Listen to the White-breasted waterhen
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the White-breasted waterhen
The White-breasted waterhen is a bird in the family Rallidae (order Gruiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 49 cm.
What does the White-breasted waterhen 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 white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family, Rallidae, that is widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls.
Related birds in the genus Amaurornis
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
Takahē
Porphyrio hochstetteri
American coot
Fulica americana
Weka
Gallirallus australis
Ruddy-breasted crake
Zapornia fusca
Frequently asked questions
What does a White-breasted waterhen sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the White-breasted waterhen 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 White-breasted waterhen endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the White-breasted waterhen as “least concern”.
What family does the White-breasted waterhen belong to?
The White-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) belongs to the family Rallidae in the order Gruiformes.
Sources & credits
- AmaurornisPhoenicurusCall by L. Shyamal – CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q862825 – CC0
- Wikipedia: White-breasted waterhen – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by J.M.Garg – CC BY-SA 3.0