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Examples of orangutan vocalizations and sounds can be heard by clicking on the link under the description. For more information and sonograms see: M.E. Hardus, A.R. Lameira, I. Singleton, H. Morrogh-Bernard, C.D. Knott, M. Ancrenaz, S.S. Utami-Atmoko, S.A. Wich (in press). A Description of the Orangutan Vocal and Sound Repertoire: with a focus on geographical variation. In Orangutans: Ecology, Evolution, Behaviour and Conservation. edited by S.A. Wich, S.S. Suci-Atmoko, T.Mitra Setia, C.P.van Schaik. Oxford University Press.
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Exclusively heard in connection with the relaxed open-mouth facial expression which is characterised by the rather widely opened mouth whose corners may be withdrawn. Teeth may remain visible but are often covered by the lips, which may even be pulled inwards over the teeth. In any case the gums remain covered by the lips. This expression is nearly always accompanied by short rhythmic ‘Ahh’ vocalisations. It seems possible that this ‘Ahh’ vocalisation is also a restrained form of the squeak vocalisation. (Rijksen, 1978). Ahh vocalisations give also a more rasping impression than the squeak vocalisation. The breathing nature is difficult to determine. During intense play with other individuals, unflanged males, females with immatures and young animals emit this uncommon call. |
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Uncommon threatening sound directed during intimidation display, by flanged and unflanged males only heard from subordinate individuals involved in a fight. A short inhalatory gasp is followed by an explosive exhalatory grunt (MacKinnon, 1974). Ahoor calls in particular circumstances, e.g. frequently in fights, can be emitted between a grumph and a rolling call, singly or in bouts. A long ahoor call resembles a lork pulsa or the final pulsa of a long call. |
| This vocalisation consists of one or several very loud, high-pitched, drawn-out hoarse screams, each of which may end with a choking sound. Distinctive of this vocalisation is a wide-open mouth with the teeth and gums exposed. This facial-vocal display was given by animals who were attacked and bitten; in such cases the vocalisations last at least as long as the contact. In a less intensive form, the bared-teeth scream was observed during ‘rapes’. On such occasions the female might show this element in connection with ‘ducking’, ‘struggle’ and ‘flight’. (Rijksen, 1978). |
| MacKinnon (1974) describes the bark as a single sharp exhalation, only rarely heard from adult males that had heard but not seen the observer, possibly as a threat or as a warning to other animals nearby. Also reported by Rijksen (1978) as a short, loud cough-like vocalisation, made with an open mouth, again rarely heard and only by suddenly startled rehabilitant orangutans. This call is regularly emitted in fight situations by flanged and unflanged males and is an exhalatory call, which resembles a cough. It can be given before a kiss squeak, a grumph, a gorkum or singly. |
| Bubbling sound emitted by flanged males and sporadically by unflanged males during pre-combat situations. Probably produced by the tongue in a partly closed mouth while making chewing movements with the jaws (Rijksen, 1978). This vocalisation is built up in three or two parts that will often rise in pitch. Chomps are often accompanied by nestsmacks (after or associated with breaking branches), kind of chewing sounds, grumblings and frequently followed by kiss squeaks. |
| Long string of rolling guttural noises, usually combining the bark and the ahoor call. May be given in vigorous intimidation display. (MacKinnon, 1974). This guttural call is given by males and females, which is also combined with kiss squeaks. Similarly with the gorkums, the complex calls are bouts of grumphs alternated by rolling calls. The difference resides in the fact that the grumphs and rolling calls gradually change shape during the complex call. Most often rolling calls turn into long continuous strings and proportionally rise in pitch and the grumphs tend to become less audible or even absent. Bouts of gorkums and rolling calls, where they may not alternate with each other or their order may be unclear, are also named complex calls. A vocalisation might start as a gorkum and can transform into a complex call. A transformation can been seen between the vocalisations grumph, rolling call, gorkum, and complex call, where it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction. |
| A very soft sound, the production of which is not marked by any particular facial expression, takes form of short repetitive expulsions of air through the nose. It seems to be a restrained ‘squeak’ vocalisation. The contact uff can only be heard at very close range. (Rijksen, 1978). Rijksen (1978) only noticed it in rehabilitant orangutans, when an individual performed ‘touch and smell’ behaviour in which it brought its nose close to the face of its partner. |
| Uttered by young dependent individuals who are frightened or pained and separated from their mother, and by females being attacked by males (MacKinnon, 1974). The screams were interspersed with cramped choking as air was inhaled (MacKinnon, 1974). Crying and screaming are more intense (loudness) and higher in pitch than soft hoot/whimper. The accompanying facial expression of the screams consists of a widely opened mouth; the teeth are hardly or not exposed and the lips may be slightly protruded as if in a widened pout-expression (Rijksen, 1978). |
