Revealed: what makes a cockerel so annoying

The days of rowdy roosters waking people up with their incessant crowing could be numbered thanks to research which may be used in noise disputes between neighbours.

A data set has been produced which classifies which sorts of cockerel crows are the most annoying to different people.

A series of graphs released by Vienna University and the University of Osnabrück, show that high levels of pitch and “timbral warmth,” or strong low frequency, are more likely to be considered a nuisance by humans.

The study also found that, on the whole, older people tend to find the cockerel’s call more irritating than young people.

The research involved testing 50 different bird sounds on 51 people.

ZDF, a German broadcaster, noted that the findings could be useful in identifying which sorts of crows are the most annoying, a useful tool in resolving neighbourly disputes across Europe.

“Crowing roosters are perceived as annoying and unpleasant not only because of their loud noise level, but also because of their sound properties,” the researchers stated in their conclusion.

“The higher the roughness and the higher the spectral energy content at 4000 Hz, the more annoying the rooster crowing is perceived,” they added.

In September 2019, rooster Maurice won a legal battle in France to carry on with its dawn wake-up call after a retired couple took the bird to court in Rochefort.

The judge ruled that Maurice did not need to be quiet as his “cock-a-doodle-doo” was not noise pollution under the law.

The case ruffled rural feathers and came to symbolise the tensions between country folk and retirees or holiday home owners disturbed by animal noises, smells or insects.