Duet for muezzin and swan.

May 19, 2018 2:32 PM

What kinds of birds might I hear on the Nile in Luxor late at night?

I'm doing a sound design for a piece, and I'm a stickler for local detail. Assume I'm floating down the Nile in the middle of the night in summertime, somewhere near Luxor. What kinds of birds am I liable to hear?

posted by mykescipark to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

Response by poster: (Also, kindly please don't just provide an Internet list of birds. I can find plenty of those. Anyone with actual local knowledge would be most helpful. Thanks!)
posted by mykescipark at 2:33 PM on May 19, 2018

This is a recording of a garden in Nkob Morocco. This recording was made at night and includes birds, insects, water, and the last prayer call. There's another one of the same location during the day. It's not Luxor, but it might give you someplace to start.

Most birds don't make much noise at night.
posted by irisclara at 5:02 PM on May 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

I recommend getting your hands on a copy of The Name of Things by Susan Brind Morrow about her travels through Egypt. She describes the nature beautifully and in detail, including its birds.
posted by Shebear at 10:01 PM on May 19, 2018

You could also do a search for e.g. "luxor birding tours" and associated trip reports. If you can track down people who have made trip reports, you can try emailing them for additional details - birders are usually quite happy to talk (a lot!) about trips they've taken and the birds they have seen and heard.
posted by rtha at 10:08 PM on May 19, 2018

Best answer: It’s been a few years but I’ve spent many nights on the Nile around Luxor and Aswan. I don’t remember much in the way of bird song (and I am a nature geek). The dominant noises were insects, the sound of water on the shore, boats going by (more common south of Luxor than north of Luxor due to tourist boats), nearby roads, and the braying of donkeys.
posted by scrute at 7:18 AM on May 20, 2018 [3 favorites]