From February to July 2026, birders and nature enthusiasts across the Caribbean are invited to record bird sounds, strengthen the region’s bird sound collections, and help train automated audio identification tools such as Merlin Sound ID.
BirdsCaribbean, in partnership with the Grabando Aves initiative, is launching the Caribbean Sound Recording Challenge 2026, a regional call to record and share bird sounds from February through July 2026, anywhere in the Caribbean.
For the purpose of this challenge, the Caribbean region includes: Bermuda, The Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago, Providencia, San Andrés, Swan islands, and offshore islands and cays of Venezuela.
What is the challenge?
Participants of all experience levels are invited to record bird sounds and upload them to eBird, contributing to the Macaulay Library—an open-access sound library used by researchers, conservationists, and automated identification tools worldwide.
To qualify for a special prize, participants must:
- Upload more than 50 bird sound recordings (from any species) during the challenge period— February to July. Recordings may have been made previously; the key requirement is that they are uploaded during the contest period.
- Include recordings of at least three Caribbean priority species identified by the initiative.
Two prizes will be raffled among participants who meet the challenge criteria.The drawing will take place during BirdsCaribbean’s 25th International Conference, taking place 23–27 July 2026 in Trinidad.
The prize
A BRAND NEW SOUND RECORDING KIT!
The kit includes a Zoom F1 recorder and field-friendly state-of-the-art shotgun microphone! Our eardrums are tingling just thinking of the crisp audio quality you can get with this fantastic combo.
TWO PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED!
To qualify, please ensure:
- Files are uncompressed files (WAV type)
- Each recording is longer than 10 seconds
- include at least some basic metadata, such as age/sex (if known), additional species heard, behavior observed, equipment used, and any notable background sounds.
Why bird sound recordings matter
Bird sound recordings are essential for understanding species distributions, and ecology. They are also a cornerstone for training automated audio identification systems such as Merlin Sound ID.
Each well-documented recording helps improve the accuracy and regional coverage of these tools, making bird identification more accessible and engaging, while supporting long-term monitoring and conservation efforts throughout the Caribbean.
Participating is easy
Joining the Caribbean Sound Recording Challenge is simple:
- Record bird sounds in the field—even recordings made with a mobile phone are welcome.
- Upload your recordings to eBird following basic editing guidelines.
- Keep recording throughout the challenge period and aim to include priority Caribbean species.
No specialized equipment or prior experience is required—just curiosity, careful listening, and a willingness to share what you hear.
Tips from the pros
Grabando Aves’ “Bird recording basics” blog.