Notes: A freshwater stream flowing gently through the lowland rainforest of Ulu Muda. Agile Gibbons can be heard singing from the canopy & a family of Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) swim up a small creek hunting for fish and crustaceans. More info
Notes: Recorded in predawn light by a swamp in Ulu Muda's rainforest. In the latter part of this sample you can hear the unusual calls of Rough-sided Frogs (Pulchrana glandulosa). Agile Gibbons can be heard singing in the background along with the occasional chattering calls of Banded Langur. More info
Notes: Elephants grumble and roar at night at a salt lick in the forests of Ulu Muda, northern Malaysia. Listen with headphones to hear the ultra low-frequency rumbles. More info
Notes: Spiny-cheeked, White-fronted & Grey-fronted Honeyeaters call as they flutter about feeding in the flowering salmon gums. In the background, the fluty, bell-like rhythms of Crested Bellbird ring across the landscape. More info
Notes: In the hill forests of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand, White-handed Gibbons sing in the distance, while the heavy wingbeats of hornbills can be heard as they fly into feed on the fruits of a strangler fig. More info
Notes: Leading up to the storm, the air is heavy and still. The soundscape becomes softer, simpler, as if the wildlife is bracing itself for the coming deluge. More info
Notes: Each spring male Greater Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) congregate in leks and perform a "strutting display" to woo the females. The males strut with their 'chests out', air-sacs inflated, and produce an unusual swishing & bouncing sound as the air is released.
Notes: A variety of birdsong by a flowing river in North Wales. Species recorded include Common Blackbird, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Greenfinch & Eurasian Wren.
Notes: The Empress Cicada is the world's largest cicada species, and has a call to match. It's pulsing, electric-saw-like sound is strangely beautiful and a familiar sound in Borneo's tropical rainforest. In this sample a White-rumped Shama sings sweetly, & the the sound of insects intensify as evening sets in. More info
Location: Everglades National Park, Florida, United States
Habitat: Wetland
Notes: The nighttime sounds of wood storks, roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, great egrets, and great blue herons roosting at night. In the background, the high pitched background drone of mosquitoes swarming over the water's surface along with the constant chorus of frogs.
Notes: Vibrant winter soundscape recorded in old growth Bald Cypress forest by a marsh. Includes the sounds of Anhinga, Belted Kingfisher, Red-shouldered Hawk, Limpkin, Carolina Wren, Pileated Woodpecker & Red-bellied Woodpecker. More info
Notes: A cloud forest soundscape featuring the calls of Spotted Catbird, Chowchilla, Rufous Fantail, Pacific Emerald Dove & Brown Cuckoo Dove along with the gentle sound of dewdrops falling in the misty forest. More info
Notes: Pre-dawn soundscape featuring the calls of White-browed Coucal, Egyptian Geese, White-crowned Lapwing and Hadeda Ibis along with the splashing of Hippopotamus in the river. The track ends with a loud exchange of Hippopotamus grunts. More info
Notes: A large colony of breeding yellow-billed Common Eiders near small pools in Adventdalen, Svalbard. In the background you can hear Snow Buntings sing and the harsh calls of Glaucous Gull. More info
Notes: Great Snipe displaying in a marsh in northern Norway. The calls of Whimbrel, Arctic Skuas, Common snipe and several passerines can also be heard in the background. More info
Location: Integral Nature Reserve "Sassofratino", Italy
Habitat: Mixed woodland
Notes: Dawn recording in a Integral Nature Reserve managed by the Italian Forestry Service. The recording is part of the SABIOD-Italy project aimed at collecting soundscapes of a series of protected sites in Italy. More info
Notes: Flying-foxes are large bats, nectivorous and frugivorous, and roost during the day in the tops of trees in numbers up to the tens of thousands. They spend around half their day asleep, and half grooming and socialising. Vocal communication is a key component of their socialising. More info
Location: Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Habitat: Temperate rainforest
Notes: The rich sounds of Tasmania's ancient rainforests, including the calls of Black Currawong, Pink Robin, Crescent Honeyeater and Green Rosella. More info
Notes: This rich natural symphony reflects the incredible biodiversity of Borneo's rainforest. Recorded in the middle of the night, this recording features the sounds of several frog species, Blyth’s Frogmouth, Great Argus Pheasant, as well as many types of insect. More info
Notes: The roars of distant Lions echo on the walls of the dry riverbed in front of our tent. In the foreground, are the wingbeats of insect-hunting bats. More info
Notes: The sounds of one of Australia's biodiversity hotspots - Queensland tropical rainforest. This habitat is home to a staggering variety of wildlife, including many unique, endemic species. More info
Notes: Late spring in the temperate forests of the Sierra de las Nieves, Andalucia, Spain. Dawn rises with Blackbirds and a Tawny Owl, later the spring air warms and becomes full of birdsong. More info
Location: Round Hill Nature Reserve, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Mallee
Notes: A rich spring dawn chorus in Round Hill Nature Reserve, south west New South Wales. This reserve protects a significant area of mallee habitat where a number of threatened species can be found. More info
Notes: A pair of endangered Yellow-cheeked Gibbons declare their territory in the Siem Pang Conservation Area, Northern Cambodia. Sadly, illegal logging is detroying parts of this forest, & these voices may no longer be heard without positive action being taken soon. More info
Notes: Recorded with hydrophones underwater, as well as regular microphones above the water, this lovely natural chorus is dominated by Striped Marsh Frogs, and a lone but prominent Northern Banjo Frog. Underneath the creek a buzzing chorus of aquatic insects create a mesmerizing sonic landscape. More info
