dB per kilo - who is the loudest? (1 Viewer)

[Tannin]

I was just yakking on another site and happened to mention the Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis). Now off the top of my head, I can't think of any other bird I've met that, on a dB-per-kilo basis, has a louder song. He's about the size of a robin, and sings at a phenomenal volume - in the summer, he goes on and on and on, making up new variations all the time, and you can hear him from a very long way away. Sometimes you can hear him in thick forest but have real difficulty in getting a sight of him.

Anyway, I was wondering, so here is my question: allowing for size, what is the loudest bird song you have ever heard?

And, while we are at it, the loudest non-song call?

 

[Tammie]

I'll have to think about the song but I think the loudest bird call I hear regularly would have to be the hairy woodpecker. I had a family of 4 in my yard all spring as our regular pair had twins and boy, you sure know when 4 hairy woodpeckers are nearby!

 

[Michael Frankis]

I'll put in a vote for Wren (a.k.a. Winter Wren for US readers) - tiny bird (7-12g), very loud song.

Michael

 

[birdman]

I was going to mention the Wren... famous over here for the volume of it's song.

In terms of being heard a long way away though, don't forget that low notes carry further than high notes - even though they might not be "louder",

 

[walwyn]

Wren here definitely. About 4 years ago our female cat brought a just fledged one home and did it make a noise. Absolutely deafening.

We put it at the back of the garden and hoped that the parents would relocate it. A couple of hours later it was gone.

 

[Charles Harper]

Sorry, gentlemen. We have (Winter) Wrens here too, and I love their song, but a Japanese Bush Warbler will knock the socks off you. As I was telling Hokkaido Stu, the local stud comes to my birdbath and sings as he bathes-- and I can't hear the TV when he does. He actually interrupts my classes, and we have to pause till he gets done.

We'll likely hear from Oz about Whipbirds, which are pretty awesome, and there must be other noisy birds out there; but ounce for ounce, the Bush Warblers have it. I don't know about other Cettia, but our species is LOUD!

(How are we going to judge this?)

 

[robinm]

I think Cetti's warbler beats the wren. There are just fewer of them.

I wonder if anyone has done this scientifically. If not, may be there's someone prepared to sponsor me for the worldwide travel etc. etc. I would be happy to take on this onerous task.

 

[Steve]

what about that bird that hangs upside down in the jungle and fluffs up its feathers, it makes a hell of a racket, sounding more like a machine than a bird, it can be heard for miles.
I think its about the same size as a blackbird?

 

[HH75]

Hi Charles,
(Winter)Wren would probable be the loudest on a dB per kilo basis here,but I do remember Cetti's Warbler being very loud as well(nearly jumped with the fright when one started singing close by in Bulgaria:hadn't seen the bird there beforehand!)
Harry H

 

[Michael Frankis]

Remember Cetti's (and presumably also Jap Bush) is about 50% heavier than a Wren - is it also 50% louder?

Michael

 

[Charles Harper]

I think so, Michael. I couldn't find a weight for JBW in my books; it's 50% longer (15.5 cm. vs. 10.5 cm.) but it's relatively much longer-tailed and -billed than WW.

 

[robinm]

Good question Michael - probably not.

How can you carry out a controlled experiment to determine the answer? Very difficult because of different habitats changing the acoustics.

My offer is still there 3 3

 

[Richard Ford]

As I saw this thread I immediately thought of Cettis and Wren.
Not sure if yours was a BowerBird/Bird of Paradise of some sort Steve.

I can’t remember its name, (not sure if it’s the bird you are thinking of Steve) the highly skilled mimic, making machine gun type noises, along with camera shutter sounds, chain saws and other birds, it was featured on The Life of Birds. It may not be what you are thinking of, but it could sure make a racket, I assumed it was larger that a blackbird though. Whatever it was it was incredible.
Can someone jog my memory. ;-)

Rich

 

[Tannin]

Superb Lyrebird. Incredibly good singer - some rate them the best songster in the world and I'd believe it - but no louder than a Golden Whistler, and ... oh ... 40 times the weight at a rough guess. A lyrebird is around about the size of a smallish duck. More feathers though.

(Edited to fix typos. I'm going to apply the "too many tipos = past my bedtime" rule.)

 

[Edward]

I remember seeing Golden Whistler in Australia but not hearing it, Tannin. As for loudest per dB I can only offer Wren and Cetti's Warbler, like the other Europeans. Cetti's is one bird which really does give you start as it burst into song right next to you.

As for the loudest call, then I don't know a call which carries as far as the Great Northern Diver (aka Common Loon). It's a 2-3 kg critter though so it won't win any awards for dB per kilo but their calls really travel great distances.

E

 

[Hanno]

In Europe, I'd probably go for (Winter) Wren, too. Here in Vietnam, the different Tailorbirds are pretty loud as well. I agree with Birdman, in the forests the different Trogins can probably be heard the furthest, but they are failry big.

 

[MikeMules]

Tannin, how about White-throated Treecreeper? I reckon they're louder than a Golden Whistler, and only 2/3 the size.

And on a weight:volume basis, Superb Fairy-wrens would give either a run for their money.

 

[Tannin]

Good point about the fairy-wrens, Mike. They do produce a lot of noise considering how small a bird they are. As for the White-throated Treecreeper, well, if we were awarding points for interminable on-and-on-forever persistence, they would have to rate high - probably (for the southern Oz bushland birds I know) coming in with a respectable third place behind the Common and Brush Bronzewing Pigeons. (Though these two might get disqualified by the stewards on the grounds that it isn't actually "song", just a mindlessly-repetitive call.)

But volume? Hmmm ... I'd still say the Golden Whistler. Or possibly the Rufous Whistler - they are about as loud as each other. White-throated Treecreepeers surely seem the loudest though - but that is because (in my case) I'm used to vaguely hearing the morning chorus in the bush hidden off somewhere in the distance behind closed curtains and fluffed-up dunas and then, at a respectable hour, some time after all the other birds have been awake for 20 minutes or so - the White-throated Treecreeper suddenly letting fly with his "good morning world" call from his usual roost - which is under the eaves right outside the bedroom window!