I friend gave me a “Shepherd’s Flute / Whistle” that she bought in Peru. It appears to be made from a bamboo like material, has 6 somewhat evenly spaces holes on top and one, like a recorder…, underneath. The whistle is about as long as a D-Whistle but it has about an inch inside diameter. The non-fipple end is in a node of the material with a 1/4 inch hole. The fipple end is a straight cut with a 1/4 inch round notch on the top. Any idea what this may be and how one might play it? 
Could it be a queña? If so, just google for quena. There’ll be a lot of matches.
Plays like a flute, except you have to seal the top with your lower lip and chin instead of a fipple plug… NA flutes are a vast improvement, comfortwise 
You might find a match for it at www.eriktheflutemaker.com. He has bamboo flute designs from all over the world.
The quena is a terrific instrument. Although an N/A flute is easier and more comfortable, the fact that you use your own lips as the “windway” for a quena gives you a large amount of control over the sound. A bit of practice on that embouchure will be well worth your time.
You can ignore the thumb hole if you like and just finger it like a whistle. If this were in D like a whistle, opening the thumb hole gives the second octave D, but you can simply overblow the Quena with all fingers down to get that note, just like a whistle. I made a nice PVC Quena and never use the thumb hole at all.
The Quena: a shakuhachi for the masses! 
If you want to hear a great group who use this (& other whistles from the area) check out the group “Yarina” from Chile.
Their web site is www.yarinamusic.com
Heard them in Boston a few weeks ago & purhcased one of their cd’s.
Whistle sound is a big part of their music!
Wow! That group is super cool! I’ve got to get some of that!
Anyone know the approximate size and keys of quenas? I’ve got an itch to make one now, and plenty of bamboo and cane to do it with…
The traditional quena is almost always in G; sometimes you see one in F. The length is like the length of a low G whistle. One of the nive things about quena is that it usually has a wide bore, which allows it a rich tone.
These days you see sometimes instruments called quenacho, in low D, and quenita, in high d.
Mike Hoza makes beautiful quenas in hardwood
http://www.woodenflutemaker.com
but the traditional instrument is made of bamboo. I think Mark Shepard has plans for a PVC quena in his site (google for it).
I love the music of the Andean countries. Quenas, charangos y zamponas oh my!
g
So do I (even if I prefer trying it on the whistle). Though… well… I’ll skip El Condor Pasa for its overabuse 
Btw, did you notice that the classic Alba whistles are basically fippled Quenas, and this could explain a lot of their peculiar sound?
They vary. I made one from PVC which is about the size of a low G whistle. Check here for instructions: http://www.fippless.org/Quena/
Note well the warnings about sanding PVC WET to keep dust down. If you breathe it in, it will remain in your lungs forever.
Thank you. I’m considering converting a pvc flute in G I made back around christmas. Smashy smashy…
The quena also is capable of three octaves which you will never get with a NA flute. It’s a very expressive instrument if you get a good one.
Me, I prefer quenachos. Quenas are very loud instruments and the softer, lower sound of the quenacho fits me better. Harder to find but worth it.
Our group, Kusi Taki, is working on our second CD right now and a friend is working on a new website that will hopefully have some sound clips.
If you want a really cool Andean instrument then pick up a set of toyos. Just play like a true Andino and split up the set and alternate notes with a friend. Otherwise you will most likely pass out due to oxygen debt.
Mark V.
I have several quenas and quenachos and play them on a daily basis.
They are amazing instruments and provide an interesting alternative to the Irish flute which gets equal time.
Fingernail polish remover or Acetone will take the lettering off of PVC and avoid the sanding alltogether.
BTW - A quena by it’s design will allow a lot more pitch bending than a whistle will.