| This uncommon call is a sequence of melodic ahoor-like pulsa. These pulsa may alternate and/or finish, similarly as the long call, with short bubbling sounds. Emitted by highly disturbed flanged males towards observers and mainly given when the flanged males are on the ground or below 5 meters high. The loudness of this vocalisation makes it detectable at close and middle range unlike the long range long call. |
| Single sharp squeaks made by frightened youngsters (MacKinnon, 1974). Only heard in copulation context. This vocalisation consists of a low frequency tonal unit with a distinct simultaneous noisy component at higher frequencies. |
| It is similar to fear screams [soft hoot/whimper] but the long wails were punctuated by short staccato gaps and lacked the choking intakes of air (MacKinnon 1974). The frustration scream resembles a gasping chicken sound. This vocalisation is made in feeding situations by infants begging for food or prior to suckling. In the scale of anxiety and agitation of the infants this scream seems to lay in between soft hoot/whimper and crying/screaming. |
| Gorkums are bouts of grumphs alternated by rolling calls, where the throat pouch plays an important role and is swollen during emission. It is not clear whether grumphs and/or rolling calls have exhalatory or inhalatory nature. Grumphs, gorkums and lorks are components of a rising sequence in duration and intensity (loudness), although lots of transition phases are possible. Mostly given after a kiss squeak, but also occasionally single. Regularly emitted by adolescence and adult individuals of both sexes as a sign of disturbance and annoyance, and during intimidation display (MacKinnon, 1974). It can be made towards predators, dangerous animals to intimidate or scare them away, or towards observers. Also heard in fighting situations made by the non-dominant (unflanged) male and from a female during and after copulation. A transformation can been seen between the vocalisations grumph, rolling call, gorkum, and complex call, where it is sometimes difficult to make a clear distinction. |
| This sound consist of loud grinding of the teeth, only heard from rehabilitant orangutans. While grinding its teeth, the individual’s eyes were usually wide open and it repeatedly urinated and defecated, behaviours which seemed indicative of strong fear. Grinding occurred when after its quarantine, a newly arrived rehabilitant was introduced to other rehabilitants within the confinement of the quarantine cage. In these circumstances grinding also occurred in escape attempts and retreating. Schultz (1969) has described ‘teeth grinding’ in orangutans. (Rijksen, 1978). |
| Mostly given by flanged males, but also heard from unflanged males and adult females. This vocalisation resembles a starting engine and can only be heard from nearby. Grumbles are atonal quickly repeating sounds, often not interrupted by inhalation pauses (Ross, 2003). Most commonly given at the beginning of a long call, but can also occur as a separate vocalisation in the following situations: towards observers as a sign of disturbance and annoyance; during copulation made by a non-dominant flanged male as a sign of excitement (Van Schaik, 2004) and during a confrontation between flanged and unflanged males. It is possible to see in the spectrogram where a grumble starts due to its exhalatory nature and to the presence of clear silent inhalation gaps between each grumble (e.g. grumbles following a long call), nevertheless there are grumbles that are ambiguous to measure since they are continuous along several tens of seconds (e.g. copulation grumbles). Copulation grumbles are softer than other grumbles. |
| This inhalatory belch-like vocalisation, that last up to one or two seconds, can rise up to gorkums or grumbles. Mostly given after a kiss squeak, but also singly. Made by adolescence and adult individuals of both sexes as a sign of disturbance and annoyance. It can be made towards predators or dangerous animals to intimidate or scare them away, or towards observers. Also heard in fighting situations made by the non-dominant (unflanged) male and from a female during and after copulation. |
| An uncommon soft, low rasping vocalisation. Heard from unflanged males playing and from a nulliparous female while playing with an immature, although it can also be emitted in de same contexts as throatscrapes. Also noted when an unflanged male wanted to copulate with an independent female. Possibly it is given while having contact. The grunt is not emitted in a sequence. |
| Common and given by both sexes and by all individuals. A sharp intake of air through pursed trumpet-lips causes a sharp kiss sound (MacKinnon, 1974). Several types of kiss squeaks occur in addition to the kiss squeak with mouth only (classic): with hand, finger(s), wrist, leaves, branch, on tree trunk, etc. Often made by unhabituated animals towards observers or when observers are too close to a habituated animal. Kiss squeaks towards other orangutans can be made mainly by the dominant although also by the non-dominant individual when they are together and towards predators or other dangerous animals to intimidate or scare them away. Infants have been observed practicing kiss squeaks. Acoustically these softer kiss squeaks are similar, but when involving hand, wrist or leaves the sequence of the motor acts can be uncoordinated. While other vocalisations are emitted, often kiss squeaks are also given with ahoor call, bark, chomp, complex call, (fast) long call, gorkum, grumph and rolling call. |
