{"id":13169,"date":"2013-07-15T16:31:34","date_gmt":"2013-07-15T20:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/?p=13169"},"modified":"2021-01-26T11:38:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T16:38:59","slug":"a-master-set-of-bird-sounds-qa-with-matt-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/a-master-set-of-bird-sounds-qa-with-matt-young\/","title":{"rendered":"A Master Set of Bird Sounds: Q&A with Matt Young"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><div class=\"article-list list-style alignright\"><h2 class=\"article-list-header\">More From Living Bird<\/h2><ul><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-article\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/LBtoc_spread_puffin.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/LBtoc_spread_puffin-720x329.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/LBtoc_spread_puffin-768x351.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/LBtoc_spread_puffin-480x219.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/LBtoc_spread_puffin.jpg 918w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Atlantic Puffin by Chris Linder\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Summer 2013\u2014Table of Contents<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-living-bird-toc\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-latest-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird-latest issue\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine\u2014Latest Issue<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"article-item\"><div class=\"article-item-container\"><div class=\"article-item-media  content-article\"><figure class=\"article-item-media-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive.png 720w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-240x180.png 240w, https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/living-bird-acrhive-480x360.png 480w\" sizes=\"\" alt=\"Living Bird archives\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"article-item-body\"><span class=\"article-item-header\">Living Bird Magazine Archives<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong><small>UPDATE:<\/strong> In December 2020, Macaulay Library released the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macaulaylibrary.org\/product\/the-cornell-guide-to-bird-sounds-us-and-canada\/\"><strong>Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: United States and Canada<\/strong><\/a>, an update to these sets. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macaulaylibrary.org\/guide-to-bird-sounds\/\">Learn more<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macaulaylibrary.org\/product\/the-cornell-guide-to-bird-sounds-us-and-canada\/\">purchase the guide<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s been nearly 10 years in the making: two amazing compilations of bird sounds, all high-quality recordings from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology\u2019s Macaulay Library\u2014the world\u2019s largest archive of bird and animal sounds. These two downloadable collections have just been released and are available through the Macaulay Library\u2019s online store. Cornell Lab biologist and sound engineer Matt Young shepherded this project to completion over the past five years. He recently talked to us about these new offerings and the people who made them possible.<br \/>\n\u2014Pat Leonard<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What are the names of these two collections and what\u2019s the difference between them?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re called \u201cThe Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: Master Set for North America\u201d and \u201cThe Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: Essential Set for North America.\u201d The Master Set includes the vocal repertoire for 735 species of North American birds, totaling nearly 5,000 tracks. The Essential Set has more than 1,300 tracks, with the most commonly heard sounds for 727 species found in the United States and Canada.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sidebar-alignright sidebar-space order-bottom\"><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n<span class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\" id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\">\r\n    <span class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" id=\"hs-cta-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\">\r\n        <!--[if lte IE 8]><div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div><![endif]-->\r\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/95627\/096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" ><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" id=\"hs-cta-img-096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da\" style=\"border-width:0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/95627\/096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da.png\"  alt=\"subscribe to Living Bird magazine\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/a>\r\n    <\/span>\r\n    <script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script>\r\n    <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n        hbspt.cta.load(95627, '096b8ce3-0e2d-46c5-bbf7-12de3323c8da', {});\r\n    <\/script>\r\n<\/span>\r\n<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code -->\r\n\r\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Who is the Essential Set meant for?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s great for just about anyone, from long-time birders to those just beginning to explore bird sounds. We chose two or three of the most common vocalizations for each species, the ones you need to learn first if you\u2019re hoping to identify birds by sound.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And the Master Set?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It contains much of the entire known vocal repertoire for 735 species. Nothing else even comes close. I\u2019d love to see this set become the definitive North American sound-reference guide used by top-level birders, researchers, educators, and students to better understand bird communication. There are some recordings in the Master Set that I\u2019m sure even the best birders have never heard.