Researchers have identified two new bird species whose calls can exceed 120 decibels, placing them in the same league as the white bellbird, which set the record in 2019. The bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema both produce sounds louder than a jackhammer, according to a study published in Evolution. The authors caution that it is hard to declare a single loudest bird because of differences in measurement and individual variation, but the three species stand apart from the fourth-loudest, the screaming piha, which reaches about 116 decibels.
To get these measurements, the team used laser rangefinders to determine the distance between recorder and bird, then corrected the amplitude readings. This allowed them to capture vocal amplitude for 123 species, from quiet hummingbirds to the loudest belters. The researchers expected the loudest birds to have larger bodies and wider beaks, which was true, but they found no consistent link between extreme loudness and habitat or mating behavior. The two bellbirds live in dense forest and are polygamous, while the seriema lives in open pastures and forms long-term pair bonds.
Study co-author João Menezes said the findings suggest there may be a ceiling around 120 to 125 decibels for terrestrial animals, and while other birds may join this category, finding a much louder bird would be unexpected.