Science Quickly Here's How You Go Birding in the Middle of the Night
Aug 23, 2023
Discover the challenges of identifying nocturnal bird sounds and how computer software and spectrograms aid in identification. Learn about a social media group that assists in bird identification. Reflect on the journey of learning and discovering bird calls. Explore the excitement and challenges of nighttime bird surveillance and the importance of a large sample size for understanding bird populations.
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Joe's Start with Night Birding
- Joe started recording nighttime bird calls from his roof six years ago using Bill Evans' flower pot microphone.
- He initially struggled to identify the short, quick bird calls he captured at night.
Challenge of Nighttime Bird Calls
- Nighttime bird calls typically last less than 100 milliseconds, much shorter than daytime songs.
- Identifying such ultra-short calls is extremely challenging for even experienced birders.
Use Spectrograms for ID
- Use spectrogram software to visualize bird calls as images to aid identification.
- Zooming in on the short calls in spectrograms enhances recognition of patterns and shapes.