About the Archive
The Macaulay Library is the world's largest and oldest
scientific archive of biodiversity audio and video
recordings.
Our mission is to collect and
preserve recordings of each species' behavior and natural history, to
facilitate the ability of others to collect and preserve such recordings, and
to actively promote the use of these recordings for diverse purposes
spanning scientific research, education, conservation, and the arts.
Learn more
What's New
Golondrinas de las Americas collaborators add ML's first Mangrove Swallows.
Search has changed! See our search guide.
All 10,700 of Ted Parker's recordings are now online. Read the story in BirdScope.
Recording Tips
Use headphones to monitor what you are recording. They can help you to recognize when the levels are set too high or if you aren’t aiming the microphone in the right direction. You can then make appropriate adjustments.
More Audio TipsCheck and, if necessary, set the date and time on your digital recorder every time you use it. This will help to ensure that you have the correct metadata with your recordings.
More Audio TipsTake your rig through a test run before heading into the field. Plug everything in and make sure it works before you run out the door. It’s easy to forget a key component of your system like the memory card at home!
More Audio TipsMake an announcement. Speaking into the microphone and stating the species, location, date, time and other notes is a very effective way of preserving this important information. It’s also extremely helpful for the archivists!
More Audio TipsSet your levels for each track. Before pressing record, listen for the loudest part in the target’s vocalization and set the input level so it won’t go above the 0 dB mark. Avoid adjusting levels in the middle of a recording!
More Audio TipsDon’t cut your recordings short. Nowadays there is usually plenty of space on your memory card to record. Try to record for at least two minutes or more if the subject allows before hitting the stop button and walking away.
More Audio TipsAlways use a tripod. Footage shot with a tripod is vastly superior to handheld footage. We do not recommend shooting without a tripod at any time unless tripod use is impossible.
More Video TipsDo not overweight your tripod and head. It is best to select a system that is rated for a few more pounds than your camera actually weighs.
More Video TipsTo avoid ‘handling noise’ employ hands off shooting. After framing, composing, focusing, and hitting record, take your hands off of the camera. This is a good option for static subjects like perching or vocalizing birds.
More Video TipsCollecting video specimen data is critical. Always note location, time, gear used and field conditions. When appropriate, note any behavioral information, equipment configurations, and problems experienced in the field.
More Video TipsVideo with good audio is important! Use a high quality microphone with your camera, in conjunction with an audio mixer if possible. You can also use a separate audio recorder to record audio tracks to add to video later.
More Video TipsCompose your shots with the full field of view in mind. Use the rule of thirds. Treat the field as 3 compositional units. Align your subject in the right or left third. Avoid placing your subject in the center of the frame.
More Video TipsFeatured Recordings
Wilson’s Snipe
Not all bird sounds come out of a bird’s bill. During the breeding season, this shorebird rockets into the sky and spreads its tail. As air moves through the tail feathers it produces a whistling sound, which is broken up into separate notes by the pumping wings.
Listen!
Indigo-banded Kingfisher
The Indigo-banded Kingfisher is endemic to the Phillipines and usually restricted to tropical and subtropical forests. As the clip shows, this beautiful bird can sometimes be found amidst the noise and bustle of city life. The species is generally uncommon but is considered of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Watch!
Staff Picks
Redhead
The spring migration of waterfowl is one of my favorite sights to witness each year. Thousands of waterfowl push north as the ice on ponds and lakes begins to thaw. This is prime time for waterfowl courtship. Listen to hundreds of male Redheads displaying in this recording! Each time a male gives this call, he pulls his head back and quickly tosses it forward.
Listen!
Green Turtle
This recording presents a classic example of a marine cleaning station. A bit slow to start, this clip gets much more interesting when a
Green Turtle
is fully revealed from behind the coral. This is one of my favorite clips because it shows some really interesting behavior, but also the mutualistic relationship between different organisms. Towards the end of the clip you get a real good look into the face of a Green Turtle. Listen carefully and you'll hear whales in the background, probably some nearby Humpback Whales.
Watch!
Pileated Woodpecker
From :07 to 1:26 is a nice clean example of nest feeding, featuring a cool species. Shot in HD with terrific light and nice selective focus.
Watch!
Wood Duck
It feels like I could reach right out and touch him! A nice tight shot with good light and a good exit. I think my choices demonstrate my perspective as a production oriented viewer. Since I'm mostly looking for pretty video of birds just being birds, outlandish behaviors aren't among my favorites. This is simply a beautiful shot of a killer bird!
Watch!
Browse by Taxonomy
Birds
The earth hosts approximately 10,000 species of
birds,
75% of which are represented in this archive. From your common feeder birds, including jays, chickadees and sparrows to the exotic birds-of-paradise, toucans and flamingos you can browse families and explore their diversity. You’ll discover some exceptions in the bird world, such as penguins and emus that are unable to fly, however, all birds have feathers and lay eggs, even if they are not masters of flight.
Browse birds
Mammals
About 5,500 species of
mammals
roam the earth today. They are an incredibly diverse group from whales and dolphins, to bats, big cats, shrews and elephants. One trait they all have in common—hair. Listen to the astounding vocalizations of the nearly 70 marine mammal species in the archive or watch Polar Bears hunt in the high arctic. Explore recordings for the more than 600 mammal species in the archive!
Browse mammals
Reptiles
Despite being among the very first animals to travel this earth,
reptiles
are still very successful today. With nearly 8,200 species described these scaly, cold-blooded creatures survive in some of the toughest climates on earth. Like birds, most species lay eggs, but many snakes and lizards give birth to live young. Check out some videos of a Galapagos Tortoise or listen to an American Alligator!
Browse reptiles
Amphibians
Frogs and toads, newts and salamanders, and snake-like caecilians comprise the diverse class,
Amphibia.
Many species begin their life as aquatic juveniles and transform into terrestrial adults. Amphibians are of particular conservation concern. Of the ~6,300 amphibians, one in three are threatened with extinction. Take a listen to any of the nearly 200 species in the archive!
Browse amphibia
Arthropods
Invertebrates with an exoskeleton, segmented body and jointed appendages are classified as
arthropods.
This includes insects, centipedes and millipedes, and crustaceans—shrimp, lobsters and crabs. Take a listen to the Snowy Tree-Cricket that varies how fast it delivers each note depending on the temperature.
Browse arthropods
Fishes
This group takes the prize as the most diverse group of vertebrates, with nearly 32,000 species represented.
Fish
were the first vertebrates to radiate the earth, dating back 500 million years. The group includes the bony fish, sharks and rays, lungfish and coelacanths, hagfish, and lampreys. Watch videos of a Whale Shark feeding or hear what a squirrelfish sounds like!
Browse fishes