10 Birds That Chirp The Loudest

The birds that we can easily hear from our windows always seem loud just because they’re nearby. It’s a bird’s prerogative to generally be audible enough to everyone in the area. Birds are known to vocalize often, though. What about birds making noise in the highest decibel ranges? Some birds just can’t be quiet, and their noise might hurt your ears. Here are the loudest birds that can chirp so hard, they don’t need much to make a statement.

#10: Parakeet

Parakeets are the most common pet bird species on this list. Usually, their whistles and chirps are anywhere between 65 to 70 decibels, which is comparable to office noise or background music. However, they can get almost twice as loud despite being such small birds. Their loudest calls have been recorded to reach 111 to 112 decibels, same as a chainsaw, leaf blower, or snowmobile.

#9: Eclectus Parrot

The Eclectus Parrot is native to certain islands in southeast Asia and Oceania, namely the Maluku Islands (Moluccas), northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and other islands nearby, Sumba, and the Solomon Islands. This wild bird species is mostly seen as being kept as a pet. Its chirp can reach 115 decibels.

#8: Peacock

If you’re ever lucky enough to see the stunning beauty and dignity of a peacock, you might likely find out that it’s got a pretty loud chirp. Although it’s not as loud as some other birds, its level of noise at 115 decibels is in the same range as that of a leaf blower, chainsaw, or snowmobile (106-115db). The males are famous for their colorful feathers and piercing calls.

#7: Sun Conure

Another exotic-looking pet bird, the Sun Conure or Sun Parakeet is one of the most popular types of pet conures. Bright orange and yellow with green and blue on its wing feathers, it is as beautiful as it is loving and intelligent. It loves having a monogamous partner and bonding with humans. It is also very vocal, with some of the moderately loudest chirps at 120 decibels.

#6: Cockatiel

Cockatiels are fairly social birds and are popular as pets. They are also very vocal, and loudly chirping is common if they are agitated or bored, although they can learn to whistle a variety of tunes, do tricks, and even learn how to talk. Their noise is at the level of 123 decibels. It is enough to hurt your ears, especially if the bird is next to you. Ouch!

#5: Mealy Amazon Parrot

The Mealy Amazon Parrot is a mostly green parrot that is also one the largest parrot species. Although it is known for being a calm and docile pet, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make noise. And when it does, it is shockingly loud. Its chirp has been recorded at 124 decibels, about the same as a very loud concert.

#4: Rooster

The rooster is the best-known of the loudest birds. It doesn’t chirp so much as a crow, though. Some roosters crow at only around 90 decibels, the same as a barking dog, but others can crow around or reach up to 130 decibels. Even at 90 decibels, though, they are considered a nuisance in some cities because of their noise, crowing spontaneously, and sometimes often in the morning as well as the afternoon.

#3: White Bellbird

The third-loudest bird to ever chirp is the White Bellbird, a South American bird living in the Amazon, specifically the Guianas, Brazil, and Venezuela. The males’ cries serve as mating calls and they’re even louder than howler monkeys. Their fire alarm-like sound can reach 125 decibels, the same as a very loud concert.

#2: Moluccan Cockatoo

The Moluccan Cockatoo is also known as the salmon-crested cockatoo and is native to the Seram archipelago of eastern Indonesia. It is a vulnerable species in the wild due to habitat loss and the cage-bird trade. Because it is listed on the Wild Bird Conservation Act, it can only be bred in captivity rather than imported into the United States. Its chirp can reach 135 decibels, with an average of 120 decibels. At 125 dB that’s when the sound starts to get very painful, with 120-129 decibels being that of a rock concert, loud symphony, or sports crowd. 135 decibels is between a stock car race (130db) and a gunshot or siren at 100 feet (140db).

#1: Nanday Conure

Also called the Black-Hooded Parakeet or Nanday Parakeet, the Nandy Conure is a colorful, mostly green neotropical parrot native to South America. You’ll notice that many of the loudest birds have chirps that suit their native habitat of tropical areas. The Nandy Conure has a chirp that reaches 155 decibels, comparable to the level of firecrackers. It is an exotic-looking pet bird that can also learn tricks and how to talk.

Why Do Birds Chirp?

Birds that chirp are divided into two categories: Morning birds (diurnal) and evening birds (nocturnal). Hence, their lifestyles are different. Birds may chirp to warn others of danger, communicate, protect their territory or nest, try to attract a mate, or because of chicks yelling for their mothers. When comparing the two, there are far noisier (and loud) diurnal birds than nocturnal ones. That’s because the early morning is when the diurnal birds have their dawn choruses. It’s also for them to announce that visibility is not yet good enough for hunting insects and seeking other food. On the other hand, domesticated birds kept as pets will loudly chirp when they’re not getting enough stimulation.

Do the Loudest Birds Lose their Hearing?

For humans, any sound beyond 85db starts to be harmful to our sense of hearing, and prolonged exposure does more damage than short-term exposure. It has also been observed that birds living near airports sing lower than other birds of the same species. But does it mean that birds lose their hearing?

In reality, a bird’s sense of hearing differs from that of humans. Yes, a bird’s hearing is more sensitive than that of humans, so it is easy to assume birds would damage their hearing more easily. However, we differ in the tiny “hair cells” lining the cochlea of our inner ears. Whereas humans cannot regenerate them, birds can.

As you can see, many of the loudest birds are exotic species. Most have been domesticated as pets, and many of them are so intelligent they can learn how to do tricks or talk. Their chirps can be so loud that they sound like screeching or a fire alarm. Birds chirp for a reason, and these birds have made sure they can get attention when they want something.

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