Recording the Night Skies of Houston

We’re approaching the peak of birds’ spring migration, which means that soon, thousands of birds will pass over your head each night. Scientists know remarkably little about how birds manage these epic journeys.

On today’s podcast, Rice University professor Cin-Ty Lee joins City Cast contributor Scott Solomon to describe to Lisa Gray a fascinating project. In 2020, when the pandemic quieted the city, Lee set up a recorder on a Rice soccer field to catch the sound of birds as they flew overhead. He’s recorded eagles and peregrine falcons, and added roughly 30 species to the number of birds ever identified on the campus. Plus, he has a greater appreciation of just how thousands of birds migrate over us all here in Houston.

Cin-Ty’s website includes his field notes, his paintings of birds, and a “Sounds of Nature” section.

Scott Solomon will talk about how scientists at Rice University use the campus as a living lab to study biodiversity, April 20th. You can register here.

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