Long have humans admired the sweet songs of songbirds. We even have odes to these lovely creatures. Seriously, who hasn’t heard “When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbing along”?
Everybody wants to wake up to the musical notes of birds with beautiful songs. Luckily, nature has provided a virtually limitless jukebox of birds with songs that people find attractive. The question then becomes which bird has the most beautiful voice?
Is it the loon? The mockingbird? The veery?
Which bird sings best? Are bluebirds lucky in this regard?
In the article below, we’ll introduce the birds that burst into song with warbles, melodious chirps, and resounding serenades!
Listen to the thrushes
This bird has a song so sweet that poets such as Henry David Thoreau wrote love letters to the bird itself! Indeed, Thoreau described the wood thrush’s flowing song as “the liquid coolness of things drawn from the bottom of springs.”
The wood thrush is not alone, however.
Kindred thrushes like the hermit thrush and the veery have their own whirling, trilling voices, although they don’t quite match their woodland cousin’s romantic effect. Nevertheless, their voices are still considered attractive, because their songs match some of the same scales found in human music!
Another two birds in the thrush family whose musicality people tend to overlook are the American robin and the wren, who both have pretty songs.
Give the yellow-tailed black cockatoo a chance!
Hailing from the Land Down Under, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo has a voice that’s considered quite loud. These birds have impressive black plumage, but there is some debate about whether their calls are actually songs.
These birds belt out a high-pitched “Kee-ow!” that can be heard over great distances. They have softer calls when searching for food and harsher ones when in danger.
All in all, a beautiful bird with an engaging voice, but not one that’s ever going to win Australian Birds Got Talent.
Listen to canaries only when you’re lonely
Some people enjoy listening to depressing music when they’re feeling low. Skipping the upbeat and uplifting, they drown themselves in even darker emotions.
The canary is a bit like this. Interestingly, the canary is a colorful bird known for its solitary songs, which are beautiful but in a sad and lonely way. But that’s the thing: The canary gives out its song only if it is separated from others of its kind. When together with other canaries, this bird rarely sings.
Interestingly, canaries are quite intelligent and can be taught songs. Because of this talent, Spanish sailors brought them from islands off the Iberian peninsula to Europe, where kings of Spain and England kept them as pets.
Black-billed magpies are multilingual
If you are unable to find birds with their own unique songs, you may wish to listen to a black-billed magpie. These birds are incredibly interesting since not only do they have their own song, but they also often copy and mimic the songs of other bird species!
These birds live in the western parts of North America, and they have tails that make up half the length of their body. In wooded areas, you can often hear them making frequent calls.
Listen to the Asian koel when in India
If you ever happen to travel to the south of India, be sure to listen for the voice of the Asian koel. This bird belongs to the cuckoo family, and like the wood thrush, it has a magnificent song that is praised in poetry. Indeed, the Asian koel is the state bird of Puducherry in India’s south due to its sweet-sounding song.
The common nightingale isn’t so common
Of all the birds on this list, the common nightingale may have the most beautiful voice. These small birds are known for their song’s beauty.
With various trills and whistles, the common nightingale’s song is thought to be one of the most emotionally overwhelming. Its very name praises the bird’s voice, as it means “night songstress.” The bird sings both at night and in the early dawn.
The nightingale is a veritable virtuoso of music in the animal kingdom, with the ability to make more than 200 melodies!
Each of the birds on our list will have staunch defenders claiming its song is the prettiest. But any one of these birds’ songs is musical enough to inspire a few words of poetic praise.
Editors' Recommendations
- Do fish sleep? It’s complicated
- This is how long you can expect your new pet rabbit to live
- How to tell if your snake is sleeping
- Best reptile pets: These are the 5 most affectionate reptiles you can welcome into your home
- Can you keep pet seahorses in your home aquarium? Here’s what you need to know
