Puntarenas

We invite you to be part of the Bird Sounds Recording Challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean: «Sounds of our land». Participate by uploading qualified audio recordings of birds from Latin America and the Caribbean to the eBird portal, from September 1 to November 30, 2024, and you will be able to enter the raffle for a sound recording kit.

Requirements for Qualifying Recordings:

o Uncompressed files (WAV type), edited according to best practice guidelines: trimmed and normalized (without drastic filters or sound reduction).

o Duration of more than 10 seconds

o Uploads to your eBird list

o Add some metadata, for example: notes, age/sex, additional species heard, behaviors, equipment used to record, other sounds.

o We will consider the audios you upload to the eBird portal from September 1 to November 30, 2024. It is not necessary for the recordings to be made during this period; you can use previous recordings from anywhere in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Prize: The winner of the sweepstakes will receive a recording kit, which includes:

• Zoom H1 Essential portable recorder.
• Synco Microphone.
• Micro SD cables and memory.

Why record bird sounds?

Recording bird soundsconnect more deeply with nature, and alsoContributes to science and conservation. Every recording you upload to eBird will be archived in the Macaulay Library, helping researchers and bird experts around the world better understand behavioral patterns, identify rare species, and improve sound identification tools such as Merlin Audio ID.

In addition, recording birds can help you become a better observer, honing your ability to identify birds by their songs and vocalizations. Also, these recordings play a crucial role in cultural education and dissemination, being used in documentaries, educational applications and artistic media.

How to Start Recording Bird Sounds

If you haven’t started recording bird sounds yet, don’t worry! You can start by using your cell phone. Here are some practical tips to get you started:

• Turn on «airplane mode» for the duration of the recording.
• Use apps like Merlin Bird ID to record in WAV format.
• Get as close as you can to the birds without disturbing them. You can download the manual of good practices in birdwatching from this link:
• Make recordings of at least 30 seconds or try to capture multiple vocalizations of the same species.
• Upload your recordings to eBird by following the instructions on the website.

Additional tips:

• Edit your files according to best practices: crop and normalize them without applying too many filters, as this could alter the quality of your files.
• Don’t move while recording, and aim at the sound steadily.
• Avoid the use of playback in your recordings; natural sounds are always preferable.

Share Your Experience:

• We invite all participants to create and share stories about their experience in the recording challenge on the eBird portals. Share your posts on social media using the hashtag #sonidosdenuestratierra

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with nature and contribute to the knowledge of the birds of our region!