Kangaroo
Sounds & Calls
Of the 50 or so species of macropod found in Australia, most are very quiet. However both the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) & Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) have been documented making a range of sounds. These two species are distributed widely across the continent and are abundant in many areas.
What does a kangaroo sound like? Male Eastern & Western Grey Kangaroos make loud ‘coughing’ growls or barking calls, often when fighting over females. You can hear some samples of these sounds below. Also, male Eastern Grey Kangaroos have been documented emitting soft clucking sounds when interacting with a female. Mothers make a similar sound when communicating with their joeys.
Perhaps the most commonly heard noise made by a kangaroo is the sound of it’s feet thumping the ground as it bounds away! Listen to an example of this in the third sample below.
Listen to Kangaroo Sounds
Eastern Grey Kangaroo – Coughing Growls
EGK01 This audio recording features the typical loud coughing call of a male Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Recorded in Capertee National Park, New South Wales.
Western Grey Kangaroo – Coughing Growls
WGK01 This is a series of similar calls from two male Western Grey Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) which were fighting. Recorded at Dryandra woodland, Western Australia.
Western Grey Kangaroo – Bouncing!
WGK02 The thumping sound and breathing of a Western Grey Kangaroo as it bounces past the microphones. Recorded in Wyperfeld National Park, Victoria.
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Other Night Sounds
Other species you might hear at night in the Australian bush:
Mammals
- Bandicoot, Long-nosed
- Devil, Tasmanian
- Flying Foxes
- Glider, Squirrel
- Glider, Sugar
- Glider, Yellow-bellied
- Kangaroo
- Koala
- Pademelons
- Possum, Common Brushtail
- Possum, Common Ringtail
- Possum, Short-eared Brushtail
- Wombat
Birds
