Example 8, birds in the urban soundscape
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Birds are an important element of the urban soundscape. Birds can
be heard in particular in quiet areas.
The video below presents
bird sounds recorded during an 8 hour bike tour in Amsterdam on a
Sunday. You hear a selection of the 117 bird sounds detected during
the tour.
Birds seem to like the two parks in the area (Rembrandtpark and Vondelpark) and also the residential area between the two parks. There were less birds in the busy canal area on this Sunday.
Video 1
It is interesting to note that Great tits (Parus major) sing at higher pitch in response to urban noise, so they are better able to hear each other. This has been shown in a scientific study, in which urban Great tits were compared with rural Great tits. See the BBC news item about this research.