Dawn Chorus in the Australian Outback

The soft sounds of wind and birdsong in the Australian outback.

It has been a cold night in the Red Centre. The bird species that call this rugged expanse home are slowly awakening from their sleep, waiting for the sunrise to bring some warmth. They seem reluctant to call, with only a handful making themselves heard occasionally. The outback here is a harsh environment and its extremes do not encourage thoughtless waste of energy.

The omnipresent sound of wind through vegetation is the only constant. Even when everything seems still, the slightest of breezes causes movement in the spinifex grass and mulga shrubs. As the landscape heats up, wind speed increases and the soft rustles become loud crashes in the undergrowth. Dry branches hitting each other make brittle sounds that accompany wind gusts.

It’s sunrise that marks a bit of a change and the beginning of the dawn chorus. Dawn chorus might be a bit generous of a term, but since birds are quiet outside of this ~1 hour period, it seems appropriate. Small flocks of finches move around a lot and call from everywhere, while larger songbirds pick a singing post and keep calling from there. It’s a lovely melody with motifs that never repeat exactly the same way.

I walk around and try to take it all in, but before I know it it’s gone. The heat is becoming oppressive again and I have to go back to camp for coffee and breakfast.