Virginia Rails, Clapper Rails, Soras, Moorhens, Bitterns and sometimes Coots like to perform this act, which I call a synchophony. This happens fairly frequently when something disturbs the peace of the marsh and several birds call in response at once. In this sample a Great Blue Heron circles over and calls, and first a Bittern or Rail, then two Soras, another Virginia and finally another Sora join in the "synchophony". I have recorded instances when a barking dog, an airplane, and other rails have set off the phenomenon. I'm not sure what purpose this [chorus] serves, but it occupies a significant amount of my thinking time. It's most probably a general alarm in the marsh - A Great Blue, a dog and an overhead airplane might all be considered risks if you're a rail - and note that the participants are generally Rail-family birds or birds with rail-y behavior, who are used to communicating primarily vocally (they can't see each other in the marsh).

About this sound

Identification
Ardea herodias (great blue heron)
Contributors
Douglas Von Gausig, Naturesongs.com
recordist copyright holder
Subjects

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To cite this page: , . 2004. "syncho1.wav" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed {%B %d, %Y} at https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/naturesongs/syncho1/

Last updated: 2004-00-12 / Generated: 2025-09-14 18:11

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