound sound as they walk very slowly around, it's a very strange sound
they will not come to close and keep there distance of about 20 yards till they move off, lucky that l didn't want them

[Ecobogan]

I was looking forward to reading that actually Stix! now that I've come up for air . You'd put a fair bit of thought into it.
What you're saying is how it seems to me too pretty much, l just wasn't sure if I was over or under rating their ability to adapt.
The fact that rabbits don't have a huge amount going on in their lives means their ability to "absorb' new survival information is pretty well dialled I suppose.
In the five years I've been living here they've certainly gone from being pretty casual to needing a 200m freak out zone when they clock a human...which is pretty predictable.
On a slightly different matter. How do you find the 204? Am looking into a smaller centrefire, 223 is the obvious move but my gunsmith swears by his 204.
Thanks for the replies fellas, glad I asked the question

[Ecobogan]

I think the Galahs are just say "warning, there is an intruder in our territory and he is hear".
Not, here comes a preditor.

Another thing many animals understand (instinctuve) is that animals with eyes at the front are hunters and not prey.

Yeah that was pointed out to me as a young tacker, eye location of predatory and prey animals. Also the pupil shapes themselves can tie in with this. Many wild heard animals run their pupils front to back in a flat horizontal plane for broad but somewhat poor vision.
The old peregrine falcon did pretty well when they were handing out predatory eyeballs... multiple focal planes, '90 times sharper than a humans' and comfortable at 300 kph, their call sounds like a constipated chook though.