Voice of the Wild

This is Illinois Extension’s Voice of the Wild. Our birdsong will start in five seconds, so find someplace quiet, take a deep breath, and listen in.

This bird is in the same taxonomic family as the American Robin. It’s migratory and its breeding range includes all of Illinois. You might find it deep in the woods, where its speckled chest is striking against the dense backdrop of leaves. Its soft, multitone song is the favorite of many; including me. It’s the wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, from the family Turdidae. Let's hear that wonderful call one more time.

Thank you to the Macaulay library at the Cornell lab of Ornithology for our bird sounds. And thank you for tuning in to learn a new bird call with Illinois Extension.