Pileated Gibbon Sounds & Calls

Pileated Gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) [also known as Crowned Gibbon or Capped Gibbon] have a relatively small range and are found in parts of Cambodia, Laos and eastern Thailand. They are similar in size to the White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar) but are noticeably different in appearance. Both sexes have distinctive shaggy tufts on the sides of their heads and females have striking white/grey fur with a dark black face and underparts.

One of the diagnostic vocalisations of this species is a complex series of low-high bi-phasic notes often given by males which ends with a brief phrase of lower-pitched bubbly notes. The female great call is also unique – a series of sweeping notes which rise, accelerate, then decelerate, rise again, and taper off. When duetting with the female great call, males contribute a rapid series of notes similar to the great call of female Mueller’s Bornean Gibbon (Hylobates muelleri) and frequently add one of the aforementioned bi-phasic series to complete the duet.

For more general information on gibbon song visit the White-handed Gibbon Sounds page.

Listen to Pileated Gibbon Song and Calls

The video below fetaures a male Pileated Gibbon singing in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. This cut includes several examples of the distinctive low-high bi-phasic series with bubbly trailing notes.