Two New Front-Runners for the World's Loudest Bird

UMass Amherst biologists may have found two contenders for the world's loudest bird, the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema. EurekAlert Recent reporting puts the bare-throated bellbird's call at around 131 decibels, a unit used to measure how loud a sound is. EarthSky

In the measurements, both species topped 120 peak decibels, the loudest instant caught on a recording. Phys.org Researchers recorded a 58-decibel range across bird calls. The bare-throated bellbird lives in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern South America. Nature The calls of both birds reach jackhammer-level loudness. Firstpost

Looking at what this means for specialists who work with sound data every day, the careful wording matters. The finding is described as contenders, not a final ranking. Peak numbers show what was captured under those measurement conditions. They do not by themselves settle how those peaks compare across different studies, species groups, or recording setups.

The broader context here involves range as much as peak volume. A 58-decibel span is wide variation to keep in view. For researchers, that variation shapes study design. It affects how many recordings are needed. It affects how very loud calls are read alongside quieter calls in the same dataset.

In my view, the habitat detail also matters for experts. A home in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern South America places these sounds in a specific field setting. That setting affects access. It affects where equipment can be placed. It affects how often extreme calls can be documented without disturbing the bird or harming the recording.

Looking at what this means for field practice, the jackhammer comparison has practical weight. Loudness is more than a number. It limits where equipment can go. It limits how close people can stand. Very loud calls demand careful calibration, or making sure gear measures correctly, attention to clipping, when sound overloads a recording, and consistency across the full recording chain if comparisons are to hold.