Notes: After months of intense tropical dry heat, heavy rain drenched the land and soon after, the sounds of frogs filled the humid night air. More info
Notes: A delightful recording capturing the sound of a mother bear and her two cubs breathing gently as they take a nap. In the background, Brown-headed Thrush, Kamchatka Warbler and many other bird species can be heard in this vibrant summer soundscape from Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. More info
Notes: A dawn recording made at the Prairie Flower Nursery. This square-mile of Iowa prairie is a combination native tall-grass prairie and restored prairie. The restored area was previously commercial farmed before returning it to something closer to it's natural origin. More info
Notes: Bibrons Toadlet's call loudly from the edge of the marsh, while a variety of honeyeaters, lorikeets & other forest birds sing in the cool humid air. In the distance, waves crash into the sands of Durras Beach. More info
Notes: Wind blows through a dry river bed lined with River Red Gums. The unique, melodious songs of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater feature in this outback soundscape. More info
Location: Rdeysky Reserve, Novgorodskaya oblast, Russia
Habitat: Meadow and mixed forest
Notes: The incredible sound of a male wolf spider (Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata) drumming to attract a mate. These spiders create this rattling sound by striking their abdomen against leaves on the ground. More info
Notes: Recorded at dawn in mid-altitude rainforest on Mount Lewis. Wompoo Fruit Doves & Pacific Emerald Doves call throughout, along with the sounds of White-throated Treecreeper, Noisy Pitta and Victoria's Riflebird. More info
Notes: Exceptional recording of Black-throated Loons calling at night on a lake. The reverberation is amazing. It gets even better when a family of wolves join in and start howling. More info
Notes: The bubbly calls of Pileated Gibbons feature in this early morning recording from Thailand's rainforest. White-browed Scimitar babblers, Asian Fairy Bluebirds and Green-eared Barbets can also be heard. More info
Location: Southern Mojave Desert, California, United States
Habitat: Scrubland desert
Notes: It is the still moments before dawn in the Mojave desert. The first birds begin calling in the dark, their voices drifting over the open plains. From rocky slopes come the echoes of a Coyote pack in full cry, while a pair of Great Horned Owls call as they patrol their territory. As the dawn chorus grows, we hear a variety of western desert birdsong; Sparrows, Cactus Wrens, Flycatchers and Thrashers. A community of Gambel's Quail call prominently as they socialise, and a tiny Hummingbird buzzes our ear. More info
Notes: Emperor penguin chicks call for their parents. In few weeks, the young birds will leave the colony and head for the sea. Towards the end of this recording adult penguins can be heard swimming in front of the microphones and jumping onto the ice. More info
Notes: A very rare recording of breeding Antarctic Petrels at the largest inland colony in Antarctica of this species. Due to 24h of sunshine and constant frost birds can not leave the egg or young chick during incubation. More info
Notes: The sounds of light rain in the forest, along with the calls of Bell Miners, Superb Lyrebird, Eastern Whipbirds and a few other species. More info
Notes: Mountain Scops Owl, Barking Deer and various insects can be heard on the forest soundscape recorded in the evening on the slopes of Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand. More info
Location: Rdeyski State Reserve, Veliky Novgorod, Russia
Habitat: Meadow
Notes: Northern Lapwings make their cosmic display flight vocalisations, along with the calls of Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit and Eurasian Golden Plover. More info
Notes: Greater Flamingoes calling in the Camargue region of southern France. Up to 10,000 flamingos gather during the mating season returning each year to a small area of the national park’s shallow expanses of water. More info
Notes: Vibrant soundscape from Thailand's western forest complex featuring the sounds of Rufous Treepie, Black-hooded Oriole, Black-headed Woodpecker, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Green Peafowl and Golden Jackal. More info
Notes: Hornbills, gibbons and an abundance of other wildlife in the rainforests of Kaeng Krachan National Park, part of Thailand's western forest complex. More info
Notes: Mixed flocks of Yellow-faced and White-naped Honeyeaters as well as other bird species moving through the forest on a cool autumn morning. More info
Notes: Along with a variety of other birds, a Helmeted Hornbill builds up to it's maniacal call, deep in the rainforests of Taman Negara National Park. More info
Notes: Rainforest soundscape from a patch of threatened rainforest, and featuring the song of White-handed Gibbons along with hornbills, broadbills, barbets and many other bird species. More info
Notes: Early morning in a sunny meadow next to the forest, the sound of flies, bees and crickets with distant parrots and a White-collared Seedeater in song. More info
Notes: Soundscape recorded on the banks of the Thap Salao river, as it flows gently through the beautiful forests of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary. More info
Notes: Morning chorus in a dry river bed, occasionally dominated by the very loud calls of a few Natal Spurfowl's, calling almost right next to the microphones. More info
Notes: Early morning on the shore of Rowallan Dam, Yellow Wattlebirds, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote and Forest Raven can be heard along with other species. More info
Notes: Thousands of seabirds including Sooty Terns and Common Noddies nest on this beautiful small sandy island on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. More info
Notes: Along with the gentle sound of the flowing Murrumbidgee River, Pied Butcherbirds and Grey Shrikethrush sing as parrots and cockatoos fly overhead. More info
Notes: Unique underwater perspective of a lake covered with thin ice. The extraordinary synthetic-sounding descending tones are caused by the natural dispersion of sound waves. More info
