Discover the Flyway from Home – Resources for Teachers, Parents & Students

Sounds of the Wetlands

Wetlands are full of different sounds: animals communicating, wind, grasses rustling, water flowing, and more! Try the activity below to train your ears to listen to the world around you. Come along and listen to the beautiful wetlands of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.

Read all of the steps below first, so you will be ready to listen and perform the actions in order.

1. Grab a pen and a paper.
2. Click on the video.
3. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of the wetlands.
4. While listening, count the number of different sounds you hear. Open your eyes, and write the number of sounds you heard on your paper.
5. Repeat the steps above a few times, recording the number of sounds you hear each time.
6. Do you hear the same number of sounds each time you listen? Why?
7. Can you determine or make an educated guess as to what those sounds are?
8. Now watch the video and listen.
9. Do you think you are seeing everything that you are hearing? Explain.
10. Do you think some of the items you see are making sounds that you are not hearing? Explain.

 

Watch Video

 

Answers:

The number of items we each hear will vary during our listening trials.

1. Q: Do you hear the same number of sounds each time you listen? Why?
   a. A: No, I hear different things each time I listen because my ears are paying closer attention each time I focus on listening. Different sounds start to stand out when you listen again and again.
   b. A: If yes, then try again to focus on sounds that are more quiet in the background or turn your head different directions to listen in different ways.
   2. Q: Can you determine or make an educated guess as to what those sounds are?
   a. A: Some sounds you may hear in this video:
   i. Various bird chirps and calls- Did you count them all?
   ii. Wind
   iii. Movement of birds in the water
   iv. Movement of the person making the video
   v. A person talking
   3. Q: Do you think you are seeing everything that you are hearing? Explain.
   a. A: No, for example,
   i. There are birds hiding and camouflaging that one hears but may not see.
   ii. There are other animals in another direction from where you are looking, flying and communicating
   iii. There are people walking and talking out of sight.
   4. Q: Do you think some of the items you see are making sounds that you are not hearing? Explain.
   a. A: Yes, for example,
   i. We can not hear the sounds of the birds feeding in the water.
   ii. We can not hear the birds that we see flying.
   iii. We can not hear the sounds of the grasses rustling since the birds are so loud.