Sounds

Development

Young call in egg 2 d before hatch (JAR). Call while running to avoid capture and sometimes when captured (Sordahl 1982). Calling chicks rapidly repeat chip-chip-chip . Calls at night in absence of predators probably function for parental location or to encourage brooding (Sordahl 1982). Large juveniles on breeding grounds call with multiple peep-peep-peep in contrast to sharper Alarm Call of adults (below).

Vocal Array

Sonograms in Sordahl 1986; also Figure 3 .

Alarm Calls. Dive-bombing and diversionary antipredator displays during breeding are accompanied by a range of vocalizations (see Behavior: predation, below). During Wing-flagging Display (see Behavior: predation, below), calls resemble a warble. Yap Call is a continuous “yapping,” yap yap yip yap, while displaying to aerial or ground predators (Fig. 3A; also called whuck, cleek, put [Bent 1927], pep [Palmer 1967], kwa [Perry 1941], kek, kek, kek, kek [Paulson 1993], kee-kee-kee [Hawaiian Stilt, Coleman 1981], kip-kip-kip [Hawaiian Stilt, Pratt 1987] see also sonograms Fig. 5–3, i, k in Sordahl 1986). Sometimes Yap Call grouped into 2–3 syllable sounds, as k-ewick or kick-a-rick (Palmer 1967). Distinct calls cannot be clearly attached to single antipredator behavior categories; instead, there is a graded transition between calls at different display intensities (as for other recurvirostrids; Wollemann and Olaszy 1977). Rasp Call (Fig. 3B, as named in Borror Laboratory records) is less shrill and longer in duration of each unit, resembles other calls recorded in antipredator contexts (Sordahl 1986, Fig 5–3, j).

During nonbreeding season, groups of Hawaiian Stilts make a gull-like Kwirk Call, kwirk-kwirk-kwirk (Coleman 1981).

Flight Calls. Calls resembling Yap and Rasp calls probably also used in flight or other contexts. Degree of differentiation in such calls unstudied.

Contact Calls. Similar to but quieter than other calls; heard in interactions among flocks or from parents calling young.

Phenology

All adult calls heard during both breeding and nonbreeding season, including Alarm Calls. Alarm Call much less common in winter relative to breeding season and even Contact Calls less common during migration and winter.

Daily Pattern Of Vocalizing

None detected. Continued giving of Yap Call throughout night is notable in breeding areas (JAR and LWO).

Places Of Vocalizing

Gives Alarm Calls from ground or in flight, depending on predator type or nearness to nest (see above). Gives Flight Calls in flight or before or after flock movements, Contact Calls in flight or at rest.

Social Context And Presumed Functions Of Vocalizations

See above.

None known.