Notes: Frogs, insects and birds call from the fringes of a swampy section of rainforest in Kaeng Krachan National Park, part of Thailand's western forest complex. More info
Notes: In this sample you can hear the fluty calls of Black-hooded Oriole, the chattering of White-crested Laughingthrush and many other species including Lineated Barbet, Blue-bearded Bee-eater and Black Giant Squirrel. More info
Notes: High in the Żywiec Beskids, southern Poland, and the forest is alive with birdsong. A Roe Deer can also be heard 'barking' in This is one of the mountains, which is dedicated to the ski lift in future. More info
Notes: Unique recording of icebergs as they creak, grind and rub against one another due to tidal movements and also small waves deep under the iceshelf. More info Sound & photos courtesy of Dominique Filippi - CC License 3.0
Notes: Early summer in the Serrania de Ronda, Spain, and the Bumblebees are busy collecting pollen from flowering shrubs. A Blackcap sings sweetly nearby, and a Blackbird perches near the microphones then descends to the ground to forage in the leaf litter. More info
Notes: Frogs, insects and birds sing in the early morning light, then a monsoon storm passes over the rainforest. As the rain eases, the wildlife becomes active again.. More info
Notes: Delightful 15 minute recording feauturing the trumpeting of Common Cranes (Grus grus) echoing across a meadow in the south of Poland. Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) bark and countless birds sing from the forest nearby. More info
Notes: A Bittern booms from a marsh in the Norfolk Broads, an area of connected rivers and lakes that form one the UK's most beautiful wetland areas. More info
Notes: One of the most mesmerizing and haunting sounds of the Australian bush is the wind blowing through the leaves of the She-oak or Casuarina. More info
Notes: Recorded on a bright, sunny morning, this Woodlark was perched in a tree-top singing it's melodious song. In the background are Ravens, Cuckoo, Black Grouse, Common Whitethroat, Great Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Yellowhammer. More info
Notes: Contact microphones were placed inside the hollow of an old Oak. The knocking sounds are made by Death Watch Beetles trying to attract a mate. More info
Notes: Vibrant mountain soundscape featuring the calls of Mistle Thrush, Coal Tit, Common Redstart & Common Cuckoo. Listen to the Cuckoo interactions toward the end of the recording! More info
Location: Fogg Dam Conservation Area, Northern Territory, Australia
Habitat: Lowland monsoon forest
Notes: Recorded in pre-dawn light where the monsoon forest merges with the wetland. A range of bird species can be heard – forest-dwelling birds herald the dawn while nocturnal Large-tailed Nightjars make their ‘chopping’ calls in the dim light. Waterbirds such as Magpie Geese and Whistling Ducks fly over the forest toward the wetland and the gurgling territorial calls of Orange-footed Scrubfowl can occasionally heard in the distance. More info
Notes: Hill Mynas, Emerald Doves, and a Green Imperial Pigeon call from the nearby forest, along with a chorus of frogs from the edge of the pond. More info
Notes: Listen to the songs of early morning birds on wind swept Kangaroo Island. Sheer natural beauty paired with intoxicatingly fresh air makes for a very special holiday. Enjoy your time in the gumtree woodlands of Rocky River overlooking the Platypus Waterholes. More info
Notes: A key conservation area in the Southern Flinders Ranges, Mount Remarkable National Park features a unique mix of flora and fauna of the dry north and the wetter south. The impressive sandstone rock formations of Alligator Gorge are home to goannas, emu's and many other animals that live in this ancient landscape. Listen to the sounds of the birds as the majestic river red gums sway in the wind. More info
Notes: This natural amphitheatre of 540 million-year-old mountains creates a secluded shelter for an abundance of unique flora and fauna. Unwind as the birds welcome another glorious day in this ancient landscape. More info
Notes: Depot Beach is nestled within the Murramarang National Park about 20 minutes north of Bateman's Bay in New South Wales. Listen to the abundant birdlife as the waves hit the shore in the background. More info
Location: Sequoia National Park, California, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest & meadow
Notes: Recorded in Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park, California. Featuring the lovely babbling of a little creek with the calls of Pacific Treefrogs (Pseudacris regilla). More info
Location: John Day River Basin, Oregon, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest
Notes: An unlikely exchange between predator and prey, Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and a Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicottii) call during pre-dawn stillness with a background ambience of distant wind though juniper and rugged terrain. More info
Location: Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Oregon, United States
Habitat: Sage grassland
Notes: An early morning sageland soundscape featuring short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) with barks, hoots and wing-claps. Other species include Wilson's snipe, sage thrasher, vesper sparrow, and savannah sparrow, greater sage grouse. More info
Location: Oregon Coast Range, Oregon, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest
Notes: A simple dawn chorus featuring a relaxing rhythm of tones and trills from the Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) along with melodic phrases of the song sparrow, a background twitter of the Pacific wren, and distant bouts of the Pacific chorus frog. More info
Notes: Water droplets fall from the trees like rain on the ferns and salal below. A large winter ocean swell brings relaxing deep breath sounds of surf sieved though smoothly rounded gravel. More info
Location: South Fork Crooked River, Oregon, United States
Habitat: Dry open forest & river
Notes: The dawn bird chorus has settled down a bit, yet the morning is alive with birdsong including the calls of Gray Flycatcher, Western Meadowlark, Northern Flicker, Chipping Sparrow & Common Raven. More info
