Birders will sometimes play recordings of bird songs or calls to entice secretive birds into the open. I’ve seen it work amazingly well with some birds. Other birders frown on the practice, considering it harassment, since you are essentially tricking the bird into thinking there is a mate or a competitor.
Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, went to the other extreme when It noticed that its population of swifts had been declining over the last 20 years. They erected an enormous Swift Tower with nesting places and audio that continuously plays swift calls. Swifts like to nest with other swifts, so they are hoping this will encourage nesting behavior.
I love the idea, but it definitely messed with my mind. I was walking along the Cardiff Bay when I heard dozens of swift calls. But it was a very rainy day, and I wasn’t seeing any swifts flying! It took me a moment to figure out what the deal was. The tower’s design was inspired by a swift in flight.
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