Animal | Cry |
Apes | gibber |
asses | bray |
bees | hum |
beetles | drone |
bears | growl |
bitterns | boom |
blackbirds | whistle |
blackcaps | we speak of the“chick-chick” of the blackcap |
bulls | bellow |
canaries | sing or quaver |
cats | mew, purr, swear, and caterwaul |
calves | bleat and blear |
chaffinches | chirp or pink |
chickens | pip |
cicadæ | sing |
cocks | crow |
cows | moo or low |
crows | caw |
cuckoos | cry, cuckoo |
deer | bell |
dogs | bark, bay, howl, and yelp |
doves | coo |
ducks | quack |
eagles | scream |
falcons | chant |
flies | buzz |
foxes | bark and yelp |
frogs | croak |
geese | cackle and hiss |
goldfinch | we speak of the “merry twinkle” of the female |
grasshoppers | chirp and pitter |
grouse | we speak of the “drumming” of the grouse |
guineafowls | cry “come back” |
guineapigs | squeak |
hares | squeak |
hawks | scream |
hens | cackle and cluck |
horses | neigh and whinny |
hyenas | laugh |
jays | chatter |
kittens | mew |
lambs | baa and bleat |
larks | sing |
linnets | chuckle in their call |
lions | roar |
magpies | chatter |
mice | squeak and squeal |
monkeys | chatter and gibber |
nightingales | pipe and warble—we also speak of its “jug-jug” |
owls | hoot and screech |
oxen | low and bellow |
parrots | talk |
peacocks | scream |
peewits | cry “pee-wit” |
pigeons | coo |
pigs | grunt, squeak, and squeal |
ravens | croak |
redstarts | whistle |
rooks | caw |
screech-owls | screech or shriek |
sheep | baa or bleat |
snakes | hiss |
sparrows | chirp or yelp |
stags | bellow and call |
swallows | twitter |
swans | cry—we also speak of the “bombilation” of the swan |
thrushes | whistle |
tigers | growl |
tits | we speak of the “twittwit” of the bottle-tit |
turkey-cocks | gobble |
vultures | scream |
whitethroats | chirr |
wolves | howl |
Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894