Notes: Strong winds blow across the barren landscape at Tom's Spring in Tecopa, California, while a Long-eared Owl calls softly in the background.More info
Location: Washington County, Oregon, United States
Habitat: Marsh & scrub
Notes: Species recorded: Red-winged Blackbird, American Bittern, Sora, Virginia Rail, Song Sparrow, American Robin, Canada Goose, Common Yellowthroat, Ring-necked Pheasant, Mourning Dove, Starling, bullfrog. More info
Location: Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Notes: Species recorded include: Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), Great Argus Pheasant (Argusianus argus), and White-handed Gibbon (Hylobates lar). More info
Notes: Lovely 33 min recording from Central Africa. Gradually the gentle sounds build, from just a few soloists to a rich rainforest orchestra. At approx 29:40 minutes listen for the whooshing sound as a pair of hornbills fly in. More info
Location: Olympic National Park, WA, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest & coast
Notes: A 20 minute sound journey through Olympic National Park. Features Pacific chorus frogs, a dawn chorus by the Hoh river, huge waves crashing on Rialto beach and a haunting howling sound recorded inside the hollow of a dead Sitka Spruce. More info
Notes: This track features the haunting calls of the Common Loon. The ambient "roar" you'll hear is the sound of gentle night breezes swishing through the treetops of large Red Pines nearby. More info
Location: Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota, United States
Habitat: Wetland
Notes: A steady chorus from Spring Peeper Frogs is punctuated by the sounds of other critters settling in for the night. Listen to the pair of Trumpeter Swans fly in at 3:50 - wonderful! More info
Notes: Pado lake is on the eastern side of the Meelva bog in south-east Estonia. This recording captures a pleasant mix of bird and frog species during the dawn chorus. More info
Notes: Recorded shortly after midnight. In the tree to the right is a Nightingale and in the field to the left is a Corn Crake (Crex crex). Cuckoos and Eurasian bittern call in the distance. More info
Notes: Hydrophones were placed underwater in a small still rock pool. You can hear the sounds of whelks, limpets, shrimp and other creatures. More info
Notes: Sea pounding in the background with lots of different birds calling including Gulls, Oyster Catchers, Meadow Pipit, Canada Geese, Skylark, Pheasant, & Reed Warbler in the distance. More info
Notes: A mother and pup Grey Seal defend their patch on the beach from other seals. Your can hear the time going by, as the tide is coming in, getting closer to the microphone and so are the seals! More info
Notes: Recorded on the beach at Exmouth, Devon UK. Two hydrophones buried in the sand about 4 inches deep, recording the tide coming in over the dry sand. More info
Notes: Dark clouds were forming, grumbling and rolling continuously. This particular afternoon, the rainfall was lighter than usual, and soon enough the storm had passed, birds singing again as the sky brightened.More info
Notes: Strong winds made recording difficult on this trip to Mount Kinabalu, but I managed to get one decent recording where the sound of the wind complements the birdsong & ambience. More info
Notes: In the hours following dusk in Pasoh Forest Reserve, the forest is alive with insects, frogs, nocturnal birds and mammals. This recording was made by a puddle on the side of the main access road. More info
Location: Fraser's Hill, Pahang Province, Malaysia
Habitat: Montane rainforest
Notes: In the highlands of Malaysia, a thunderstorm rumbles over the forest. Rain filters through the thick canopy, lightly falling on the forest floor. Mesia's, fulvettas and other birds sing sweetly, and a group of Siamangs (a type of gibbon) call loudly in the distance. More info.
Location: Fraser's Hill, Pahang Province, Malaysia
Habitat: Montane rainforest
Notes: The grumble of thunder resonates, as birds call softly from the forest, and the short, melodic whistles of tree frogs punctuate the tranquil soundscape. More info
Notes: An extraordinary bird-of-paradise with a bizarre call. They are surprisingly easy to find once you are in the right location as they call loudly for hours on end. More info
Location: Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Eucalypt forest
Notes: In addition to it's striking visual performance, displaying male Satin Bowerbirds produce intense buzzing, rattling and mechanical sounds which apparently the females find irresistible!More info
Notes: Situated on a rugged sandstone plateau south of Sydney, Dharawal National Park preserves an ancient landscape of tall eucalypts, heaths, swamps, waterfalls and rockpools. A network of creeks drain crystal clear water from the vast sedgelands and hanging upland swamps in Dharawal. More info
Notes: In the dark pre-dawn light, a pair of Powerful Owls (Ninox Strenua) call, and a Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata) sings it's autumn melody. More info
Notes: Starting before dawn, crickets, tree frogs and owls gradually give way to the calls of early-rising Kookaburras, followed by an intense dawn chorus of many bird species singing in celebration of the new day. More info
Notes: Striped Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes peroni) & Eastern Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) call from a marsh in Booderee National Park, NSW, Australia. More info
Notes: In the Australian winter, Pied Currawongs often form flocks and search out fruiting trees to raid. I set up my recording gear in front of a native Lilli Pilli tree in full fruit, and it was only a matter of time before the currawongs arrived and enjoyed one of their winter parties! More info
Notes: Recorded in primary rainforest at Sepilok Forest Reserve, insects buzz & pulse in the rising morning heat, and birds call softly in the background. More info
Location: Nombinnie Nature Reserve, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Mallee & dry woodland
Notes: Spring is a great time to visit the mallee country, and if you can handle the frosty mornings, the intense dawn chorus at 6am is amazing. More info
