Episode
Okay, but what does it take to record a bird? The inside scoop on Merlin!
- Podcast
- Okay, But... Birds
- Published
- Jan 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1539
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://okaybutbirds.com
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Summary
E7. Every bird song you’ve ever heard on a hike, through an open window, or sampled in a nature documentary has a story behind it. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor is joined by Linda Macaulay, Chairman of the Board of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to explore how bird sounds get recorded, preserved, and shared with the world, and why audio might be one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding and protecting birds. And yes, it’s THAT Macaulay; the one with the library named after her. Casual. In this episode, you’ll hear about: How Linda helped build the world’s bird sound library and why it matters What it takes to record a clean bird vocalization in the wild and the even wilder stories behind the scenes The role of the Macaulay Library and what’s next for apps like Merlin If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks bird songs are just background noise. All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But… Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Bird media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:: Merlin (Taiga) audio contributed by George B. Reynard, ML4408 Egyptian Plover audio contributed by Linda Macaulay, ML50441 Whitehead’s Trogon audio contributed by Linda Macaulay, ML75416 Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Myrtle) audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML85245 Yellow-Rumped Warbler (Myrtle) video contributed by Eric Liner, ML472204 Red-Backed Fairywren audio contributed by Tony Baylis, ML233591 Superb Lyrebird audio contributed by Linda Macaulay, ML128376