A photograph of the Eiffel Tower and a microphone used to record birds in the park near the Eiffel Tower.

Photograph of a Great Tit, from Wikimedia Commons c/o The Conversation.

A Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter digital recorder deployed on a busy street of Paris at dawn.

Dan Mennill recording birds at dawn in a park in Paris with a directional microphone.

In a springtime expedition to Paris, I studied noise pollution and the songs of Great Tits. You can read about the research in a new article in The Conversation:
doi.org/10.64628/AAM...
And the full peer-reviewed study in Ornithological Applications:
doi.org/10.1093/orni...
@amornith.bsky.social

Motus Audio Day 8: Vaseux Lake BC.
We launched a recorder at Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory, a Canadian Migration Monitoring Network site. This is an offline Motus Audio recorder; we will upload data at the end of the season. Thanks to our host, bander Jason Jones, my old friend from grad school.

"Human activity fills the world with noise. The sounds of cars, airplanes, boats and industrial activities produce a steady roar that impacts wild animals."
I've written an article for The Conversation about noise pollution and bird song. 🚘🎶🐦 Read it here:
theconversation.com/paris-has-su...

Motus Audio Day 7: Hope BC.
With our trusty Chrysler Pacifica — rented in honour of our home town of Windsor, Ontario — Natalie and Madison have made it to Hope, BC, heading into the mountains to launch our cross-Canada bioacoustic migration monitoring network. @birdscanada.bsky.social

We send our biggest 👍👍👍 thank-you 👍👍👍 to my sister and her family! They have served as our "West Coast Depot" for the launch of the Motus Audio project this spring. Thank you!

Motus Audio Day 6: Vancouver BC.
A great moment when Madison & Natalie were joined by Dr. David Bradley, an alum of our lab, and now Conservation Scientist & Director of Birds Canada for British Columbia @birdscanada.bsky.social. Back on mainland, we launched 3 units in the Vancouver area.

Natalie and Madison are grad students on our team at @ibiouwindsor.bsky.social. They're traversing the entire country to launch the first 100 Motus Audio recorders! I wish I could join them, but I live vicariously through their photos.

Motus Audio Day 5: Victoria BC.
Having launched six Motus Audio recorders 🎤🕊️ on Vancouver Island — the most westerly of our cross-Canada recorders — Madison and Natalie head back to mainland. Friends made along the way include a feline mariner 🐈🚣‍♂️ and a starfish-munching Glaucous-winged Gull ⭐🐟.

Motus Audio Day 4: Victoria BC
To the delight of a curious harbor seal, Natalie and Madison launched two new Motus Audio recorders on southern Vancouver Island. From Nanaimo to Victoria, our Canada-wide microphone network continues to grow.
#bioacoustics #ornithology @ibiouwindsor.bsky.social

Our amazing field duo enjoying their time launching a Motus Audio microphone at The Raptors. [📷 N. Emerick and M. Bygrove]

Motus Audio Day 3: Duncan BC
We launched our next Motus Audio recorder at The Raptors education centre on Vancouver Island. Thank you to The Raptors! 🦉🦅
Follow us as we launch a continent-wide array of migration monitoring microphones: motus-audio.web.app
#bioacoustics #ornithology
11h

Motus Audio Day 2: The ferry to Vancouver Island.
We're unboxing and assembling 100 Motus Audio recorders, and getting ready to launch the most westerly of our continent-wide microphone network.
motus-audio.web.app #bioacoustics #ornithology
@ibiouwindsor.bsky.social @birdscanada.bsky.social

Come and join our team! With an application deadline in 1 week, we're hiring a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Ecology in the Department of Biology at University of Windsor: efhc.fa.ca2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...
@ibiouwindsor.bsky.social

Motus Audio Day 1: Vancouver BC.
After a year of designing, planning, and building, today is a big day: Natalie and Madison are starting a cross-Canada trip to launch 100 Motus Audio recorders. Follow us as we build a continent-wide microphone network.
motus-audio.web.app #bioacoustics #ornithology

Since the start of the school year, our team has been working our way through the chapters of Nicolas Mathevon's "Voices of Nature". Reaching the end of the semester, we've reached the end of the book. What an informative and entertaining #bioacoustics book @nicolasmathevon.bsky.social!

It's a little cheerier than "Prey for Fog".

I shared some thoughts on our campus geese with the university newspaper: www.uwindsor.ca/news/2026-04... @ibiouwindsor.bsky.social

Come to Canada Steve! Can't wait to read the new book.

Nelsy Niño won the Faculty of Science Ambassador Award! Nelsy exemplifies being an ambassador: she builds bridges between communities and universities, engages community interests with expertise and humility, and elevates #ornithology through her leadership. Congratulations @nelsyninor.bsky.social!

Spotted at the River Bookshop: my chapbook on vocal learning in Savannah Sparrows. riverbookshop.com/products/sav...
This chapbook is part of a series "Birders on Birds" with proceeds supporting the Pelee Island Bird Observatory. @peleeislandbird.bsky.social @riverbookshop.bsky.social

Rufous-sided Towhees arrived from migration last night. Drink your TEA!

I think your crow project is amazing, by the way, @jastrow75.bsky.social . I didn't know about your project at the time, in spring 2023. I saw many of your crows. I would love to return to Paris and collaborate with you to record the crows' voices!

Also: I used a big fuzzy windjammer, and I avoided using a pistol grip, to avoid attracting negative attention. 🎤
Also: I smiled a lot, so I think the French people assumed I was a Canadian and avoided me. 🇨🇦

Thank you. I had a very positive experience recording in Paris parks, squares, and streets. I collected most recordings very early in the day, when your parks seem relatively quiet. Later in the day, I think it might have been a challenge.

Thank you. That was a silly mistake, because I remember learning about the function of the circumflex in school. Touché... merci!

This infographic summarizes the key elements of our paper "Acoustic differences persist in urban Parus major (Great Tit) over two decades of declining anthropogenic noise in Paris, France" in Ornithological Applications. #bioacoustics #ornithology @amornith.bsky.social @ibiouwindsor.bsky.social
🧵8/8

We conclude that noise reduction efforts in Paris have successfully decreased noise pollution, but city birds continue to sing at higher pitches than forest birds, even though the city has become quieter. Read our full paper here: doi.org/10.1093/orni...
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And yet... the Great Tits of Paris have not changed their tune. Even with lower noise levels, Great Tits continue to sing at high frequencies. City birds continue to sing at higher pitches than birds in forests areas outside of Paris.
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The war on noise is working in Paris. Analyzing Bruitparif's noise data, we show that Paris has become quieter in recent years. Paris today is about 3 dB quieter than it was in the past. This reveals that even one of Earth's busiest cities can reduce noise pollution.
🧵5/8

In 2003 and 2023, Hans Slabbekoorn and I recorded Great Tits in busy urban areas of Paris and quiet reference sites outside of Paris. We show that Great Tits sing at higher pitches when noise levels are high.
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