Screaming Piha
Call & Sounds
Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans)
The Screaming Piha (Lipaugus vociferans) is medium-sized species of cotinga found in lowland tropical rainforest across much of the Amazon basin in South America.
Male Screaming Pihas gather in leks and often call for extended periods in order to attract females.
What does a Screaming Piha sound like? Screaming Pihas make a piercingly loud three-part ‘qui-qui-yo’ song, an iconic sound of the Amazon rainforest. These strident song notes are often preceded by a few softer lower pitcher notes as the bird inhales before exhaling into the explosive, characteristic phrase. Measured at an average of 111.5dB at a distance of one metre, the call of the Screaming Piha is one of the loudest bird sounds in the world.
Apart from the famous loud song, Screaming Pihas make a variety of other calls including repetitive ‘wee-oo’ whistled phrases and coarse, breathy whistles.
Listen to some examples of Screaming Piha sounds below.
Listen to Screaming Piha Sounds
The audio in the video below features the typical three-part ‘qui-qui-yo’ song male Screaming Pihas at a lek. Recorded in Rio Bigal Biological Reserve, Ecuador.
Screaming Piha – Breathy whistles
XC984289 This sample features an example of the breathy, whistled calls of a Screaming Piha. Recorded in Rio Bigal Biological Reserve, Ecuador.
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A Famous Voice
The song of the Screaming Piha is a heavily used (overused!) bird sound effect. Many films, tv programs and documentaries have featured this distinctive sound in ‘jungle’ scenes to the point it has become cliché, similar to how the cackling voice of the Laughing Kookaburra was used in decades past.