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

Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla). 

The small, gray-headed warbler with a bright eyering and white between the legs.
Transcript

Episode 12: Common Nighthawk – Voice of the Wild

Learn the song and call of the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor). 

The erratic flight and Narrow angular wings tipped with white bands give the common nighthawk a rather boomerang-like appearance. While it can be found foraging over its native habitats;...
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Episode 11: Sandhill Crane – Voice of the Wild

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

The harsh, resonant call of the Sandhill crane is most often heard from migratory flocks passing overhead in the spring and fall. Those flocks are easily identified by their calls and by the...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Episode 21: Periodical Cicadas – Voice of the Wild

(Note: this episode was originally published in May 2024 as a bonus episode and was re-published in September 2024 as a regular episode.  In the future, chorus and other group-ID episodes will be published as regular episodes while bonus episodes will be reserved for storytelling.)
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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...
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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...
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Podcast Hosts

Keywords
Wildlife
Birds
Native Plants
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