Loudest Birds: Bare-Throated Bellbird & Red-Legged Seriema Discovered

Biologists Jeff Podos and João C.T. Menezes may have discovered two of the world's loudest birds, the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema. Their research, published in the journal Evolution, used new tools to measure the amplitude of bird calls in the wild.

The study measured the amplitudes of 123 birds around Amherst, Massachusetts, and across Brazil. Podos and Menezes used laser rangefinders and high-resolution portable sound meters to collect the data. This research was completed by João C.T. Menezes as part of his graduate work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Jeff Podos has previously discovered the world's loudest bird call, that of the Amazon's white bellbird, in 2019. The white bellbird's call is louder than standing next to a revving chainsaw, a claim later confirmed by Guinness World Records.

The study's findings help explain why some birds are so much louder than others. Podos and Menezes aimed to understand the role evolutionary biology plays in how birds communicate with each other. They investigated whether physical characteristics of a bird's body can predict how loud its call will be, and how loudness is related to a bird's ecological niche and social organization.

## Why it matters The discovery of the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema as contenders for the world's loudest bird title contributes to our understanding of bird communication and evolutionary biology. This research has implications for the study of bird behavior, ecology, and conservation. By understanding how birds communicate, scientists can better appreciate the complex social dynamics of bird populations and develop more effective conservation strategies.

## What's next Further research is needed to fully understand the role of loudness in bird communication and to explore the ecological and social implications of this phenomenon. The development of new tools and methods for measuring amplitude in the wild will continue to advance our knowledge of bird behavior and ecology.