When to record
🌅 Dawn chorus (5–8am)
The single best time to record. Birds are most vocal just after sunrise. You'll detect 3–5× more species than at any other time of day.
Dusk (6–8pm)
Second best. Many species call before roosting. Owls begin to wake. Frogs often become active around sunset.
Night (9pm–2am)
Ideal for owls, frogs, and nocturnal insects. Lower bird activity but excellent for detecting Cane Toads and tree frogs.
Midday
Quieter for birds, but good for insect detection — bees, cicadas, and other insects are most active in midday warmth.
Where to record
Face toward vegetation
Point your microphone toward trees, shrubs, or water — not open sky or concrete. Most species call from within or near vegetation.
Wind at your back
Wind noise ruins recordings. Position yourself so the wind is behind you, and use your body as a windbreak for the device.
Away from traffic
Move at least 100 metres from roads. Vehicle noise masks species calls and reduces detection accuracy significantly.
Near water sources
Creeks, ponds, and dams attract maximum biodiversity. Water sources are hotspots for frogs, birds, and insects.
How to record
Hold at chest height
Hold your phone at chest height with the microphone facing upward. Don't hold it at your face — this adds breathing noise.
Record for at least 30 seconds
15 seconds works, but 60+ seconds gives dramatically better results. Species come and go — longer recordings capture more.
Stay still and silent
Don't talk, cough, or move during recording. Your movement disturbs wildlife and your phone microphone picks up every noise.
Try multiple spots
Record at 3–4 different locations in the same property. Each microhabitat (creek, paddock edge, forest) has different species.
Accepted file formats
Wild Echo accepts all common audio and video formats. No conversion needed.
📱 iPhone recordings (M4A/MOV) and Android recordings (MP4/OGG) work perfectly. Video files are automatically stripped to audio.
Tips for specific targets
Birds
Dawn (5–8am), near trees, face northeast (morning sun side). Avoid windy conditions. Species are most vocal in the first hour after sunrise.
Frogs & Cane Toads
After rain, near water, evening/night. Frogs chorus most actively after rainfall events. Stand at the water's edge, stay very still.
Bee hive health (Varroa detection)
Place your phone or AudioMoth AT the hive entrance, touching the box if possible. Record for 60+ seconds. Morning (8–11am) when bees are most active.
Insects (wasps, locusts, cicadas)
Near flowering plants, midday warmth. For wasp nests, record 1–2 metres from the nest entrance. Locusts are audible in open grassland.
Owls & nocturnal species
9pm–2am, away from lights. Owls call most after dusk. Playback of calls can help attract, but use sparingly — it disturbs territory behaviour.
Ready to try it?
Take a 60-second recording right now and get your full ecosystem report in under 60 seconds.
🎙️ Record Now Try the Demo