How Our Assets Can Be Used Commercially

Natural sounds and video have many commercial uses. We frequently provide recordings for natural history documentaries or commercial movies. We also have a number of relationships with toy and game manufacturers. People have come to us for sounds for birdsong clocks and commercially produced audio guides. In each and every case, the money made by selling the rights to use audio and video is turned back into the Lab of Ornithology's conservation efforts.

Case Studies

Breezy Singers — Animatronic Birds
Sounds from the Macaulay Library sing out from "Breezy Singers" toys. These new beautifully crafted small plastic birds move their heads and beaks while singing well-known songs. A small motion detector on the breast starts their singing.

Florida Scrub-Jay Surveys and Habitat Requirements
The North Florida Field Office mentions us as a source for "high-quality tape recording of Florida Scrub-Jay territorial scolding" for use in surveying a site. We often sell these types of recordings of Florida Scrub-Jays and some other birds to environmental consultants who use them in survey work for their clients.

Software Helps Birders Identify and Sort Bird Species
Thayer Birding Software features songs for 708 species. Users can select the color, size, habitat or location of a bird and the program will display any species that match the description. It also has a listing and record-keeping program.

Resources

Collection Highlights