Birdsong might be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of singing animals, but some of the most impressive vocal performances come from far beyond the branch. From under-sea giants to insects screaming above 100 decibels, the animal kingdom has some truly gifted singers.
Best singers in the animal kingdom
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Male humpback whales produce long, structured sequences of sound that can carry on for more than 30 minutes and be repeated over the course of many hours, even travelling through the water for thousands of kilometres. Whalesong evolves, too, with humpback populations gradually changing their song together like a shared musical tradition.
Indri (Indri indri)
The indri is Madagascar’s largest living lemur and one of few singing non-human primates. Families of indri produce loud, far-reaching songs that echo through the rainforest to establish territories and maintain social connections. Indri groups sing together in a haunting, surprisingly harmonious chorus.
Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Mockingbirds are masters of mimicry, capable of learning and reproducing hundreds of sounds from other animals and even human-created noises, such as emergency sirens and machinery. Male mockingbirds put their vocals to the test during mating season, when they’ll string together a slew of sounds in hope of impressing potential partners with their performance.
Plain-tailed wren (Pheugopedius euophrys)
These small South American wrens are anything but plain when it comes to singing. Mated pairs sing carefully timed duets, alternating notes with such precision they sound like a single bird instead of two. These coordinated songs serve to strengthen pair bonds and defend territories.
Coquí frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui)
Named after its own distinctive two-note call – “co-quí” – these Puerto Rican frogs sing through the night to signal territory and attract mates. When thousands get to singing at the same time, their high-pitched song is impossible to ignore.
Howler monkey (Alouatta spp.)
Howler monkeys stay true to their name with the loudest call of any land mammal. They have an enlarged hyoid bone that serves as a resonating chamber, enabling their howls to travel many kilometres through forests. The long-ranging vocalisations help keep groups of howler monkeys apart, which reduces physical conflict that could arise from territorial disputes.
Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
Nightingales are among the most celebrated of all animal singers, no doubt earning their place through the complexity of their song. Male nightingales offer rich performances, varied with whistles, trills, chirps and screeches. Individual birds can have a catalogue of hundreds of songs, each as complex as the next.
Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii)
Weddell seals spend much of their time below Antarctic ice, communicating through an eerie array of chirps, purrs, whistles and burbles that sound almost electronic to the human ear. These unique calls help the seals locate each other in their icy environments both above and below the surface.
Cicadas (Cicadoidea)
There’s no mistaking the call of the cicada. Males use a ribbed structure called a tymbal to generate rapid pulses of sound that can exceed 100 decibels, and the sound can feel overwhelming en masse. As with most animal singers, cicadas use their booming song to attract mates and fend off predators.
African elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Elephants may not sing like a nightingale, but their low-frequency rumbles are among the most sophisticated vocalisations of any mammal. Some of these rumbles are infrasonic, capable of travelling several kilometres through air and ground vibrations to help herds coordinate over vast distances.
