List of animal sounds

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Certain words in the English language represent animal sounds: the noises and vocalizations of particular animals, especially noises used by animals for communication. The words can be used as verbs or interjections in addition to nouns, and many of them are also specifically onomatopoeic.

List of animal sounds

Picture Animal Description Audio recording
Alligator bellow, hiss
Alligator bellow
Alpaca alarm call, cluck/click, hum, orgle, scream
American woodcock meep, peent (birders)
American woodcock
Antelope snort
Impala
Australian magpie quardle-oodle-ardle-wardle-doodle
Image of European badger (Meles Meles) Badger growl
Badger
Bat screech, squeak, eek
Bats
Bear roar, growl
Bear cub growl
Bäver närbild Beaver grunting, sighing, gnawing, whining, tooth chattering, hissing
Bee buzz
Hummel bee
Xylocopa pubescens (carpenter bee) offsprings
Big cat (Tiger, Lion, Jaguar, Leopard) roar, growl, snarl
Tiger growl
Jaguar making a content "sawing" sound.
Bison bellow, moo, low
Camel grunt
Image of a capybara eating hay Capybara squeak, chatter, bark
Cat mew, meow, purr, hiss, trill, chirp, chatter, caterwaul, growl, mrrp, nya
Cat meow
Domestic cat purring
Cattle moo, low
Chicken cluck, buck, crow
cha-caw, bah-gawk (female)
cock-a-doodle-doo (male)
Rooster crowing
Chinchilla squeak
Cicada chirp
Cicada
Coyote yip, howl, yelp, whine, growl, huff, bark
Crab chirp, click, creak[better source needed]
Crane trumpet, bugle
Cricket chirp
Cricket
Crocodile hiss, growl
Crow caw, cah
Black Crow
Curlew pipe
Deer bellow, bell (buck), bleat (doe, fawn)
Red deer
Dog arf, bark, boof, bay, howl, growl, snarl, moan, whine, whimper, yelp, scream, sigh, sneeze, woof, yip, yap
Dog bark
Dolphin click, whistle, squeal
Dolphins calling
Donkey hee-haw, bray
Domestic donkey brays
Duck quack
Mallard Duck
Eagle screech
Bald Eagle
Elephant trumpet, snort, rumble, growl, roar
Elephant trumpet
Elk bugle (male), bleat (calves)
Elk bellow
Ferret dook, hiss, squeak
Fish brrp, click, blub, glub, honk
Fly buzz
Bombylius major
Fox bark, scream, howl, snore, yip, yap, yop, gecker
Fox scream
Frog croak, ribbit, chirp
Pacific tree frog
Gaur low, moo
Giraffe bleat, hum
Giraffe hum
Goat bleat, maa
Herd of goats bleating
Goose honk, hiss
Geese Honking
Gorilla hoot, belch, roar
Grasshopper chirp
Grasshoppers chirping
Guinea pig wheek, purr
Hamster squeak
Hawk screech
Hawk screeching
Hermit crab chirp
Hippopotamus growl, grunt, snort
Hornet buzz
Hummel bee
Horse neigh, whinny, nicker, hoofbeats (clip-clop)
Hyena laugh, whoop
Spotted Hyena
Jackal gecker
Black-backed jackal
Koala bellow, shriek
Laughing kookaburra laugh
Lemur chatter, whoop
Leopard roar, growl, snarl
Linnet chuckle
Lion roar, growl, snarl
Lion roar
Lizard hiss
Locust chirp
Lovebird chirp, squack, caw, ca-dih, bababa, bahp
Magpie chatter
Magpie
Meerkat bark
Monkey scream, chatter, gecker, howl
Mantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata)
Moose bellow
Mosquito buzz, whine
Mouse squeak
Pitched down to audible frequency
Okapi cough, bellow
Opossum click, growl, hiss
Owl hoot, hiss, caterwaul (barred owls), twit twoo (tawny owls)
Great horned owl
Ox low, moo
Parrot squawk, talk
White-capped Parrot
Rose-ringed Parakeet imitating human speech
Peacock scream, squawk, honk
Peacock
Penguin chirp, honk, trumpet, bray
King penguins
Pig oink, snort, squeal, grunt
Pig
Pigeon coo
Wood pigeon
Prairie dog bark
Quail call
Call of a male common quail
Rabbit squeak
Rabbit
Raccoon trill
Baby Raccoon Chatter
Rat squeak
Raven caw, cronk
Common Raven
River otter blow, chatter, chirp, creek, grunt, hiccup, hiss, scream, squeak, swish, whine, whistle, chatterchirp, purr
Rook caw
Seal bark
New Zealand fur seal
Seagull squawks
Sheep bleat, baa, maa, meh (lambs)
Sheep
Snake hiss, rattle
Rattlesnake
Songbird chirrup, chirp, tweet, sing, warble (larks / warblers / wrens), twitter (sparrows)
Goldfinch
Squirrel squeak
Swan cry, trumpet, bugle
Trumpeter swan
Tapir squeak
Tokay gecko croak
Tokay gecko mating call
Turkey gobble
Wild Turkey
Turtle grunt (mating), hiss
Whale sing
Humpback whale

