A UMass Amherst study published Sept. 29 in Evolution reports that the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema each produced calls exceeding 120 dB, placing them among the world’s loudest birds. Researchers measured peak amplitudes from 123 species (about 64–122 dB) and used laser rangefinders to correct for recording distance. Larger body size and a wider beak gape correlated with louder calls, while habitat and mating system showed no consistent effect.
Two New Contenders Join the Race for World’s Loudest Bird
File Photo. Image Credit: Francesco Veronesi from Italy, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Two species have entered an unusually loud contest for the title of the world’s loudest bird. A new University of Massachusetts Amherst study published in the journal Evolution reports that the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema were each recorded producing calls that exceed 120 decibels — putting them alongside the famously loud white bellbird.
What the Study Did
Researchers João C.T. Menezes and Jeffrey Podos collected acoustic data from 123 bird species, with measured peak call amplitudes ranging from roughly 64 dB in a hummingbird species up to about 122 dB in a cotinga. The paper, released Sept. 29, is one of the broadest efforts yet to compare maximum vocal amplitudes across birds.
How Measurements Were Taken
Measuring wild bird loudness requires more than just hitting "record." The team used laser rangefinders to determine the exact distance between calling birds and the recording equipment so they could correct amplitude for distance. As Podos explained, "The laser rangefinders help us determine the distance between the recorder and the bird, which is important in our report as it allows us to correct our recordings of amplitude for distance." Accurate distance measurements let researchers compare calls recorded in different places and conditions fairly, because sound attenuates as it travels.
Why Some Birds Are Louder
The study found that larger species and birds that can open their beaks wider tend to achieve louder maximum calls. By contrast, factors such as habitat type, how much time a species spends flying, and mating system did not show consistent relationships with maximum loudness. That result surprised the authors, since the loudest measured species occupy very different ecological niches: the bellbirds are forest-dwelling courtship callers, while the red-legged seriema favors open habitats and forms long-term pairs.
What It Means
Because individual variation and different measurement conditions affect results, the authors caution against crowning a single undisputed "loudest" species. Instead, the title effectively remains shared among a few top contenders. The researchers also note that additional species capable of surpassing 120 dB may still await measurement.
Bottom line: Rigorous field methods confirm that multiple bird species can reach extremely high call amplitudes, and anatomy (size and beak gape) helps explain some—but not all—of the variation.
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