What is the name of the complex song performed by male humpback whales?

The complex vocal display performed by male humpback whales is called humpback whale song. It consists of repeated sound units arranged into phrases and larger themes.

Males usually sing in breeding areas, although singing has also been recorded during migration and feeding seasons. The songs can last for many minutes and may be repeated for hours. Males in the same ocean population tend to share a broad version of the song, which changes gradually over time.

Song is only one part of humpback communication. Humpbacks also produce social sounds, use body movements, and create loud surface behaviors such as breaching and tail slapping. Females and calves can vocalize too, but the elaborate, long-form songs are most strongly associated with males.

People sometimes use “whale song” for any cetacean sound. In scientific and popular usage, however, the canonical phrase points especially to the structured vocal displays of male humpback whales.