I came here to say that. Long ago I had a short term job in the Ornithology department at the Bronx Zoo. One day as I was asking some kids to stop screaming at the Marabou Stork, a man walked up, took one look, and declared, “Damn, that be some ugly ass bird!” The kids and I could not argue with him. They have actually grown on me with time, and while I’m going to call them beautiful, they are certainly striking.
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I’ve had several attempts at recording cicadas and crickets completely ruined by flocks of cockatoos choosing to arrive at the moment and scream ear-splitting alarm calls in chaotic unison in the canopy above me. They will even follow you from tree to tree.
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Yes, and budgies, NOISY…
Here, maybe the SPECTACULARLY loud Ring-necked parakeet calls. Not bad if they aren’t 5 metres away of course… Actually sort-of cute!
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Marabous are not ugly, just too weird to be nice at ALL!
I suspect that these birds, which have long term or lifelong mates, do this to impress each other or try to stand out as a bold individual in a flock. We pose zero actual threat to them while pottering about on the ground, so are fair game.
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But Parakeets (not Budgies, yes maybe budgies as well) don’t have life mates.
many birds will follow a predator or threat and sound alarm, to alert others in the vicinity of the presence of the threat. Blackbirds in my back yard do this, a single individual follows the cat around, making a constant racket to alert all other birds… and they seem to do it in shifts… far too intelligent if you ask me… I nearly got run over crossing the road a week ago, I need someone to follow me around and squawk when cars are approaching…
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While male Yellow-headed Blackbirds are beautiful to look at, their song [sic] has always reminded me of an old screen door banging shut. Listen to the first “song” sample at this link:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-headed_Blackbird/sounds
The only upside of the YHBB’s song is that it is unmistakable. Easiest ID on any day.
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It’s not really ugly, but the numerous calls of White Breasted Nuthatches can be annoying when they are yapping back and forth. However, crows are extremely annoying!
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Zebra finch sounds. Very cute animals, but unlike with other finches, I find their noises annoying.
A long time ago, I did a work experience at a pet store. They of course also had some zebra finches. Whenever I’d be near the birds, I’d contanstantly hear them making these dog-toy noises. Tirelessly. Gets kinda grating when you’re there for a long time, cleaning the bird cages.
Other than that, can’t say I find much uglyness among any avians (sans some severly overbred.ones).
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The call of Common Hawk Cuckoo is very annoying as they are lots and the repeat. In old books written by British birders in India they’ve written to shoot the bird when you hear it as they are a nuisance. It was once named Brainfever bird because it’s call is like ‘brainfever-brainfever’. Recently I’ve read somewhere(I think local newspapers) that a forest officer killed this bird for not letting him sleep. The call is a normal one in typical Indian forests.
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I find macaw squawking to be the most annoying bird sound.
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Old-world or New-world (Old worlds are thrushes while New worlds are Icterids)
In zoos they scream their HEARTS out!!! AHHH!
OHH yes! CROWS!!!
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Are you thinking of the peacock? Kee-YAH!, Kee-YAH!
But really, the only bird sound that sounds ugly to me is the alarm call of the Helmeted Guinea Fowl. COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-COO-Coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo! in a screeching tone.
It’s a great way of finding snakes or goannas where I live 
I find most corvids annoying, but it’s hard not to admire their intelligence.
For me, The only really ugly bird would be vultures and marabou storks.
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yes, peacock is a good example, but many colourful tropical birds make awful noises, when compared to little brown birds of Holarctics.
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Gotta be the Turkey Vulture. The Black Vultures are pretty ugly, too.
I live in NE Ohio in the U.S.A… We don’t have the beautiful vultures found in other parts of the world.
I should add that, as a birder, I do appreciate the vultures and the job they do cleaning up dead animals. And, they are true masters of the skies when they are soaring overhead.
Oh…I forgot about this: I do admire their ability to hide their nests. I participated in a raptor nest survey for a local park system some years ago. I searched and searched for turkey vulture nests without success. So, they get credit for this ability. There are a lot of vultures in this area. I thought I would find a nest at some point. But, I have never been able to do so. (They nest on the ground under fallen trees, in big tree cavities or in cliffs.)
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Ugliest looking bird: King Vulture. Even black vultures are pretty compared to this freakish bird.
Ugliest sounding bird: I never liked Blue Jay calls. The birds themselves are so pretty, but they have that annoying caw, and since they’re gregarious birds that usually come in large numbers, you hear it a lot.
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