Pish
A pish is an imitated
Pishing is used most effectively in the
Another study noted that only passerine are attracted by pishing. Apart from the mobbing call hypothesis, it has also been suggested that pishing may be treated as an invitation to join a "mixed-species foraging flock" and birds do not themselves vocalize or show aggressive behaviour. The same study noted that pishing did not work in the old-world tropics and suggested that it may be due to the lower densities of migrants.[4]
Pishing has also been found to work effectively in Southern Africa (imitating a call of the rattling cisticola). It also works effectively in Australia where, despite the absence of any members of the Paridae, a number of passerine species can be attracted. Some birders in Australia use a variant of pishing called "squeaking" (making a kissing sound through pursed lips or against the back of one's hand) to which white-eared honeyeaters, several species of whistlers and grey fantails show an initial response and in turn attract other species.
Because pishing or squeaking disrupts the natural behaviour of a bird, birding organisations consider it unethical to make excessive use of this method of attracting birds. Such organisations recommend that, once the bird has been viewed, the birder cease pishing and allow the bird to return to its natural behaviour.[5]
References
- JSTOR 4514533.
- ^ Bauer, H. G. (1989). "Spishing and white noise induce mobbing in Passerine birds: A field experiment". Die Vogelwarte. 35: 49–58.
- doi:10.2980/1195-6860(2006)13[485:WPWTPS]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- PMID 16592238.
- ^ Zimmerling, Ryan (Fall 2005). "Bringing in the Birds" (PDF). Birdwatch Canada. 3: 10–12.