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve been calling the release of these sets a \u201ccelebration.\u201d How so?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It feels like a celebration\u2014not just getting the collections out there, but recognizing that it never would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of so many contributors spanning 80 years. Some are professionals, but I\u2019d say the majority are just everyday people who captured these sounds and sent them to us for preservation. This is really a celebration of their work. In fact, the entire Macaulay Library sound collection has been built on a collaboration with citizen sound recordists ever since it began in 1929.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>What are some of your favorite examples of unique bird sounds in these collections?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I particularly like the harder to get or more unusual vocalizations, such as the dawn song of the Acadian Flycatcher or the flight song of the Yellow-breasted Chat. The American Woodcock display flight and some of the Rhinoceros Auklet tracks are great to listen to again and again. Even the diversity of songs given by common backyard birds, such as Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren, and Tufted Titmouse, are fun learning experiences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the advantage of distributing these as download-only products?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To me, these are living, breathing productions. We\u2019ll be updating the collections as new and better recordings are added to the archive. And we can fix things if listeners find a problem. We want to have an interactive relationship with the larger birding and ornithological communities so that they can help us make the collections better over time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How will the download work?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After buying one of the sets from the Macaulay Library\u2019s online store, you\u2019ll receive the link to download the recordings to your iTunes. You\u2019ll see a multi-columned list showing the bird name, the name of the audio file, and a description.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Will you be making additions to the Master Set?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019d eventually like to include Hawaiian birds, which are not yet part of the Master Set. We\u2019re also thinking of producing a set of night-flight migration calls, which are only a fraction of a second long but are identifiable. We\u2019ll also be making updates, improving material, and adding vocalizations we don\u2019t have now.<br \/>\n<!--<em>For a special introductory offer, the Master Set is available for $49.99 and the Essential Set for $12.99. Visit the Macaulay Library online store at <a href=\"http:\/\/macaulaylibrary.org\/guides\">macaulaylibrary.org\/guides<\/a> to see these and all available sound-guide downloads.<\/em>--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>UPDATE: In December 2020, Macaulay Library released the Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: United States and Canada, an update to these sets. Learn more and purchase the guide. It\u2019s been<a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutbirds.org\/news\/a-master-set-of-bird-sounds-qa-with-matt-young\/\" title=\"ReadA Master Set of Bird Sounds: Q&#038;A with Matt Young\">&#8230; Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_birdpress_living_bird_toc":0,"_birdpress_living_bird_toc_title":"","_birdpress_featured_image":false,"_birdpress_hero_toggle":false,"_birdpress_hero_type":"image","_birdpress_hero_image_type":"image","_birdpress_hero_style":"default","_birdpress_hero_ratio":"","_birdpress_hero_h1":"","_birdpress_hero_media_id":0,"_birdpress_hero_media_array_id":[],"_birdpress_hero_media_array":[],"_birdpress_hero_media":0,"_birdpress_hero_video_id":0,"_birdpress_hero_video":0,"_birdpress_hero_youtube":"","_birdpress_hero_content":true,"_birdpress_hero_byline":"","_birdpress_hero_byline_bottom":"","_birdpress_hero_button_link":"","_birdpress_hero_button_text":"","_birdpress_hero_button_color":"","_birdpress_hero_date":false,"original_guid":"","_birdpress_hide_search":false,"_birdpress_page_width":"","_birdpress_global_cta":false,"_birdpress_widget_sidebar":"","_birdpress_next_article":0,"_birdpress_next_article_title":"","_birdpress_prev_article":0,"_birdpress_prev_article_title":"","_birdpress_sub_navigation_id":0,"_birdpress_sub_navigation":"","_birdpress_sub_navigation_title":false,"_birdpress_anchor_navigation_id":0,"_birdpress_anchor_navigation":"","_birdpress_postType":"both","_birdpress_categoryID":0,"_birdpress_tagID":0,"_birdpress_parentPostID":0,"_birdpress_parentPostTitle":"","_birdpress_menuID":0,"_birdpress_menuName":"","_birdpress_listHeader":"","_birdpress_listLayout":"card-display","_birdpress_listColumns":"","_birdpress_maxItems":12,"_birdpress_listPaginate":true,"_birdpress_displaySort":true,"_birdpress_sortOrder":"DESC","_birdpress_sortBy":"date","_birdpress_listID":"","_birdpress_listClass":"","_birdpress_displayImages":true,"_birdpress_displayCaptions":false,"_birdpress_displayExcerpts":false,"_birdpress_attTop":"","_birdpress_attBottom":"","_birdpress_showLogos":false,"_birdpress_post_logo":0,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_topic":0,"wds_primary_content-format":0,"wds_primary_cornell-lab-project":0,"wds_primary_host-project":0,"wds_primary_read-more-tag":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"topic":[992,1001,1147],"content-format":[1055],"cornell-lab-project":[1069],"host-project":[],"read-more-tag":[],"class_list":["post-13169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-bird-id-skills","topic-songs-sounds","topic-sounds-songs","content-format-article","cornell-lab-project-living-bird-magazine"],"metadata":{"associated-posts":[""],"wpa_off":[""],"_edit_lock":["1611679019:4"],"_edit_last":["4"],"_thumbnail_id":["13171"],"wdsi_message_id":[""],"wdsi_do_not_show":[""],"custom-byline":["<h5>By 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