Large birds with loud sounds include the White Bellbird (world's loudest song, ~125 dB), the Australian Kookaburra (distinctive loud cackle), and the swamp-dwelling Limpkin (haunting wail/scream often heard at night). Other contenders are the massive Shoebill (clattering bill) and loud parrots like the Moluccan Cockatoo.
The Golden Whistler belongs to the Family Pachycephalidae, which means 'thick-head' after the group's robust necks and heads. This species is one of Australia's loudest and most beautiful songsters.
When it comes to choosing a mate, female white bellbirds won't settle for just any guy—they want a male that sings louder than any other bird in the world. In a recent study, researchers measured the volume of white bellbirds' mating songs and found the males belted out their loudest ones at about 125 decibels.
Bush-stone Curlew… a beautiful Australian nocturnal bird that screams at night. According to Aboriginal legend this is occurs due to a mother-Curlew missing her baby, who never returns. Their cry is haunting, mournful and one of the more unusual bird calls in Australia.
The white bellbird is believed to be the world's loudest bird, with calls of up to 125 dB(A) (at equivalent 1m distance).
Songs. Great Horned Owls advertise their territories with deep, soft hoots with a stuttering rhythm: hoo-h'HOO-hoo-hoo. The male and female of a breeding pair may perform a duet of alternating calls, with the female's voice recognizably higher in pitch than the male's.
Screaming pihas (Lipaugus vociferans) come in second place for the loudest wild bird. Recorded in the same study as the white bellbird, they reached peaks of 116 decibels—it's no mystery how they got their name. These small grey birds are found in northern South America, including in the Amazon rainforest.
The Eastern Koel is a migratory species that arrives in Australia from south-east Asia to breed in spring. Although rarely seen, the Koel is well known to many Australians for its loud, repetitive calls, particularly in the early morning.
Owls are famous for their late-night hootenannies, but they aren't the only ones crooning by moonlight. Ecosystems around the planet host a surprising variety of night birds—from nightingales and mockingbirds to corncrakes, potoos, and whip-poor-wills—whose voices can be as haunting (or exciting) as any owl hoot.
With their eerie, wailing call – often likened to that of a screaming woman or baby – the Bush Stone-Curlew is another Australian bird shrouded in mythology.
Birds as Spiritual Inspiration
God may send you spiritual messages through your daily interaction with birds. Wansbury writes: "These messages are words of wisdom and advice, and they can help us to identify talents we are not using, or the negative beliefs and thought patterns that are holding us back.
Shoebill Stork 🦤 Sound Like a Machine Gun! #shoebillstork #shoebill #birdlife #bird #birdlovers.
Casuarius casuarius johnsonii. Southern Cassowary 🪶 Dubbed as the world's most dangerous bird, the Southern Cassowary has a vivid blue neck and striking long red wattles. If they feel threatened this flightless bird can deliver a powerful kick strong enough to break bones.
The laughing kookaburra of Australia is known for its call, which sounds like a cackling laugh.
You might recognise the Pheasant Coucal by its distinctive 'oop-oop-oop-opp' call. Sometimes mates will duet, providing a concert that sounds like water bubbling from a big bottle. In winter, its voice is a sharp hissing.
Most types of birds are quite territorial, especially during breeding season. Males often chirp at night to warn other males to keep their distance since this where they do their breeding and nesting. Diurnal birds spend most of the day protecting their territory, and that can spill over into nighttime, as well.
Then there are also birds like the Bush Stone-curlew and the ever elusive Night Parrot that are nocturnal as well and a range of day-time birds like Willie Wagtails, Eastern Koels and Masked Lapwings that will also call a lot at night, particularly during their breeding season.
Reading Bird Body Language
The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) is a large, iconic kingfisher native to eastern Australia. Known for its distinctive, loud call that resembles human laughter, it inhabits forests, woodlands, and urban areas.
These medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds are noted for their long wings, short legs, and stout bills. The tawny frogmouth is active at night; by day it perches in trees perfectly camouflaged. They are native to Australia and also found on Tasmania.
It starts as a melodic two-note 'koo-eee' call, but progressively rises in pitch and intensity as the breeding male reclaims his territory and attempts to attract a mate. It is a loud and piercing call and continues throughout the day and night. As a result the koel is usually loved or hated.
Meet the white bellbird, a Brazilian banshee-bird with a screeching squawk that can reach up to 125.4 decibels. That's louder than a rock concert and almost as loud as a gunshot.
The screamers are three South American bird species placed in family Anhimidae. They were thought to be related to the Galliformes because of similar bills, but are more closely related to the family Anatidae, i.e. ducks and allies, and the magpie goose, within the clade Anseriformes.
Surprising to most, the Turducken is actually a song bird. The Turducken combines and elaborate and flashy display of feathers along with a disturbing song that sounds much like a screaming child mixed with a wounded animal. This sound also scares off any predators during matings.