Notes: For the early Australian settlers, camping in the bush must have been a frightening experience. With limited knowledge of Australian fauna, their imaginations no doubt ran wild when hearing some of the rather disconcerting sounds of the bush at night - such as these harmless Brush-tailed Possums having a territorial disagreement. More info
Location: Chukchi Sea Coast, Lagune Ukouge, Russia
Habitat: Icy coastline
Notes: Soundscape from one of the remotest regions on the planet, Vega Gulls congregating on the ice-covered coast of Russia's far eastern Chukotka Pensinsula. More info
Notes: Recorded whilst on a canoe down the river Cano Negro in Costa Rica. As we passed through a mangrove forest, the calls of Howler Monkeys echoed from the water surface. On the other side of the river, Spider Monkeys climbed through the trees and a Montezuma's Oropendola sang. Just after 4:00 a caiman jumps into the water.More info
Location: Sand Island, Midway Atoll, United States
Habitat: Sandy atoll
Notes: Laysan albatrosses are monogamous and known for their elaborate courtship displays which include beak clappering and other ritualized movements. More info
Notes: It has been suggested that this call of Blakiston's Fish Owl is actually a duet, with the male producing the first and third note, and the female making the second and fourth. More info
Notes: This recording captures the soundscape of an increasingly rare eco-system, the old growth virgin forest. Many of the sounds you hear are the same sounds that echoed through these trees thousands years ago and because it has never been touched by humans the soundscape is perhaps as close to true wilderness as you can experience. More info & video
Notes: A journey in the through the sounds of the Acadian Forest of Nova Scotia. From dawn, following the morning chorus in wetlands, forests and river valleys we take a journey into the Spring Wilderness of Nova Scotia. Watch video
Notes: Recording locations included the high Tundra plateau of the Cape Breton Highlands and the hidden wetlands of the Acadian Forest of Canada's east coast.More info
Notes: Recorded on the banks of the river Waveny. As as the dawn chorus began, a Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) came close to my microphones and started to sing his beautiful song. More info
Notes: The insect chorus ends at the crack of dawn and the birds get into their positions to sing in the morning. As the cooler morning air is warmed by the rising sun, the birds begin the dawn chorus. Read more
Notes: This may be the last recording from of this seal colony. This fur seal breeding colony is being decimated by marauders who club 90,000 baby seals to death in a season for the lucrative seal fur trade. Read more
Notes: One of Africa's most beautiful bird species, the Great Blue Turaco is a bird of central Africa's rainforest, and spends much of it's time in the canopy feeding on fruit. More info
Location: Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Wisconsin, United States
Habitat: Sedge marsh and brush prairie
Notes: Chorus frogs and spring peepers precede a unison call of Sandhill Cranes, geese and waterfowl as night falls. A small mammal passes the microphones and a common snipe begins its courtship flights. Dawn excites the red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, and woodpeckers in the distant forest to sing as the wind picks up again. More info
Notes: Providing refuge and breeding grounds for migratory birds and other wildlife, Seney Wildlife Refuge is a success story in habitat restoration. In this recording, a Black-billed Cuckoo calls rhythmically to a background of open country birdsong.More info
Notes: Featuring the melodic song of the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) about which American naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote: "Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; wherever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of Heaven are not shut against him." More info
Location: Shindagin Hollow State Forest, New York, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest & stream
Notes: In addition to quite a number of bird species, there is a small chorus of American Toads and Spring Peepers. The rush of water over a beaver's dam is audible. More info
Notes: Recorded overnight in the dry river bed at Umzumbi in Mmabolela, South Africa as part of Sonic Mmabolela. Featuring the disconcerting shouts and barks of alarmed baboons, this is raw African night. Jackals, bats, frogs, crickets, and birds add their voices to this haunting nocturnal soundscape. More info
Notes: Looking like it’s come straight out of a children's fantasy story, the bizarre Horned Screamer is found along rivers and freshwater marshes in northern and central South America. This species is very vocal and it’s rather unmusical honking duets are a common sounds in Amazonian open wetlands. Read more.
Location: Reserva Natural da Vale, Linhares, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Notes: The Tawny-browed Owl (Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana) frequently calls in duet, giving pulsing, low, other-worldly calls that accelerate towards their end.
Notes: Another gifted singer from the Psarocolius genus (oropendolas), the Russet-backed oropendola (Psarocolius angustifrons) is quite widely distributed throughout montane rainforests in the Andes and parts of the western Amazonian basin.
Notes: Named after it's elaborate & beautiful song, the Musician Wren (Cyphorhinus arada) often uses the same intervals common in human music -- octaves, perfect fifths and perfect fourths. Read more
Location: Red Spruce Knob, West Virginia, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest
Notes: Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) perform extraordinary non-vocal acoustic displays. The bird usually choose a resonant, fallen log & with rapid, accelerating wing-beats it creates a low frequency sound known as drumming to declare it's territory. More info
Notes: A widespread songbird in South America, the Spotted Nightingale Thrush (Catharus dryas) has a particularly sweet, musical song composed of beautiful short phrases.
