Doug’s Dime: Which Bird Is The Loudest?

A new study published in the journal Evolution looks at the loudest birds in the world, all of which live in Brazil. In 2019, one of the authors measured the white bellbird at 125 decibels, with a voice that sounds like a smoke detector bleating at the sonic intensity of a jackhammer. Enchanting. The new study collected amplitude data on 123 bird species in Brazil and found two other species that broke 120 decibels: the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema. The study contends that 120 decibels is probably the physical limit for birds. Barbara Moran, WBUR