The screaming piha (Lipaugus vociferans) is a species of passerine bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in humid forests in the Amazon and tropical parts of the Mata Atlântica in South America.[2] They are most notable for their extraordinarily loud voice.
| Screaming piha | |
|---|---|
| |
| Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil | |
| Song recorded in Tambopata Reserve, Madre de Dios Region, Peru | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cotingidae |
| Genus: | Lipaugus |
| Species: | L. vociferans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lipaugus vociferans (Wied, 1820)
| |
| |
Distribution and habitat edit
The screaming piha is a common bird in the middle and lower parts of the canopy at altitudes below about 500 m (1,600 ft), or up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in Venezuela and the Andean foothills.
Description edit
The screaming piha grows to a length of about 25 cm (10 in). Both sexes have dull grey plumage (wings and tail often somewhat duskier) and the underparts are paler grey. Juveniles are grey tinged with brown or rust.[3]
Behavior and ecology edit
The screaming piha is an elusive bird despite its distinctive voice, remaining still for long periods and blending in with tree branches. It is usually solitary, but may sometimes join a mixed species foraging group.
Diet and feeding edit
Screaming pihas feed mainly on fruits, but also consumes insects, sometimes flying out from its perch to pluck a fruit or catch an insect in the air with a trogon-like hover.[3]
Vocalizations and mimicry edit
The call of the screaming piha is extraordinarily loud,[4] reaching 116 dB, second only to that of the white bellbird.[5][6] In the breeding season, up to ten males may gather in loose leks, where they sing to attract females. The sound is frequently used in movies as a sound typical of the Amazon rainforest.[7]
Status and conservation edit
The screaming piha is adapting well to human settlement areas like gardens and parks, and is considered to be of least concern by BirdLife International.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2016). "Lipaugus vociferans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22700856A93800098. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22700856A93800098.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Screaming Piha - Lipaugus vociferans". www.arthurgrosset.com. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ a b Ridgely, Robert S.; Tudor, Guy (2009). Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: Vol. II, The Suboscine Passerines. University of Texas Press. p. 762. ISBN 978-0-292-71748-0.
- ^ NEMETH, ERWIN (2004-01-01). "Measuring the Sound Pressure Level of the Song of the Screaming Piha Lipaugus Vociferans: One of the Loudest Birds in the World?". Bioacoustics. 14 (3): 225–228. doi:10.1080/09524622.2004.9753527. ISSN 0952-4622. S2CID 84218370.
- ^ Podos, Jeffrey; Cohn-Haft, Mario (2019-10-21). "Extremely loud mating songs at close range in white bellbirds". Current Biology. 29 (20): R1068–R1069. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.09.028. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 31639347.
- ^ "This is the world's 'loudest bird'". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Screaming Piha - Lipaugus vociferans - Birds of the World". birdsoftheworld.org. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
External links edit
- Calls and songs on the xeno canto collection
- Screaming Piha recording British Library. Accessed 2018-09-28
- Screaming pihas on Freesound. Freesound.org. Accessed 2022-09-20
- Photos, videos and observations at Cornell Lab of Ornithologys Birds of the World