Noise level comparisons

I'd really like to make a compilation of comparative noise levels between parrot species. The term, "loud" and "quiet" are thrown around too much, and such levels really are subjective. People complain that their Cockatiels are loud, and I definitely would not call them a loud species when creatures like Cockatoos exist. Maybe we can come up with a few distinctive sounds to compare the birdie calls to, or compare species sounds to other species sounds?

M2- Semi-truck slamming on its breaks in front of your face.

Jendays/suns - Coach's sport's whistle. When I have people with noise concerns, I tell them to give their kid a sports whistle and the child's to toot on the whistle randomly for 15-20 minutes a.m. and p.m. and then on occasion a toot here and there during the day, including right in someone else's ear. I tell them if they can stand that and don't want to beat their kid too death in 2 weeks they should come back and get a conure from me.

I think I would put my Cockatiel at about half the volume of the Coach's whistle.
My Budgie gets to about a half to 2/3 of the Cockatiel when she cranks up the angry Budgie squawks.

patdbunny wrote:

M2- Semi-truck slamming on its breaks in front of your face.

Jendays/suns - Coach's sport's whistle. When I have people with noise concerns, I tell them to give their kid a sports whistle and the child's to toot on the whistle randomly for 15-20 minutes a.m. and p.m. and then on occasion a toot here and there during the day, including right in someone else's ear. I tell them if they can stand that and don't want to beat their kid too death in 2 weeks they should come back and get a conure from me.

LOL!!!! I LOVE THAT!


I would compare my GCC's noise level to.....a car alarm going off outside your house.

WPT has recordings of calls. Of course you won't be able to tell how loud the real thing is or how frequent it will vocalize.
http://www.parrots.org/index.php/encyclopedia/profile/grey_parrot/

4 Budgies - a bunch of mosquitoes flying constantly over your head

I agree that toos (of all species) are the loudest. From studies, it is said their call can be heard over three miles away and when you get them in groups and they get going, you better have hearing protection available. After them, for me at least, its a toss up between a macaw and a conure. I think they are equally as loud, but conures calls are piercing where macaws calls are just plain deafening.

I equate macaw calls as nearly sonic. When they get on a call binge, there's a weird pattern/rhythm to it and if you allow for the pain and listen, it makes an almost digital feedback in your head.

So you think Sunnies are as loud as a Macaw?

Yes and no. They are as loud but its a different kind of loud. Sunnies have an ear piercing call, its very high pitched. Macaws have more of a robust, lower spectrum call, if that makes any sense. Its not ear piecing, but its sound signatures are headache enducing because of the low level feedback you get from it.

Mmm feedback loops!

Yup, like I said, if you can stand the pain and allow them to call continually for a minute or longer, you pick up an almost digital, rhythmic feedback. Its kind of cool, though your ears will ring for about an hour afterwards.

I do work in the sound industry, I WORK with those rhythmic loops! Sine waves, Square waves, Triangle waves, Sawtooth waves..

Awesome... macaws put off (IMO) more of a sine wave. Just read an article that said Mollucan toos have the loudest call at 135 decibles and that macaws are at about 115. Haven't found anything about conures yet, still looking.

Those M2s are BARELY beneath the deafening pain threshold!

I know! At the rescue we have them in a separate enclosed room and have earmuff protection to wear when we are working in there. You can always find the rescue veterans (like me) who just walk in and don't seem to notice the noise.

And unsuspecting people buy these babies from petstores for their kids....

Just found a report online... sun conures clock in at 80 decibles, so there you go.

One of my favorite lines that I've heard when someone asked "should I buy a cockatoo for my kids/family, what are they like?" is ... a cockatoo is akin to giving your four year old 2 cans of monster, and handful of pixie straws and a knife. LOL Pretty accurate.

And a trumpet and a foghorn!

And an open bottle of talcum powder...

Vikki wrote:

One of my favorite lines that I've heard when someone asked "should I buy a cockatoo for my kids/family, what are they like?" is ... a cockatoo is akin to giving your four year old 2 cans of monster, and handful of pixie straws and a knife. LOL Pretty accurate.

LOL!! I like that!

. . . and let the kid go carve on your antique china cabinet. . .

Vikki - Where are you finding the decibel info? I'd like like to post on my blog.

...or your own flesh