Birds make magnificent sounds that you can actually catch and record. Here's what you need to know about free bird sounds.
How do I get free bird sounds?
The easiest way to get free bird sounds is seeking them out yourself. Birds will go wherever there is a decent source of food and water. Those who want free bird sounds that are easy to come by and spontaneous, should consider putting bird feeders and bird baths in their backyards. Putting these two bird attractions in your yard will draw them to you yard like kids to a theme park. You can leave your window open and spontaneously receive a wide array of free bird sounds.
For serious birders
For those of you who are a little more die hard about getting free bird sounds that will stick around for more than the minute or two, you can get into recording your own free bird sounds.
To record free bird sounds you need a tape recorder, a microphone, headphones and some good ears. Tape recorders have come a long way. Most of them are light weight and can be carried in a jacket pocket or backpack. A backpack is recommended since you will need to carry other recording equipment. Microphones are also light weight, but you need to get a wind blocker so the bird's sound doesn't get overrun when the wind rustles through the trees.
Some birding experts recommend extracting each sound out of a radio piece or song to help you train your ear to listen for bird sounds. Extracting sounds will help you differentiate between bird sounds and other noises when you're in the wild looking for free bird sounds.
After you've familiarized yourself with your equipment, get out in the field and start recording your free bird sounds! Like any new activity, recording bird sounds takes a lot of practice and patience. You should start off small by searching for birds that make very loud, distinctive sounds. You'll quickly meet with failure if you set out looking for an obscure bird that isn't particularly vocal.
Birds are noisy in the morning and it's advisable to get to your subject early in the morning. Birds have to pay attention to their surroundings and will be leery of you if they see you lurking around. A better solution would be to find an area where you can hide and record the birds while they're completely uninhibited. Once you nail the first bird, you can move on to more complicated birds and eventually end up with an entire chorus of free bird sounds.
