Welcome!

Welcome to Sapsucker Woods bird sanctuary! The building in front of you is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a world leader in ornithology research, education, and conservation.

The sounds that you will hear in this tour are all provided by Macaulay Library, the Cornell Lab's enormous media archive of audio recordings, photos, and videos of birds and other animals. Formerly known as the Library of Natural Sounds, this archive dates back to 1929, and has long been used for both scientific research and public education.

In 1958, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology published a vinyl LP record titled "An Evening in Sapsucker Woods," which paired audio recordings of birds and frogs with narration by the Cornell Lab's founder Dr. Arthur Allen. Below are a few short clips from that record. (All other stops on this tour will use more recently recorded sounds.)

Excerpts from "An Evening in Sapsucker Woods"

Introduction to Sapsucker Woods / Macaulay Library

Sunset Over Sapsucker Woods / Macaulay Library

Voices of the Night / Macaulay Library