The Haunting Song of Gibbons
Jun 23rd, 2008 by andrew skeoch
Gibbons are quite common in Thailand’s tropical forests, and their haunting calls can be heard most mornings.
During our recent 2 months in Thailand, we recorded them on several occasions, their wild songs echoing through the jungle.
Now home from our travels, we are back in the studio, auditioning what we recorded and preparing new albums – and of course we’re planning one featuring those unforgettable gibbon calls. We hope to have it available in coming months, but in the meantime, here’s a little taste of what we heard: White-handed Gibbon song
Hearing them is one thing, but getting close, or even a clear view, is something else again. During our time in Thailand, we only rarely saw them clearly, but those few times were wonderful!
The images below show the diversity of colouring that these animals have. Gibbons have extremely flexible shoulders and hips – try hanging around like this and seeing how *your* joints feel! Agile and quick, they move through the treetops acrobatically, never pausing for long.
They also seem quite cautious of humans. All of which made getting any clear photos of them among the dense foliage difficult.
So these last images were sheer good fortune. Over previous days, we had seen a small troupe foraging along our ridgetop. So this particular morning, when we saw them moving in the same direction again, I raced ahead of their path and waited quietly in hopes they would pass close by. From the crashing of branches, I knew they were approaching, but thought they would likely pass overhead too quickly, or see me and take fright. However this individual swung onto a branch and sat, pausing in full view for a meditative moment. And for once it watched me patiently rather than swinging off at breakneck pace.
Established in 1993 by nature sound recordist Andrew Skeoch and photographer Sarah Koschak, Listening Earth offers a range of beautiful nature sound recordings from around the world.
"Our albums feature only the sounds of nature as you would hear in the wild - no music or other distractions. Recorded in often remote and pristine locations, they bring you the relaxing and beautiful sounds of our living planet. Listen, and let our recordings take you there."
Hi Andrew & Sarah
Nice photos of the Gibbons. May I ask where you got these? You mentioned you were on a ridge… Was this at Kaoh Keow?
Hi Graeme,
We should have mentioned the name of the NP in the blog! Kaeng Krachan National Park in Petchaburi province is the place where these photos were taken. We also saw them at Khao Yai National Park as well, but not as close.
All the best,
Sarah