A study of 123 bird species identifies two candidates for the loudest calls

A comparison of calls from 123 bird species identifies the bare-throated bellbird and red-legged seriema as new candidates for the loudest bird.

The findings use defined distances and measurements; they are neither a definitive record covering every bird nor an invitation to approach one to test its call.

Birdsong has a difficult measurement problem

João Menezes and Jeffrey Podos’s study appeared in Evolution on September 29 and was highlighted again by UMass Amherst on October 2. CNN independently reported the two candidates. The university describes recordings in Massachusetts and Brazil from late 2018 to early 2025. Comparing how loud calls are, rather than just their patterns, requires attention to conditions such as the distance between the bird and microphone.

What approximately 122 decibels refers to

The public abstract reports a highest measurement of about 122 decibels. The reference is one metre away, averaged over a 20-millisecond interval with frequency weighting reflecting human hearing sensitivity. It cannot simply be merged with an instantaneous peak or a reading from another distance. Decibels are not a proportional scale: twice the number does not mean twice the loudness. Omitting these conditions can make comparisons with other records or machinery misleading.

Body size and the width of an open beak

The study reports an association between higher maximum amplitude and larger bodies and wider beak gapes. That is a relationship found in comparative data. It does not mean body size precisely predicts every species’ voice, or that louder calls necessarily guarantee mating success. The contribution is an expanded basis for comparing a relatively poorly documented feature of birdsong under a shared framework.

The record and wider comparisons remain open

The 123 species are the sample, rather than every bird on Earth. The abstract itself describes the two species as candidates. This check uses the public abstract and university explanation, rather than direct access to the complete subscription article. Follow-up measurements of more species and the paper’s public supplementary material are the next routes to evidence. Recreating these calls or approaching birds for a loudness challenge is not the research’s purpose.

Primary source and independent checks

Primary source and official explanation: Evolution

Primary source and official explanation: UMass Amherst

Independent reporting check: CNN

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