The call — the so-called quail beat — is a rhythmic, three-syllable and penetrating "pitt-pil-itt", often described in Swedish as the bird saying "knäpp-i-byxan" ("do up your trousers"). It is delivered frequently, preferably at dusk and during the night, and is heard at a great distance. Since the bird itself is so hard to see, the call is in practice the only way of establishing the species' presence.