Recording Bird Sounds

At the moment, I use a Tascam to record bird sounds and Audacity to edit. Then I upload the files to eBird. Possibly, in 2026, I will upgrade to a parabolic microphone, or at the very least, a shotgun mic.
Besides posting recordings of birds, I also add photos whenever possible. I take the images, or, if I lack that particular species, I use a public-access image from Macaulay. The eBird and Macaulay photo and sound libraries are a great resource for beginning to advanced birders. I recommend you spend some time there playing around with the settings.

Current Collection

For several reasons, my Michigan collection has not grown as I would have liked. Because I currently have a limited collection, I am posting them in list form. Hopefully, I will soon begin building pages for each taxonomic group. The new year, 2026, should create new opportunities for recording bird sounds, especially in the central Upper Peninsula. Our birding group, Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance, will be out and about inspecting sites for the upcoming North Woods Birding Trail.

We moved to the Upper Peninsula in May 2019, and I have only taken time to record birds casually. During my fifty years in North Carolina, I recorded a decent collection of North Carolina bird sounds, which is linked here – North Carolina bird sounds.

I hope to build a good collection of Michigan bird sounds soon.

And, I hope to meet you soon on the trail. Just look for the old guy with a bunch of stuff hanging around his neck.

Note: the accompanying photos are mostly Michigan-based, taken by me unless otherwise noted, and include public-access images from Macaulay.

Brian