Study Measures Bird Calls, Naming Two Possible Loudness Champions
Researchers recorded and measured calls from 123 bird species in Massachusetts and Brazil using portable sound equipment and laser rangefinders. The bare-throated bellbird and red-legged seriema emerged as leading candidates for the loudest bird. The findings clarify how some birds generate intense calls, but the evolutionary reasons for extreme volume remain unresolved.
The project compared calls from 123 species around Amherst, Massachusetts, and Brazil. For 113 of them, no prior amplitude figures existed. Measurements ranged across 58 decibels: a hummingbird near 64 decibels, while bare-throated bellbirds and red-legged seriemas exceeded 120 peak decibels.
Fieldwork relied on handheld sound meters with fine resolution plus golf-style laser rangefinders to determine each bird’s distance. Earlier work by Podos in 2019 named the white bellbird as the loudest known bird, exceeding a chainsaw at close range, a result later recognized by Guinness World Records.
By expanding reliable field measurements, this work could give biologists a stronger baseline for comparing species and tracking how sound travels through different habitats. Conservation groups may use such data to refine acoustic surveys, while birdwatchers and educators could gain clearer context for extreme calls. Because the evolutionary purpose of extreme volume remains unresolved, the findings may mainly stimulate further research rather than immediate applications.