Voice of the Wild

Wildlife is all around us. Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild song. From time to time, we’ll also do a deep dive into wildlife science, news, and natural history. Subscribe for email updates at go.illinois.edu/SubscribeVoiceofWild.
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Latest Episode

Learn the song and call of the Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis). 

Bonus: The Water’s Edge – Voice of the Wild

Headphones on! Today we’re giving voice to the array of plants and animals which can only be found where the land and the water mingle. It's a set of ecosystems united by inundation, whether it's the long edge of a shallow pond, a cypress swamp, or a wet prairie. It starts with an unwanted...

Episode 10: Eastern VS Western Meadowlark ID – Voice of the Wild

Learn to tell the difference between Eastern and Western meadowlarks. 

Both the Eastern meadowlark and Western meadowlark can be found in Illinois. The Western is only occasional in the state, while the Eastern is common throughout. Both species have a tawny back and...

Episode 9: Eastern Meadowlark – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna). 

This yellow-fronted bird with a black V on its chest often sings from fence posts and power lines. It’s fairly common anywhere grasses have been spared regular mowing. It nests on the ground...

Episode 8: Red-Eyed Vireo – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus). 

A key member of the summer orchestra, you’ll hear this common gray and olive bird on nearly every hike. It sings throughout the day, every day, seemingly every minute. Uttering short little...

Episode 7: Common Yellowthroat – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). 

This big witchity-witchety song, often heard in tallgrass prairies and open marshes, comes from a little chunky warbler with a yellow throat and black mask. Males call out all summer long...

Bonus: Periodical Cicadas – Voice of the Wild

Learn to identify the seven species of periodical cicada (Magicicada) by their song. 

For a few weeks in 2024 all seven species of periodical cicada will be calling from different areas of Illinois. The collective chorus of these cicada broods can be deafening,...

Episode 6: Yellow Warbler – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Yellow warbler (Setophaga petechia). 

You might find this little yellow bird in a stand of willows next to a pond or hear its call while walking past the shrubby edge of a creek. Its song is an anthem of the early summer and it’s...

Episode 5: Eastern Towhee – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). 

A flash of black and white in a low brush pile is likely to be this robin-sized sparrow, and if you see a pair arresting dark red eyes peeking out from that dense tangle, you’ll know for...

Bonus: American Sycamore – Voice of the Wild

Headphones on! In our first bonus episode we won’t be hearing an animal’s song and learning its voice. Instead, we’ll be giving voice to a tree. We’ll be hearing about Platanus occidentalis, the American Sycamore, and it starts with a walk through the woods… 

Do...

Episode 4: Yellow-throated Warbler – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 

This bird is an early migrant and it often serenades the spring ephemerals from the tops of sycamores. It likes the tall trees of the bottomlands and its song is clear and graceful even...

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Keywords
Wildlife
Birds
Native Plants
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