Star Trek’s Tribbles Get Their Noise From a Very Unlikely Animal

There are all kinds of beloved alien species in “Star Trek.” and then there are the tribbles. These fast-breeding little balls of fur are both loved and hated with equal passion; it’s just the kind of creature that can annoy you (and totally ruin your ship if you’re not careful). First appearing in the “Star Trek: The Original Series” episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” where they harassed Captain Kirk (William Shatner), the wriggling furballs are best known for their ability to reproduce faster than rabbits and the bizarre sound they make. It’s sort of a cross between squeaking and cooing (think of an auto-tuned guinea pig), and while it’s kind of cute in small doses, it gets annoying quickly.. Trust me: my brother had a tribble toy that made that sound when I was a kid (emphasis on had).

But where does this noise come from? In an interview given in 2016 to Audible“Star Trek: The Original Series” sound mixer Doug Grindstaff revealed that the sound of the tribbles came from an animal that is generally considered to have a calming, non-annoying call: doves! That’s right, this strange tribble sound started out as the call of doves, although Grindstaff definitely tweaked things a bit to distinguish the characteristic tribble sound from the cooing of birds.

According to the interview, Grindstaff used the sound of a dove and then modified it using some pretty surprising methods:

“You’d slow it down, you’d speed it up, you’d turn it back, you’d put a razor blade on the charger [audiotape track]. I would use scissors to cut it. I would use sandpaper. I would use an emory card. I would use steel wool. Anything I could do to make things work. And you could take a sound and you could speed it up and speed it up and over and a new sound would come out.”

By taking the sound of a dove and playing it seriously, Grindstaff was able to create the characteristic chirping sound of tribbles. It’s a sound that has lasted well beyond “Star Trek: The Original Series,” having since been reprized in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Prodigy,” as well as being referenced in non-Star Trek shows like “Futurama.” And while it’s not the most pleasant noise in the world, knowing that it comes from doves is pretty funny, considering their closest relatives are pigeons (which are sort of the feathered terrestrial version of tribbles, honestly).

Using the sound of a bird call to create the coo of another animal isn’t too weird, especially in a profession that can see sound designers using crunchy vegetables to crack bones and the alligator jaws for T-Rex. Just don’t listen to that tribble sound on repeat, or you might feel as disconcerted as Captain Kirk up to his neck in the little guys.