Listen to the Wedge-tailed shearwater
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Wedge-tailed shearwater
The Wedge-tailed shearwater is a bird in the family Procellariidae (order Procellariiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 465 g.
What does the Wedge-tailed shearwater 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.
From Wikipedia
The wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) (Uau Kani or Koto in Hawaiian) is a medium-large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It is one of the shearwater species that is sometimes referred to as a muttonbird, like the sooty shearwater of New Zealand and the short-tailed shearwater of Australia. It is found throughout the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, roughly between latitudes 35°N and 35°S. It breeds on the islands off Japan, on the Islas Revillagigedo, the Hawaiian Islands, the Seychelles, the Northern Mariana Islands, and off Eastern and Western Australia.
Its Hawaiian name "Uau Kani" reflects the sound of their bird call. Native Hawaiians had sometimes named birds after the nature of their melody.
More from the family Procellariidae
Frequently asked questions
What does a Wedge-tailed shearwater sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Wedge-tailed shearwater on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Wedge-tailed shearwater endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Wedge-tailed shearwater as “least concern”.
What family does the Wedge-tailed shearwater belong to?
The Wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) belongs to the family Procellariidae in the order Procellariiformes.
Sources & credits
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater07 audio by Aviceda – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q27074601 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Wedge-tailed shearwater – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Duncan Wright – Public domain