it’s seldom difficult to tell when a party of grey-crowned babblers is in the vicinity. Their scolding, whistling and chattering calls readily give their presence away, but their most well-known call is a distinctive ‘ya-hoo’, given as a duet by pairs of birds –the female gives a harsh ‘ya’ and the male responds with a high-pitched ‘hoo’, though given the precise timing it sounds as though the call was given by a single bird. Top Photo: Chris Tzaros/BirdLife Australia
“Now, for the next photo, everyone do your silly pose!”
The toe tapping is thought to be a way to draw the attention of insects away from the predator to the insect-like motion. Whatever it’s actually for, it’s clearly a gesture of excitement at seeing food, and it’s cute.