Before you start
To participate in this research, you will need the following:
- Willingness to follow our Recording Protocol
- Time enough to find and record 10 sparrows for a minimum of 10 songs.
- Access to white-throated sparrows (Learn more)
- Recording equipment or a Smartphone with a recording app (Learn more)
- A xeno-canto account (Register for free with xeno-canto)
Below may look like a lot of fiddly detail, but all we ask is that you try your best.
Part of this adventure is about learning, and recording bird song is a skill that we’ll help you develop!
Participation – Recording protocol
Following our field protocol is very important. This is based on what we need to make sure your recordings can answer the study questions, as well as making sure the recordings are suitable for submission to xeno-canto. We’ve also provided this field protocol as a downloadable pdf that you can take into the field.
- Find a singing white-throated sparrow
- Try to make ensure you haven’t already recorded this one
- State your location, date, and time on the recording
- A backup in case something happens to the physical notes
- Record at least 10 good quality songs
- With minimal overlapping background noise
- Try to ensure that at least 5 of these songs are full songs, not simply introductory notes See more about white-throated sparrow songs
- State your location, date, and time on the recording (Again!)
- A backup in case something happens to the notes, or the original statement
- Note your location, date, and time on paper or in your phone
- GPS location is excellent if you have it
For more information on how to make your recordings extra useful to xeno-canto, check out their Article: Make your recordings count!.
If you want to get involved in recording sounds of nature in a more professional manner, have a look at Field Recording page presented by Cornell’s Macaulay library.
Participation – Submitting your data
- Upload your files to xeno-canto (Learn more) and make sure to add “For the whitethroatsong.ca project” to the comments
That’s it!
Need some help?
- Check out the Tutorials
- Check out the FAQ
- Ask for help on the Xeno-Canto forums. Just make sure to specify this project (White-throat Song).
- Ask for help directly by emailing us