The chirping of birds is often a comforting sound, soothing and almost songlike — but for the white bellbird, nothing is soothing about the deafening sounds coming out of their tiny bodies.
The white bellbird is found in the Guianas, Brazil, and Venezuela. It’s known as the loudest bird in the world, and the sounds they make can be quite a shock. Used as mating calls, their cries sound more like a fire alarm than the chirp of a bird. They can reach up to 125 decibels, which is at the same level as a very loud concert.
Male white bellbirds typically use those extremely loud calls when females are perched right next to them. At this range, their calls are potentially deafening, so they drive the females away eventually. The females tolerate the loud calls to assess potential mates, but can’t stick around too long for fear of hearing damage — not the ideal way to get a date.
Scientists have spent quite a while studying those birds, and how they can make such loud calls, as they were a bit baffled by the entire ordeal at first.
So, white bellbirds, congratulations on the “world’s loudest bird” title. You have definitely earned it.
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