16 
The Queensland Naturalist 
October, 1931. 
This means a deal of night travelling for these birds, and 
the peculiar wailing honk of the former and the whistle 
of the wings of the latter, may often be heard, as they 
pass overhead on dark nights. 
Grebes and Coots move about mostly at night, and 
their distinctive call may be heard as they fly over, especi- 
ally on warm spring nights. Another bird that loves to 
travel about on moonlight nights, and who does it appar- 
ently just for the joy of travelling about, is the Spur- 
winged Plover. Mentioning the Plover, reminds one that 
a cousin of his, the Golden Plover, and several similar 
waders, have wonderful records of night travelling to their 
credit, for each year they travel across the globe, from 
North to South, and back again, in their great migrating 
flight, in some cases from here to Siberia, and some to the 
countries nearer on the same route. Nearly all this great 
journey is performed at night, the flocks resting by day 
whenever land is within reach. 
Migration is also responsible for the night flying of 
other birds than these, notably the Cuckoos. Tjie Koel, both 
male and female, though different in colour and size, 
are most regular visitors from the North each spring, re- 
turning in the Autumn. Though they are very evident 
in October, due to the persistent call “Tu-wong” of the 
male, and the answering “Ki, Ki, Ki,” of the female, we 
do not hear them on the return as they are invariably 
silent. The great Channel-bill, their near relation, is a 
night-flyer when travelling North or South, and its stri- 
dent call a loud braying note, once heard is never for- 
gotten. Other Cuckoos are often heard on summer nights, 
but I have no record of them travelling at that time, and 
think he just calls from his perch in the same spirit as the 
Willie Wagtail, who is often heard from his tree on warm 
moonlight nights. 
It is not generally known that the Kingfisher, either 
the sacred or the forest, delights to soar in the heavens at 
great heights on warm dark nights, and his staccato little 
teeK teek. teek." heard at regular intervals, and com- 
pared with the distance he has apparently moved in the 
meantime, prompts one to conclude that he must be at a 
great height at the time. 
Of the long list of birds that are grouped under the 
order, Passeriformes, the largest group in the Avian list 
I have no record of as night flyers, and very much doubt 
if any of them move about at night. However. I would 
be very glad to hear from any reader of this article any 
further names that should be added to this list, and of any 
records that may be known that would be useful in further 
study of this Interesting by-path in bird observance. 
