Name That Tune

The Glacier Bay Soundscape Project records natural sounds.

NPS

Test your skill at identifying common sounds heard in Glacier Bay National Park. Listen to each of the following sound clips that are presented below in random order, making notes about which sound matches the letter associated with each sound clip. Should you get stumped, read the hints that are written below each sound clip. After you're done, scroll down to the bottom of the page to compare your answers with the answer key.

Listed in no particular order, the sounds include:

Harbor Porpoise	Humpback Whale	Sea Otter
Varied Thrush	Pigeon Guillemot	Harbor Seal
Arctic Tern	Black Oystercatcher	Brown Bear

 

• Sound #1

  
  

  Up, exhale, inhale, down. Up, exhale, inhale down. I move through the bay with a lot of purpose.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  Six successive breaths heard at nearly regular intervals, usually spaced about 3 seconds apart. The breaths are heard in short bursts as if the breath's occur at the water's surface.

 

• Sound #2

  
  

  Someone got my name wrong--I eat mussels.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  An animal making high-pitched chirping noise in succesion. Sometimes it chirps in three successive high pitched "tweets," but mostly it makes repetitive, incessant chirping sounds.

 

• Sound #3

  
  

  A great singer of the seas sharing his song.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  An animal makes a noise similar to a loud trumpet or fog-horn. It trumpets twice, and then a loud breathy exhalation of air and water vapor is heard, followed by a smoother, quieter trumpet noise.

 

• Sound #4

  
  

  These elegant visitors gracefully wing their way from South to North and back every year.
  Audio Transcript

  An animal makes quick clicking noises, followed by a single chirp. More clicking, then a longer chirp or squeal, followed by more clicking calls.

 

• Sound #5

  
  

  John Muir once said that this creature eats "everything but granite." However, as it munches on some barnacles, it's coming awfully close.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  A crow is heard in the background while a crunching sound makes up the main recording. An animal is crunching on barnacles, and it sounds similar to a human with a mouthful of crunchy potato chips.

 

• Sound #6

  
  

  This critter is formal in black and white, but accessorizes with bright red feet--easily visible racing across the water before take off.
  Audio Transcript

  The sound of flapping wings, followed by a quick high-pitched chirp and a long, vibrating whistle that carries on for several seconds before repeating.

 

• Sound #7

  
  

  This plaintive cry does not make it sound like this creature has found a safe harbor.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  An animal makes repetitive cries, "ah" or "wah," almost a mix between a bark and a crying noise.

 

• Sound #8

  
  

  Eating crabs and urchins requires a lot of crunching and slurping, no matter where you're dining.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  Sounds of swishing and trickling water are heard as an animal crunches intermittently on hard food items, making loud crunching noises.

 

• Sound #9

  
  

  This song rarely varies and heralds the arrival of spring.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS

  Audio Transcript

  An animal makes several recurring whistling calls. The whistles are high pitched and vibrate, making a buzzing while it whistles.

 

Richard Nelson, with help from Hank Lentfer and other locals to Glacier Bay, helped record an incredibly diverse catalog of natural sounds.

Make your best guesses! Then, find the answers below...

 

Answer Key

Answers by Number
Sound #1 Harbor Porpoise
Sound #2 Black Oystercatcher
Sound #3 Humpback Whale
Sound #4 Arctic Tern
Sound #5 Brown Bear
Sound #6 Pigeon Guillemot
Sound #7 Harbor Seal
Sound #8 Sea Otter
Sound #9 Varied Thrush

Answer by Animal
Arctic Tern #4
Black Oystercatcher #2
Brown Bear #5
Harbor Porpoise #1
Harbor Seal #7
Humpback Whale #3
Pigeon Guillemot #6
Sea Otter #8
Varied Thrush #9