Bare-throated bellbird, calling (photo from Wikimedia)

14 October 2026

Which birds are the loudest on Earth?

For many years the white bellbird (Procnias albus) of South America held that title as the only bird louder than 120 decibels. At close range his voice is beyond the human pain threshold (110 decibels) and is as loud as jackhammers and chainsaws. Take off your headphones! and see what you think.

Last month two other South American birds joined the white bellbird in the Loudest category. A new study in the journal Evolution measured audio amplitude(*) and found that the bare-throated bellbird (Procnias nudicollis) and red-legged seriema (Cariama cristata) both exceed 120 decibels as well.

To put this in context their calls are louder than live rock music which, at 108-114 decibels, is at the average human pain threshold.

Here’s the loud one-note call of the bare-throated bellbird, pictured at top.

The red-legged seriema doesn’t look loud when he’s calling but don’t stand too close.

Red-legged Seriema (photo from Wikimedia)

Greg Ward filmed two seriemas calling in Brazil.

Curious about decibels and their effects on human hearing? See this table from Purdue: Noise Sources and Their Effects.

(*) Sound wave “amplitude is a major component of loudness and is crucial to our perception of sound.” — New York Times loudest birds