Macaulay Library, Animal sound archive at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, United States
The Macaulay Library is a sound archive at Cornell Lab of Ornithology that collects and preserves digital recordings of around 9,000 animal species. It contains more than 150,000 audio files of birds, mammals, amphibians, and marine creatures from different parts of the world.
The archive was founded in 1929 and has since become the largest scientific collection of animal sounds. Over the decades, digital recording and conservation have developed into an important tool for biology and nature protection.
The collection is used by birdwatchers, researchers, and educators to understand and share the diversity of animal sounds. The recordings appear in films, apps, and scientific projects that connect people with wildlife around the world.
The online platform allows visitors to search, download, and upload their own recordings to the database. It is possible to access the archive from anywhere without needing to visit the facility in person.
The archive holds recordings of ostrich chicks making sounds from inside their eggs and walruses calling underwater. These rare captures show animals in moments that are difficult to observe in the field.
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