Sperm whale

Wild boar growl, grumble
Wild boar
Wildebeest low, moo
Wolf howl, growl, bay
Wolf howls
Zebra bray, bark, whistle, yip, nicker

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Important Question: What Sound Does An Alpaca Make?". Modern Farmer. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. ↑ Caro, Tim (2005). Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals. University of Chicago Press. p. 250. ISBN 9780226094366.
  3. ↑ Schwartz, Charles Walsh; Schwartz, Elizabeth Reeder (2001). The Wild Mammals of Missouri (2nd revised ed.). University of Missouri Press. p. 316. ISBN 9780826213594.
  4. ↑ Boughman, Janette Wenrick; Wilkinson, Gerald S. (1999). "Social Influences on Foraging in Bats". Mammalian Social Learning: Comparative and Ecological Perspectives (72). University of Cambridge Press: 195.
  5. ↑ Müller-Schwarze, Dietland (2011). The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer. Cornell University Press. p. 50-52. ISBN 9780801460869.
  6. ↑ "Big Cat Facts". Animal Facts Encyclopedia. Copyright by Jenise Alongi. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 Estes, Richard (1991). The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. University of California Press. p. 374. ISBN 9780520080850.
  8. ↑ Schaller, George B. (1967). The Deer and the Tiger. University of Chicago Press. p. 261. ISBN 9780226736570.
  9. ↑ Barros, Kamila S.; Tokumaru, Rosana S.; Pedroza, Janine P.; Nogueira, Selene S. C. (2010-11-22). "Vocal Repertoire of Captive Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris): Structure, Context and Function". Ethology. 117 (1): 83–94. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01853.x. ISSN 0179-1613.
  10. ↑ Why Do Roosters Crow?: First Questions and Answers about Farms. Time-Life for Children. 1995. ISBN 9780783508993.
  11. ↑ Caughey, Melissa (2015). A Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens: Best Breeds, Creating a Home, Care and Handling, Outdoor Fun, Crafts and Treats. Storey Publishing. p. 90
  12. ↑ Winter, Lisa. The Ultimate Guide To Chinchilla Care. Simple Sequence Books. p. 24.
  13. ↑ Power, Carla (September 4, 2000). "Ruins with A View". Newsweek International: 24.
  14. ↑ Lehner, Philip (1978). "Coyote Communication". In Bekoff, M. (ed.). Coyotes: Biology, Behavior, and Management. New York: Academic Press. pp. 127–162. ISBN 978-1-930665-42-2.
  15. ↑ "What sound does a crab make?". Answers. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Cranetivities: Cacophonous Crane Calls!". International Crane Foundation. Archived from the original on 24 July 2026.
  17. ↑ Holmes, Hannah (2005). Suburban Safari: A Year on the Lawn. Bloomsbury. p. 10. ISBN 9781596918115.
  18. ↑ White, Gilbert (1837). The natural history and antiquities of Selborne. With The naturalist's calendar and miscellaneous observations. p. 449.
  19. ↑ Wilson, Ben (1998). Dolphins of the World. Voyager Press. p. 29. ISBN 9780896585362.
  20. ↑ Harley, Heidi E. (13 November 2007). "Whistle discrimination and categorization by the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): A review of the signature whistle framework and a perceptual test". Behavioural Processes. 77 (2). Elsevier: 243–268. doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2007.11.002. PMID 18178338.
  21. ↑ Metz, Lorijo (2011). Donkeys: Jennies, Jacks, and Foals. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 10. ISBN 9781448806881.
  22. ↑ "Caught in the Act - to Capture Bald Eagles on Film, a Husband-and-Wife Team Has Spent Years Perfecting the Art of Anticipation". National Wildlife. 39 (2): 24. February–March 2001.
  23. ↑ Thomas, Jack Ward; Toweill, Dale (2002). Elk of North America, Ecology and Management. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-8117-0571-4.
  24. ↑ Ballard, Jack (2012). Elk: A Falcon Field Guide. Morris Book Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 9780762776269. Elk vocalizations aren't reserved just for the bulls. Cows and ... Calves may respond to the cow calls with their own low bleats. When large ..
  25. ↑ Mathis, Christine; Morton, E. Lynn (2010). Ferrets. Barron's. p. 87. ISBN 9780764143328.
  26. ↑ Tynes, Valerie V. (2010). Behavior of Exotic Pets. Chichester, West Sussex: Blackwell Pub. p. 234. ISBN 9780813800783.
  27. ↑ "FishSounds". fishsounds.net. Retrieved 2026-07-10.