Notes: Stereo recording of Hooker's Sea Lions (Phocarctos hookeri) playing in a cove. One Sea Lion is swimming in the front, a second one is roaring in a remote sea cave. Silver Gulls and Sub-Antarctic terns are flying around. Not far away, there is a small but noisy Snares Penguin colony. More info and CC License 3.0
Location: Ledson Marsh, Sonoma County, California, United States
Habitat: Wetland & grassland
Notes: The electric song of Red-winged Blackbird fills the air, and from the marsh the croaks Pacific Tree Frogs form a gentle rhythmic background. More info
Notes: This recording contains the sounds of many local birds and migrants including Red-necked Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Red-throated Diver, Black tailed Goldwit, Common Snipe, Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Eurasian Oystercatcher. Background noise is coming from the surf along the south coast. More info
Notes: The rain had slowed a little one evening and there was a stunning collection of tree frogs, insects, dripping on palm leaves and cane toads in the distance. More info
Notes: In ancient times, this small forest supplied sacred resin that was traded from Egypt to Babylon. Birdsong wafts among the trees - Serins, Chaffinches, Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, Blackbird and Greenfinches are heard as they flit among the branches on a sunlit, spring morning. More info
Notes: In the darkness, a Rock Thrush begins the dawn chorus and the piping calls of a Scops Owl echo eerily off the rock walls. Eventually, the whole gorge reverberates with birdsong. More info
Location: Ormiston Gorge, Western Macdonnell Ranges, NT, Australia
Habitat: Desert riverine
Notes: At 3:00am in a remote Australian gorge, the sublime song of a Pied Butcherbird reverberates in the stillness of the night. From far away up the gorge, another bird was also singing, its voice floating distantly. More info
Location: Nagarahole National Park, Karnataka, India
Habitat: Subtropical broadleaf forest
Notes: This recording features the sounds of elephants, monkeys, deer and tiger, while birdsong echoes among deep jungles of teak, rosewood and bamboo. More info
Notes: In the dry season flamingos, pelicans, cranes and waterfowl gather on mirror lakes in huge numbers, and in the dry thornscrub, doves, prinias, bulbuls, coucals and silverbills contribute to a chorus of delicate birdsong that drifts over the arid plains. More info
Location: Sunaberra National Park, western Orissa, India
Habitat: Subtropical broadleaf forest
Notes: This sample begins with White-browed Fantails, Prinias, Barbets, Bulbuls, Orioles and other birds together weaving a melodic chorus. Later a pair of Indian Grey Hornbills fly in, and a troupe of Langurs call nearby. More info
Notes: As the last birds sing and settle down, tiny Jungle Owlets awake with soft calls. The soft 'chapping' of geckos is heard, and as evening deepens, nocturnal crickets develop a hypnotising chorus of chiming rhythms. More info
Location: Tarkine wilderness, northwest Tasmania, Australia
Habitat: Temperate rainforest
Notes: Australia's Tarkine region of northwest Tasmania contains the largest expanse of temperate rainforest in the southern hemisphere. This soundscape captures the some unique sounds from this wild place, which is sadly under imminent threat from proposed mining operations. More info
Notes: A group of several hundred zebra come to the river to drink at midday. They are nervous of predators, and indeed we'd seen several prides of lions in the vicinity in previous days. Also heard are collared doves, plover and buffalo weavers. More info
Notes: We were camped in a forest clearing at Manyara NP, and heard these lions calling very close to our camp. The lion may seem quiet, but turn your volume up so the night insects sound pretty loud (they were!) and just imagine lying on the ground with only Chinese nylon between you and the night sounds. More info
Notes: The air is filled with a rich chorus of nocturnal insects. Bats flutter overhead, sometimes coming close and audibly echo-locating. Nightjars call mysteriously on the wing, and if you listen carefully, the deep rumbling vocalisations from a family of elephants can occasionally be heard. More info
Notes: This recording takes you to the island of Kolombangara to experience the melodic, rhythmic (and very loud!) song 0f the Golden Whistler, reverberating through the rainforests that cloak the island's volcanic flanks. More info
Notes: Gentle waves roll ashore, and as they recede, coral fragments tinkle delicately in the backwash. Among the coral debris, hermit crabs scurry busily, carrying their crazy variety of shelly homes. From the rainforest behind come the occasional calls of lorikeets, mynahs and fruit pigeons.
More info
Location: Rdeysky Reserve, Novgorodskaya oblast, Russia
Habitat: Meadow and mixed forest
Notes: Species recorded include Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) & Blackbird (Turdus merula). More info
Notes: Soundscape from the remote Lake Achit-nur in Mongolia. Species recorded include Great Reed Warbler, Whooper Swan Common Coot and Common Black-headed Gull More info
Notes: Morning by the Lake Plateliai, in Zemaitija National Park, Lithuania. Icterine Warbler is singing in the tree. Other birds nearby: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Fieldfare, Wood Pigeon, Marsh Warbler and Common Whitethroat. More info
Notes: In summer, the swampy forests of Estonia are heaven for mosquitos, but also provide a haven for singing Willow Warblers with their distinctive descending call. The sound of cuckoo and displaying Snipe are also prominent, and a Bittern booms about midway through the recording. More info
Notes: Summer in Dadia, Greece, near the Turkish border. Crickets gently pulse from the grasses, with the occasional sounds Great Tit, Nightingale, and Turtle Dove in the background (try to ignore the local man shouting at a dog!). More info
Notes: Rich spring chorus featuring the sounds of cuckoo, chaffinch and the drumming of a woodpecker. Occasional background sounds from a nearby farm. More info
Location: Emajõe Suursoo Nature Reserve, Tähemaa, Estonia
Habitat: Wetland
Notes: In this early morning recording you can hear the sounds from the swamps of Emajõe Suursoo (meaning: Great Bog of the Mother River) and also from the surrounding forest. Common Toads and Moor Frogs softly croak in the foreground, while in the distance Reed Bunting, Great Snipe, Cuckoos, & Savi's Warbler call, and a swimming Beaver paddles across the wetland. More info
