#tbt to the first scientific publication to cite the use of our archived recordings in 1956:
Dilger, William C. “Hostile behavior and reproductive isolating mechanisms in the avian genera Catharus and Hylocichla.” The Auk 73.3 (1956): 313-353.
William C. Dilger played calls of several species of thrushes and used models of birds to document aggressive responses from nesting birds. The paper demonstrates his careful observations and detailed descriptions of aggressive and courtship behaviors among birds within the same species and between different species. His work added to the growing research that demonstrated that species-specific songs and behaviors is how females identify males of the same species, rather than mating with another species with similar physical features.
It’s also worth noting that Macaulay Library was then known as the “Cornell Library of Natural Sounds.”
Perhaps this was recorded during Dilger’s experiments? Wood Thrush © William C. Dilger ML 11311