  28. ↑ "House Fly Sounds: How House Flies Generate the Sound We Hear | Orkin". www.orkin.com. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  29. ↑ "What does the red fox say?". Popular Science. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2021-10-28.
  30. ↑ Silverstein, Alvin; Silverstein, Virginia (1980). Nature's Champions: The Biggest, the Fastest, the Best. Random House. p. 19. ISBN 9780486428888.
  31. ↑ Baotic, A.; Sicks, F.; Stoeger, A. S. (2015). "Nocturnal "humming" vocalizations: adding a piece to the puzzle of giraffe vocal communication". BMC Research Notes. 8: 425. doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3. PMC 4565008. PMID 26353836.
  32. ↑ Clark, Josh (2019-12-13). "Gorilla Vocalizations - Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund -". Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  33. 1 2 Heinrichs, Anna (2002). Grasshoppers. Compass Point Books. p. 4. ISBN 9780756501662.
  34. ↑ Gunter, Veronika Alica; Newcomb, Rain (2006). Pet Science: 50 Purr-fectly Woof-worthy Activities for You & Your Pets. Lark Books. p. 21. ISBN 9781579907860.
  35. ↑ "Decoding Guinea Pig Sounds: Purring and Body Language". GuineaDad. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  36. ↑ Bartlett, Patricia Pope (2003). The Hamster Handbook. Barron's. p. 37. ISBN 9780764122941.
  37. ↑ Wilkins, Kelli A. (2007). Hermit Crabs For Dummies. Wiley Publishing. ISBN 9781118068267.
  38. 1 2 Symons, Mitchell (2012). The Bumper Book For The Loo: Facts and figures, stats and stories – an unputdownable treat of trivia. Random House. p. 364. ISBN 9781448152711.
  39. ↑ Le Clerc, Georges Louis (1793). The natural history of birds, from the Fr. of the count de Buffon. p. 54.
  40. ↑ Birkhead, Tim (1991). The Magpies: The Ecology and Behaviour of Black-Billed and Yellow-Billed Magpies. T & AD Poyser. p. 250. ISBN 9781408137772.
  41. ↑ "Moose". International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Marshall Cavendish. 2002. p. 1656.
  42. ↑ Lindsey, Susan Lyndaker; Green, Mary Neel; Bennett, Cynthia L. (1999). The Okapi: Mysterious Animal of Congo-Zaire. University of Texas Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780292788329.
  43. ↑ Trust, Woodland (2023-12-21). "Identify UK owl calls". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  44. ↑ Attarde, I. P. (2007). Encyclopedic Graded Grammar. Vol. 1. LULU. p. 25. ISBN 9781435707177.
  45. ↑ "Oink." Merriam-Webster. 26-01-2016.
  46. ↑ QA International Collectif (1999). So Many Ways to Communicate - A new way to explore the animal kingdom. Québec Amerique. p. 29. ISBN 9782764409213.
  47. ↑ Valerie V. Tynes, ed. (2010). Behavior of Exotic Pets. Blackwell. p. 149. ISBN 9781118710135.
  48. ↑ "California Quail". Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Archived from the original on 24 July 2026.
  49. ↑ Siegel, Mordecai (2004). The Cat Fanciers' Association Complete Cat Book. HarperCollins. p. 136. ISBN 9780062030399.
  50. ↑ Walkley, Sarah (Spring 2018). Vocalizations of North American River Otters (Lontra canadensis) in Two Human Care Populations (MA Thesis). University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  51. ↑ Walkley, Sarah; Zapetis, Maria; Lyn, Heidi (2018). "Vocalizations of North American river otters ( Lontra canadensis ) in two human care populations". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 144 (3_Supplement): 1954. Bibcode:2018ASAJ..144.1954W. doi:10.1121/1.5068543.
  52. ↑ Pesaturo, Janet (11 February 2020). "River Otter Vocalizations: the Purr". Winterberry Wildlife. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  53. ↑ McCausland, Jim (May 2005). "Hood Canal Hideaway: Between Seattle and the Olympics, an Unsung Getaway Just Got Better". Sunset. 214 (5): 64+.
  54. ↑ "What Sounds Do Seagulls Make and Why They Make Them". Biology Insights. 2025-08-27. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  55. ↑ Rao, S. N. (2004). Strengthen Your English. V. V. K. Subburaj. p. 26. ISBN 9788172540531.
  56. ↑ Stallcup, Rich (1993). Birds of California: A Guide to Viewing Distinctive Varieties. American Traveler. p. 38. ISBN 9781558381322.
  57. ↑ Sharma, S. D. (2007). A Text Book of Scientific and Technical Communication Writing for Engineers and Professionals (3rd ed.). Sarup & Sons. p. 365. ISBN 9788176257510.
  58. ↑ Endangered Wildlife and Plants of the World. Marshall Cavendish. 2001. p. 1460. ISBN 9780761471943.
  59. ↑ Perez, Larry (2012). Snake in the Grass: An Everglades Invasion. Pineapple Press. p. 55. ISBN 9781561645138.