What bird may this be?

[beningh]

Hi,
I'm new here. I live on a small island half way between Hawaii and Guam, Kwajalein. It's about 3 miles by 1/4 mile, flat land with breadfruit and coconut trees. 85f during the day and 75f during the night. For the last 2 weeks a couple of us waiting to go work have heard and seen a bird unknown to us. The birds here are plover(sp) ferry-tern, flench(sp), and the sea birds. I am not a bird person, so here goes. This bird is out when we get to the airport at 5:00 to 5:45 am (still dark). About 16" wing span. Stout body. Flys low and close to the buildings. When flying makes a sound like 1:(ghost),
2:(baby just before crying) 3:(baby crying) 4:(wind blowing across a large pipe) 5:(kids making baby sounds).. I thought an owl when I saw it fly. But one person said he saw a long beak. No color because it is too dark.
Thanks

[Monica]

A picture or a good description would help... First though was a seagull, however crows can imitate noises... however by your description of it's wingspan you are indicating that this bird may be half the size of a crow?

Another idea was the booby [bird], who have webbed feet, a long beak.... but are still rather large birds mostly found near the shore... on that note however I have found a video of something like wind blowing over something... however I can't tell if its the birds or the people...
YouTube - Birds in Love
However, these videos confirms that it comes from the birds....
YouTube - The Masked Booby, Lone Ranger of the Galapagos, Ecuador
YouTube - Blue-footed boobies courting
YouTube - fighting blue footed boobies
The only thing is, is that I haven't found any other noises that they may make that fit what you were describing...

There are the shore birds, such as wandering tattlers, and whimbrel who are long legged and long beaked birds, however have short/stout bodies... but again they are shore birds....


I don't really know about the wildlife in Kwajalein, and only was able to figure out some of the birds that live there by doing a small bit of searching on Google...

[Star]

I was thinking a mockingbird. I don't know how they fly though, but they DO copy noises. It could have been a escaped parrot/parakeet. I'm not sure though.

[Monica]

I need to think about what birds are local to Kwajalein. The bird is suspected to be about 16" wingspan (so pretty small, say possibly 4 inches wide at the body?). Stout body with probably a long beak. Flies low and close to building.

Makes the following sounds...
1:(ghost)
2:(baby just before crying)
3:(baby crying)
4:(wind blowing across a large pipe)
5:(kids making baby sounds)..

[beningh]

Ok, found a security lady doing her night rounds around the runway.
She heard a baby crying out near the runway, went out and found a bird in a covert(sp)(a drain pipe I think). Talked a little to the bird and got it to come up on her shoulder but would not let her pet it. Has a hook beak and some webing on the feet.
The security lights are yellow so could not tell what the color was.
Do wild birds do that?

[Monica]

Parrots don't have webbing on their feet... but a hooked beak? Do you know if only the very end is hooked, but is otherwise straight?

Like this for example?




Those are cormorants... there's also frigates?
YouTube - Greater frigate bird display



I don't kow if you have any cormorants, but my best guess right now would be a frigate...

As for wild birds not minding humans... either the birds just don't know any better or were never taught that humans were dangerous (or rather grew up in a community that has no predators) thus yes it may be possible for a wild bird to go up to a human. Some birds that may have been taught to stay away from humans can learn to depend on them too.