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Common Gallinule Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Calls (American)
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Florida, January 25, 2016Recorded by Paul Marvin / Macaulay Library
Calls (American)
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Florida, August 13, 2017Recorded by Paul Marvin / Macaulay Library
Calls (American)
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Florida, January 20, 1971Recorded by William W. H. Gunn / Macaulay Library
Calls (American)
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Florida, April 05, 2000Recorded by David W. Stemple / Macaulay Library
Calls (American)
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Florida, May 01, 1984Recorded by Oliver H. Hewitt / Macaulay Library
Chick calls (American)
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Florida, July 01, 2016Recorded by Paul Marvin / Macaulay Library
Calls (Hawaiian)
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Hawaii, March 01, 1974Recorded by Robert Shallenberger / Macaulay Library
Chick calls (Hawaiian)
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Hawaii, March 01, 1974Recorded by Robert Shallenberger / Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Calls

Common Gallinules make all sorts of chickenlike clucks, whinnies, cackles, squawks, and yelps. They often call while hidden from view, leaving you wondering what lurks in the marsh. The rapid series of clucks sounds vaguely raptorlike, but the series often ends with what sounds like a laugh. Their squawks can be low-pitched and grating or high-pitched and piercing. They tend to mix and match calls, throwing in a squawk or cluck after a cackle or vice versa. They are more vocal during the breeding season from April–June.

Compare with Similar Species

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Purple Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

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Species in This Family

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots(Order: Gruiformes, Family: Rallidae)

Common Gallinule

Purple Gallinule

Gray-headed Swamphen

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