Notes: Underwater recording, made with hydrophones submerged just a few centimetres in a shallow stream. The source of sound is unknown, probably underwater insects. More info
Location: Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Notes: I placed the microphones a few metres from a small stream in upland rainforest and left them to capture the dawn chorus. You can hear the raucous calls of Orange-footed Scrubfowl (one of Australia's three species of megapode or mound-builder) as well as the unusual wails of Spotted Catbird. Occasionally Northern Barred Frogs (Mixophyes schevilli)call from the leaf litter. More info
Notes: Northern Barred Frogs make the wonderfully deep croaks, while Orange-thighed Treefrogs call in chorus making the not-so-musical craaaak-craaaak-craaaaak sound. More info
Location: Post Office Bay, Ulva Island, New Zealand
Habitat: Coast
Notes: The soothing sounds of waves at Post Office Bay on Ulva Island, one of New Zealand's few remaining havens of undisturbed natural podocarp forest. More info
Notes: Hauturu Island supports the most diverse assemblage of native fauna of any island in New Zealand. This soundscape includes the calls of tui, bellbird & kokako and represents an important record of what New Zealand must have sounded like before the invasion of introduced species. More info
Location: Hudson Valley, New York State, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest
Notes: 11AM on a sunny spring morning in New York's Hudson Valley. The lot next door had been adopted as home by a raucous Red-Bellied Woodpecker and an Eastern Towhee (aka Rufous-sided Townhee). Also on stage are Tufted Titmouse, Chickadee, Crows, White-breasted Nuthatch, and some passing bees. More info
Notes: Western Banjo Frogs (Limnodynastes dorsalis) are the main species calling, with Motorbike Frog (Litoria moorei) in the background, and an unknown species calling midway through the recording. More info
Notes: A male Woodcock (Scolopax minor) performs a ritual flight from one side of the microphone to the other, while Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) sing from a small pond nearby. More info
Location: Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Habitat: Temperate forest and lake
Notes: I was recording the dawn chorus over the lake when a female moose and her calf started to approach the microphone... listen to hear the whole story. More info
Notes: A few fire-bellied toads calling from pond water with blackcap song in a background. recorded in Pilica river valley a lowland river valley. More info
Notes: A group of Mute Swans quietly drift on the Warta river during a snowy winter. Amongst their calls and sounds of preening, you can also hear the delicate sound of snowflakes falling on the microphones from trees above. More info
Notes: Alarm and contact calls of a Black Redstarts family group recorded on the edge of fresh pine forest near a village in lowland river valley (Pilica river valley). More info
Location: Lundsford Corner, Arkansas, United States
Habitat: Wetland
Notes: Windy evening at sunset, pond near Lundsford Corner, Arkansas. Multiple different kinds of frogs were croaking/clicking, as expected, but I was not expecting much bird activity because it was hot and humid. Just after sunset, the chuck-wills-widows started up a chorus that continued for a long time. More info
Location: Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, United States
Habitat: Temperate forest
Notes: Quiet evening, after rain, in forest near Lake Winona in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. A Pileated Woodpecker calls throughout, along with other birds, crickets and cicadas. More info
Notes: Recorded high up in the mountain pastures below the famous Eyjafjallajokull Volcano on the south of the island. You can hear a diverse range of birdsong and the delicate sounds of streams flowing down from the glacier. More info
Notes: An astonishing array of birdsong and the beautiful buzz of a hummingbird who crossed the pathway where I was standing several times during the recording. More info
Notes: Wonderful soundscape featuring a pair of Great Hornbill's. You can hear the loud, deep wingbeats at 3:57 & again at 4:52, followed by the immensely powerful call at 5:00. Frogs and insects call from the swampy undergrowth in the foreground. More info
Location: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Habitat: Geothermal area
Notes: Unusual soundscape revealing the gurgles and plops of boiling mud from the 'Artist's Paint Pots' geothermal site in Yellowstone National Park. More info
Notes: On this day we were able to find and swim with a singing humpback whale. Our guests were in the water literally swimming in the music, and I was able to drift nearby in the tender while dangling our hydrophone in the water. More info
Notes: In autumn, Red Deer stags start their annual 'rut'. Male deer roar to keep their harem of females together. The females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and the loudest. More info
Notes: In Cambodia's Virachey National Park, locals guided us to the remote Trolob Niu Sacred Site where I made this recording in a swampy clearing surrounded by tall forest. More info
Notes: Green Frogs were regular callers from this small pond in southern Indiana, but this was the only time I heard such a chorus from multiple individuals. More info
Notes: Woodpigeons call continuously along with the regular call and wingbeat of Pheasant. Many other common garden and countryside species can be heard throughout the recording. More info
Notes: Nice underwater hydrophone recording of waves and gentle splashing. Microphones placed at a depth of about one metre, recorded off the coast of Croatia. More info
Notes: Dawn chorus in a forest near a small pond. Species recorded include: Nuthatch, European Robin, Blackbird, woodpecker sp., Common Buzzard, Chiffchaff, Eurasian Jay, and a distant Nightingale. More info
Notes: A Roe Deer barks to a melodic background of Tits (Paridae), European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius), Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) and other birds. More info
Notes: On this lakeshore in Poland, frogs and toads call for a mate, and a Black Woodpecker drums in the background along with the calls of other bird species. More info
Notes: Superb two hour recording from Puerto Rico's El Yunque tropical rainforest at night. Features the wonderful calls of Coqui frogs along with gentle rain. More info
Notes: The voice of the Screaming Piha is extraordinary. For a relatively small bird it's call is exceptionally loud and one of the most evocative sounds of the Amazon rainforests. More info
