UMass researchers identify three Brazilian birds that may top the decibel chart

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, including Jeff Podos and recent Ph.D. graduate João Menezes, have identified three Brazilian birds that emit sounds at or above 120 decibels, a level approaching the physical limit for avian vocalization. Their study, published in Evolution, measured acoustic amplitude across 123 species from Brazil and Massachusetts, confirming the white bellbird, bare-throated bellbird and red-legged seriema as candidates for the world’s loudest birds.

All three possess wide beak openings and robust musculature, traits that facilitate extreme sound output. Although the white bellbird already holds a Guinness World Record, the researchers argue that pinpointing a single “winner” is less important than understanding the evolutionary drivers behind such noisy displays. The findings challenge existing theories that extreme loudness serves only dense-habitat communication or mate attraction, especially given the open-habitat, monogamous lifestyle of the seriema. Ornithologists such as Elizabeth Derryberry and Nathan Senner highlight the work’s relevance for evolutionary biology and potential conservation strategies.