Contact call

Contact calls are seemingly haphazard sounds made by many social animals (such as a chicken's cluck).

Birds use contact calls in flight to establish location and to keep aware of each other's presence while flying and feeding.

The Black-capped Chickadee warns its kind of the level of threat an approaching predator is by the number of "de"s heard.

When there is a threatening enemy in the air, such as a hawk or eagle, the Florida Scrub-Jay warns other jays to seek cover by using a thin, shrill-like call.

In contrast, an approaching predatory feline provokes a low-pitched "scolding" sound, and calls on fellow jays for help in scaring the intruder away.

The screaming develops in pet parrots, as well as wild flock, when the animal feels like its needs are not being met because the contact call is not being understood.

"[9] Pygmy marmosets have developed a vocal system in which two acoustically different contact calls have been established.