Birding by Ear

 

There's a lot to look forward to in spring, including the welcomed hullabaloo of birdsong. The sheer volume of songs and calls can often feel overwhelming for birders, but these sounds offer an opportunity and a challenge. With our birding-by-ear series you can learn how to better ID birds through their vocalizations. 

A Few of Our Favorite Sounds

Tech

Meet Your New Birding-By-Ear Assistant

Amazon's Alexa can now access more than 2,000 birds sounds from the Audubon library—as long as you say the magic words.

More Birding Advice

News

Merlin Is Magical, but It Still Makes Mistakes

By Alice Sun
August 23, 2023 — As the popularity of the app’s Sound ID feature grows, so do concerns about how imperfect artificial intelligence impacts a trove of scientific data.
A young woman outside near a river holds a tripod and spotting scope and looks at the camera.
Books

Mya-Rose Craig’s Search for Family Amid an Extraordinary Life of World Birding

By Nicholas Cannariato
August 15, 2023 — Birdgirl, a memoir by the 21-year-old birder and activist, is an affecting story of a daughter seeking her parents as they, together, seek birds.
A rust and gray-colored bird stands on a mossy surface and looks at the camera.
News

How Training Secretive Birds Became a Boon for Tropical Forest Conservation

By Ryan F. Mandelbaum
August 10, 2023 — When a farming family in Ecuador “befriended” an elusive antpitta, they pioneered a new path for ecotourism.
A crowd watches a baseball game while a flock of birds circles overhead.
From Audubon Magazine

Why Baseball and Birding Go Together Like Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

By Joe Trezza
July 10, 2023 — America’s pastime presents plenty of opportunities to spot birds, according to sports writer Joe Trezza.
A bird feeder with a camera and microphone hangs outside.
Tech

These Smart Devices Can Identify the Birds Outside Your Window

By Jessica Leber
July 10, 2023 — The Bird Buddy and the Haikubox offer new ways to get excited about birding from home.
In the Field

Learn to Identify Five Owls by Their Calls

These hooters have surprisingly big vocabularies.
Podcast

Is This the Most Beautiful Bird Song on the Planet?

According to famed ornithologist Frank Chapman, it is.