Listen to the Weka
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Weka
The Weka is a bird in the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “vulnerable”.
What does the Weka sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as buff-weka-song. 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 weka, also known as the Māori hen or woodhen (Gallirallus australis) is a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand. Some authorities consider it as the only extant member of the genus Gallirallus. Four subspecies are recognized but only two (northern/southern) are supported by genetic evidence.
The weka are sturdy brown birds about the size of a chicken. As omnivores, they feed mainly on invertebrates and fruit. Weka usually lay eggs between August and January; both sexes help to incubate.
More from the family Rallidae
Eurasian coot
Fulica atra
Common moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Corn crake
Crex crex
Water rail
Rallus aquaticus
Spotted crake
Porzana porzana
Baillon's crake
Zapornia pusilla
Western swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
White-breasted waterhen
Amaurornis phoenicurus
Takahē
Porphyrio hochstetteri
American coot
Fulica americana
Ruddy-breasted crake
Zapornia fusca
Red-knobbed coot
Fulica cristata
Frequently asked questions
What does a Weka sound like?
You can hear 2 recordings of the Weka on this page, including its buff-weka-song. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the Weka endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Weka as “vulnerable”.
What family does the Weka belong to?
The Weka (Gallirallus australis) belongs to the family Rallidae in the order Gruiformes.
Sources & credits
- Buff-weka-song – CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Gallirallus australis (New Zealand Weka) evening vocalisation on Heaphy Track, New Zealand by Michal Klajban – CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q756714 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Weka – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Gallirallus_australis_1.jpg : Alan Vernon derivative work: Berichard ( talk ) – CC BY 2.0