Sounds and Vocal Behavior

The White-whiskered Puffbird is not particularly vocal. The most frequently heard call has been described as "a high, thin, slightly reedy, drawn-out tsssiiiw or tssssiiir, fading away" (Howell and Webb 1995) or as "a simple, sibilant 'pseeeu', sometimes repeated at intervals" (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001). The song, infrequently given, is "a high-pitched descending trill ... usually with an emphasized note at the end, e.g., 'tssiirrrrr-tsít' " (Ridgely and Greenfield 2001). Other sounds reported include weak but variable peep's, often given when the nest is threatened (Skutch 1980). Skutch (1948) reports a side-swiping tail twitch that accompanied "a long-drawn, thin, sharp, high-pitched tzeeee tzeeee": "As he voiced these notes, he twitched his tail far to one side, then far to the other, holding it motionless for a few moments at the extremity of each beat."

Loud clack upon bird closing bill on captured prey (Skutch 1948).