Koala
Sounds & Calls
Despite their cute and cuddly appearance, Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) make one of the most unsettling sounds of the Australian bush! Male koalas produce unusually deep bellowing or grunting calls by using a special sound-producing organ not found in any other land mammal. According to koala researcher Benjamin Charlton “We have discovered that koalas possess an extra pair of vocal folds that are located outside the larynx, where the oral and nasal cavities connect. We also demonstrated that koalas use these additional vocal folds to produce their extremely low-pitched mating calls.”
Both male & female koalas can make types of bellowing calls, though it’s usually made by males looking to attract a mate. They also make a variety of other sounds including snarls, squeaks and screams.
In the third audio sample below you can hear an example of the ‘screaming call’ which is given when a koala feels agitated or threatened. Female koalas often make this call when they don’t appreciate the over-enthusiatic advances of a male in pursuit of them!
Listen to Koala Sounds
The following video contains a spectrogram visualization of the three different koala calls in the audio recordings published below.
Koala Deep Bellowing
SD584a This next audio recording is an example of the deep bellowing, grunting call of a male Koala. Recorded in Benarkin State Forest, Queensland. In the background of this recording you can hear the sound of a Squirrel Glider.
Koala Grunting Variation
SD584b A variation of the grunting call of a male, this one sounds like deep belching or burping! In the background you can hear Squirrel Glider and Common Brushtail Possum. Recorded in Benarkin State Forest, Queensland.
Koala Wailing & Screaming
SD585a A different call type – this is the wailing, screaming call, also called the distress call. Koalas often make this sound when bickering with another koala or disturbed or alarmed by another species. Recorded at Benarkin State Forest, Queensland.
This additional recording of a distant male Koala bellowing was made around 1am in the rainforest of Nightcap National Park, NSW.
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