Episode 22 · · 02:35
Morning Cicada (Neotibicen tibicen). As the name suggests, this insect sings only in the morning. It begins its rattling broadcast just after the late summer sun has cooked the cool ...
Episode 20 · · 02:30
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). The American goldfinch’s jumbled song is a staple of warm mornings and hot summer afternoons. In the cold months they visit hanging finch feeders...
Episode 19 · · 02:04
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). While the Indigo Bunting is named for the breeding male’s exceptionally blue plumage, the female’s plumage is also exceptional; a rich fawn brown. ...
Episode 18 · · 02:14
Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). The Field Sparrow perseveres even when oppressive heat drives all the other birds to silence. Some remember the field sparrow’s song as a ping-pong ...
Episode 17 · · 02:26
Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). A mimid, this slate-gray bird copies from its neighbors and sings a mishmash of the whole neighborhood’s songs all from one spot. The Gray catb...
Episode 16 · · 02:10
House wren (Troglodytes aedon). The House wren adds brightness to backyards, woods, and urban forests with its bubbly song that seems to stumble over its own urgency. The house wren ...
Episode 15 · · 02:17
Scissor Grinder Cicada (Neotibicen pruinosus). The scissor grinder’s name was a little more appropriate when it was common practice to sharpen cutting implements with a specialty gri...
Episode 14 · · 02:12
Dickcissel (Spiza americana). In a good tallgrass prairie the Dickcissel’s call can seem to come from every direction. It may have a passing resemblance to a Meadowlark, but on close...
Episode 13 · · 01:41
Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia). This night-singing insect is commonly heard but seldom seen. It’s a master of disguise, with oblong green wing covers that are almost ...
Episode 12 · · 01:50
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-l...
Episode 11 · · 02:21
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 ...
Episode · · 16:27
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,...
Episode 10 · · 02:38
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 t...
Episode 9 · · 02:14
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 co...
Episode 8 · · 01:41
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 thro...
Episode 7 · · 02:00
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 chun...
Episode 21 · · 05:03
(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 epi...
Episode 6 · · 01:53
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 th...
Episode 5 · · 02:02
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 pai...
Episode · · 07:11
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 occid...
Episode 4 · · 02:17
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 ...
Episode 3 · · 01:42
Learn the song and call of the Palm warbler (Setophaga palmarum). It's easy to get a look at this warbler as it prefers to mingle in mixed flocks on the ground. You might mistake it ...
Episode 2 · · 01:50
Learn the song and call of the Northern Parula (Setophaga americana).This bird forages at the top of the canopy so it can be hard to spot. Luckily, it's easy to hear. It calls with g...
Episode 1 · · 01:54
Learn the song and call of the Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina).This bird is in the same taxonomic family as the American Robin. It’s migratory and its breeding range includes all ...
Episode · · 01:36
Here's what to expect from the Voice of the Wild podcast. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy progr...
Trailer · · 00:34
Join Voice of the Wild each Friday to learn the wild sounds that surround us. First regular episode goes live May 3rd. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illino...