One of the central research questions behind The Concrete Chorus Project is understanding the so-called "luxury effect"—a pattern observed in many cities where wealthier neighborhoods tend to support higher levels of biodiversity. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as more tree cover, less pollution, or greater access to green spaces. However, this relationship is not always straightforward. In some cases, biodiversity might be higher in lower-income neighborhoods with more unmanaged vegetation, or in less densely developed parts of a city. Our project aims to investigate how patterns like the luxury effect play out in cities across the US by comparing bird diversity across different neighborhoods. To do this, we are collecting standardized sound recordings across a random sample of locations in these cities to ensure that we capture the full range of urban conditions—not just the places where birds or birders are most likely to be found. This is where you come in!
Volunteers will use their smartphones to make brief (3 minute) bird sound recordings at one or more pre-selected, randomly generated points across their city. These recordings will be made using the Merlin Bird ID app, which identifies birds by sound and allows easy submission of your audio. We aim to record at 30-50 randomized locations across each city, each sampled 4 times during the months of May and June 2025 during the early morning bird chorus (within 3 hours of sunrise).