The main call of the cactus wren is a harsh and raspy series of "jar-jar-jar",[1] or "char", notes, which increase in volume and pitch as the song goes on. Each part of the call lasts around four seconds, with four to eight seconds between calls; calls can carry up to 300 metres (1,000 ft). Cornell ornithologists described it as sounding "like a car that just won't start".