Considered as some of the most beautiful noises in the natural world, bird song is thought to boost our mental wellbeing – and with the rise in bird call ID apps, we're more obsessed with it than ever.
But not all birds possess sweet-sounding tunes, such as the melodic whistle of the robin or the cheeps and chirrups of a house sparrow. As this list shows, some aren't sweet at all...
- What's the loudest bird? Meet the strange bird that produces a deafening sound, more like a train horn than a sweet musical bird song
- How to identify bird song and bird calls
Weirdest bird noises
Cowbird
The cowbird has a remarkable song which is often compared to water droplets splashing into a pond. Its bubbling, liquid-like noise is due to a specific adaptation – one much more complex than first thought.
Lyrebird
In a clip from David Attenborough's 1998 BBC TV series Life of Birds, a lyrebird imitates a chainsaw, kookaburra and car alarm. The footage has been viewed millions of times and often ranks as one of the most memorable clips featuring Attenborough.
Once believed to only be demonstrated by males in the quest for a mate, female lyrebirds were also discovered to make complex vocalisations in 2014.
- This 'karaoke queen' uses its song to fend off rival mates from vicious nest vandalism
- Attenborough films that changed the way we see the natural world
White bellbird
The white bellbird holds the record for the loudest bird call and has been recorded at 125 decibels – the equivalent of a pneumatic drill. Found in the mountains of the north-eastern Amazon, it's thought that the bird's industrial alarm-type call works to attract a mate.
Horned screamers
The TV presenter and naturalist Nick Baker described horned screamers as making a 'sort of honking nose, akin to a rubber foot pump with hiccups.' Its song is often sung in duet and, unsurprisingly, can be heard at great distances.
Shoebill stork
This prehistoric-looking bird is physically imposing, with a height of 1.5m and a wingspan of 1.6m. But its calls are one of its most unnerving qualities, as they are remarkably similar to the clattering of a machine gun.
They do this via bill-clattering and the sound is made as a greeting and during nesting.
Southern cassowary
During the breeding season, southern cassowaries communicate through infrasonic booms (low frequency sounds below the range of human hearing). The noises it produces sound more like the rumblings of an approaching predator rather than a bird. Either way, it's probably something you'd prefer to avoid in the Australian rainforest, where they are found.
- Everything you need to know about the southern cassowary
- “How worried should I be?” A quest through Australia's rainforest in search of the world's most dangerous bird
Bearded bellbird
The bearded bellbird is sometimes to referred to as the anvil-bird and it's easy to see why. The males make a very loud call, repeated every few seconds, but can make noises similar to a hammer repeatedly hitting an anvil. Regional calls among the species have also been reported.