| Most frequently emitted by flanged males, but can also be made by unflanged males. Long calls can be spontaneous (to attract females or discourage other males to come in the area), or as response to other long calls, as response to a falling tree or other forms of disturbance, and towards observers. Long calls consist of three parts: grumbles (the introduction), pulses (the climax) and bubbles (the tail-off). A long call always contains pulses, but not necessarily grumbles and/or bubbles. Long calls are audible up to approximately 1500m. |
| A rare vocalisation that has so far only been described to be given by females and unflanged males (MacKinnon 1974, Rijksen 1978). Observed to be given towards other orangutans and predators. Rijksen (1978) describes lork series as unflanged male intimidation calls (only heard from rehabilitant males) and adult female advertisement call. MacKinnon (1974) states that lorks are series of call units similar to those of the long call tail-off, but that rise in pitch. MacKinnon (1974) also mentions that apparently they are inhalatory, but they seem to be exhalatory. This vocalisation resembles the long call, although the pulsa are much more noisy. Lork series could be heard from a distance of several hundreds of meters. Single lork units can also be heard after gorkums as the climax of the rising sequence grumphs- gorkums- lork and as a sign of disturbance and annoyance and these are indeed inhalatory. |
| The mating squeal is an exhalatory, high toned squeaky vocalisation, which is emitted by females during copulation context. MacKinnon (1974) found them essentially the same as fear-screams but the cries were rhythmical and continued for several minutes. They are distinct from the bared-teeth scream because of their lower intensity and the different accompanying facial expression. Some females habitually cried whereas other were never heard to do so. (Rijksen, 1978). |
| A soft smack sound, resembling a feeding smack, that can be given by immatures and adults most often when making an evening nest. The sound is probably made during the breaking of twigs to improve the nest with and that are sometimes wiped through the mouth before being put down on the nest. Supposedly produced by the tongue against the palate while having a partly closed mouth. Nestsmacks have also been heard during solitaire play with a twig or branch. Nestsmacks are given in two variants, one low, the other higher of frequency. In a spectrogram the latter is usually seen as a vertical line and the former as a low big spot. |
| MacKinnon (1974) described the play ooh as huffy panting noises given by young animals, although it is a true vocalisation. MacKinnon (1974) noted the play oohs when young individuals played intensely with other animals, though in Tuanan it was only heard when playing solitary. The mouth is slightly protruded while this exhalatory vocalisation is emitted. Multiple and often more than three are emitted. The ooh vocalisations follow each other with an interval of approximately 1/10 of a second. |
| A faint exhalatory spluttering sound that can be given by immatures and adults when making an evening nest. The sound is probably made during the breaking of twigs to improve the nest with and that are sometimes wiped through the mouth before being put down on the nest. Raspberries occur in the same context as nestsmacks. MacKinnon (1974) refers raspberries only as calls occasionally made by juvenile animals in the same context as kiss squeaks. |
| A loud exhalatory roaring vocalisation. The roar has only been documented once and it was emitted by a subordinate female with immature during fight with another female with immature. The subordinate female made this vocalisation before and more intensively while there was contact. During the roar the immatures were not cling. |
| This common vocalisation consist of several low frequency units which resemble the ones of grumbles. Emitted by males and females during intimidation display. Can be given alone, after or during a kiss squeak and most often as a component of gorkums alternating with grumphs. In fight situations, flanged males can produce short rolling guttural noises that resemble rolling calls, although these are just deep breaths in and out. |
| This exhalatory nagging sound is made with the lips extended into a pout and emitted by infants. The soft hoots can be drawn out into whimpers. These sounds are most frequently uttered by frightened young dependent individuals. Can be made while the infants are separated from the mother and/or in another stressful situation and in feeding context (when begging). |
| This very short rasping vocalization is emitted in bouts separated by gaps less than 1 second. It is high toned and it may vary between a rather melodic and noisy vocalization. This is given in three contexts. First, begging for food from the mother; second, during new contact with familiar orangutans before play; third, during approach of a flanged male. |
| A soft scraping sound by adult females often made twice or three times in a row interspaced by 10 ms. The context of this vocalization suggests that it functions to maintain or decrease the distance between mother and offspring. |
| This vocalization is similar to soft hoot & whimper in its nagging tone and its drawn out whimpers. However, it is emitted in a lower frequency and it can be interspersed with chokings of air. This vocalization is given by an adolescent female before and during non-cooperative copulations with a flanged male. |