Notes: A lovely 11 minute recording featuring a thrush (Creamy-bellied Thrush?) singing in Brazil's Atlantic forest. Especially good after 6:30 when a woodpecker starts drumming. More info
Notes: Excellent recording up close (too close?!) and personal with a pride of lions roaring pre-dawn to a backdrop of night bush sounds in the Zimbabwe midlands. More info
Notes: Snippet of a 20+ min recording of a large group of Black-bellied Brent geese, relaxing and eating on the mudflats of the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog during low tide. More info
Notes: About 12 species of Oropendola are found in Central and South America, and each has it’s own complex and beautiful song - this is possibly an Olive Oropendola. More info
Notes: Deep in the forest, Black, Great Spotted and Middle-spotted Woodpecker call and drum, while Great & Blue Tits sing phrases to welcome the spring. More info
Notes: The aptly named Song Thrush is famous for it's melodic calls, and in this recording two birds can be heard singing in late spring. Notice the repeating of song phrases typical of this species. More info
Notes: A pair of Yellow-cheeked Gibbons perform their incredible duet song. The male takes the lead with the female joining for intense 'great call' after approx 1 minute. More info
Location: Rdeisky State Reserve, Veliky Novgorod, Russia
Habitat: Meadow at forest edge
Notes: Greenshanks make the repetetive -tu-wit' call, and Black Grouse coo and gurgle in the background, occasionally making their hoarse advertising call. Other bird species include Willow Warbler, Skylark, Reed Bunting & Cuckoo. More info
Habitat: River poplar forest surrounded by grassy steppes
Notes: The sounds of Hoopoe, Ruddy Shelduck and Black Kite (and a few cows in the background!) in a stand of riverside forest in the remote Russian northern steppes. More info
Location: Rdeisky State Reserve, Veliky Novgorod, Russia
Habitat: Meadow
Notes: In a Russian meadow, the unusual, wispy rattles of grasshoppers and bush-crickets, along with the sounds of other insects and birds make for a relaxing, gentle rhythm.More info
Notes: Ice booms and cracks on a frozen Swedish lake. Birds sing softly in the background as the winter ice slowly melts and breaks from the warming spring air.More info
Notes: The sounds of tens of thousands of cranes calling, singing and dancing as they arrive at their spring feeding grounds at Lake Hornborga.More info
Notes: In this clip are two exchanges of calls from trees close to the microphone. Between the Galago calls, distant Hippopotamus make their characteristic grunts. More info
Notes: Elephant tearing branches from a small tree. Amid the crashing of vegetation, you can hear the grinding of the Elephant chewing, and some other unexpected sounds I have annotated on the timeline. More info
Notes: Excerpt from a 38 minute track recorded by a small creek in a gully, with a number of bird species calling from the nearby bushland, including Superb Lyrebird. More info
Location: Kanangra-Boyd National Park, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Snow Gum forest
Notes: Birds, mammals and frogs all thrive in this protected area, and this album features three distinct soundscapes recorded over the period of a day in the reserve. More info
Location: Border Ranges National Park, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Temperate montane rainforest
Notes: Albert's Lyrebird singing in Antarctic Beech forest - a rare and lesser known cousin to the famous Superb Lyrebird, but with an equally beautiful song. More info
Location: Kings Plains National Park, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Box-Ironbark woodland
Notes: Many species of honeyeater call, as well as thornbills, kookaburra, Australian Raven, magpies, butcherbirds and even the cough of an Eastern Grey Kangaroo at 3:52. More info
Location: Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Habitat: Tropical woodland
Notes: Bushfires are part of the annual cycles in Kakadu. In the dry woodlands and grasslands, controlled burns are carried out in the early dry season to stimulate new plant growth. More info
Notes: Above the trees, the sky fills with clouds that cool and cover this dense treasure of life. We can hear the forest going from dawn into early morning. More info
Location: Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Costa Rica
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Notes: Birds sing at the end of the day, while nocturnal species awaken. Howler Monkeys fill the air with their gruff, heavy voices in the distance. More info
Notes: Flock of displaying King Eider, males giving a soft, vibrating cooing and females a hard chuckling call. Long-tailed Ducks & gulls in background. More info
Notes: Morning bird song in the Sonoran Desert featuring Gambel's Quail, Eurasian Collared Dove, Mourning Dove, Cactus Wren & Great-tailed Grackle. More info
Notes: Not the 17-year, or even the 13-year type, these cicadas are heard every year although they likely have a 2-3 year life cycle. Possibly Tibicen chiricahua. More info
Notes: Recorded at 3am in modified habitat which has been cleared of natural forest. Species recorded include Common Snipe, Whinchat and Tree Pipit. More info
Notes: Notice the sound of the bittern gulping and inhaling air before it begins to call. This call is not the typical foghorn boom-type call. More info
Notes: Comical gargling, gobbling and chuckling sounds of Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) in a nesting colony in the Garzaia di Celpenchio nature reserve. More info
Notes: Spring birdsong including orioles, barbets, doves, magpie-robins, ioras, coucals, junglefowl and peafowl. The barking alarm call of a large Sambar deer can be heard regularly, a sure sign of a big cat nearby. More info
Notes: Giant Banjo Frogs make the deep 'bonk' calls. You can also hear the staccato croaks of Spotted Marsh Frog & the higher pitched 'squelch' of the Eastern Sign-bearing Froglet. More info
Location: Nombinnie Nature Reserve, NSW, Australia
Habitat: Mallee & dry woodland
Notes: Rufous Songlarks sing their scratchy metallic song while Spiny-cheeked honeyeater, Crested Bellbird and Restless Flycatcher call in the background. More info
Location: Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria, Australia
Habitat: Box Ironbark woodland
Notes: Recorded at 5:45am in one of Australia's last remaining box-ironbark woodlands. Australian Magpies, Willie Wagtails and many other species sing in this vibrant dawn chorus. More info
Notes: Pied Butcherbirds, Galahs, Cockatiels and Budgerigars call from the trees surrounding a small billabong (water hole) in Queensland's arid outback. More info
