Listen to the Pauraque
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Pauraque
The Pauraque is a bird in the family Caprimulgidae (order Caprimulgiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 53 g.
What does the Pauraque sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as song, call and surf. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) – also called the common pauraque to distinguish it from similar species – is a nightjar species, one of two birds in the genus Nyctidromus. It breeds in the subtropical and tropical regions of the New World, and except for northernmost birds it is largely resident all year round.
More from the family Caprimulgidae
European nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus
Common poorwill
Phalaenoptilus nuttallii
Common nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Indian nightjar
Caprimulgus asiaticus
Jungle nightjar
Caprimulgus indicus
Savanna nightjar
Caprimulgus affinis
Jerdon's nightjar
Caprimulgus atripennis
Eastern whip-poor-will
Antrostomus vociferus
Fiery-necked nightjar
Caprimulgus pectoralis
Brown nightjar
Veles binotatus
Frequently asked questions
What does a Pauraque sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the Pauraque on this page, including its song, call and surf. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Pauraque endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Pauraque as “least concern”.
What family does the Pauraque belong to?
The Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) belongs to the family Caprimulgidae in the order Caprimulgiformes.
Sources & credits
- Song by RobertBenson – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Darién Province (Cana mine camp), Panama by Oliver Komar – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call · Zamora-Chinchipe: 'Cabañas Yankuam' 2 km S Las Orchideas… by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call, surf · Nosara, Costa Rica by Greg power – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Pichincha: Río Guaycuyacu, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Azuay: upper Yunguilla Valley, Ecuador by Niels Krabbe – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q1122212 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Pauraque – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Adam Jackson – CC0 1.0