Download information

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Downloading and unzipping (updated for v2021 release)

After completing your order of The Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: United States and Canada, you will see a download button on the order page, as well as in the order confirmation email. Following either of these links will allow you to download the 1.8GB ZIP file of the guide. This download may take a significant amount of time, depending on your connection.

Note: Although you can download the ZIP file as many times and to as many devices as you like, it is recommended that you download to a computer first, even if you ultimately want the files on your phone or other mobile device. Unpacking ZIP files is typically easier on a computer, and then the files can be transferred to your devices as you would any other sound or music files (for example, via iTunes for iOs devices.)

Once downloaded, the ZIP file needs to be unzipped. Newer systems should have a built-in application, so you can try simply double-clicking or choosing Open or Unzip from the file dialog. For older systems or if this doesn’t work, you may need to download an application that can open compressed files. For more information, check out this tutorial on opening ZIP files.

Once unzipped, the folder should contain 4,954 .MP3 files with an overall files size around 2GB. Copying them or syncing them to your phone or other devices varies by model and operating system. For iOs devices, you should open iTunes, connect your device, drag the unzipped guide folder into the application, and then navigate to the album, The Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: United States and Canada (v2021), and drag that over to your attached device. For Android devices, you should be able to copy the unzipped folder over into the Android file system somewhere, such as into a Music folder if you have one.

Purchasing the guide as a gift

If you would like to purchase the guide as a gift or on someone else’s behalf, please do! You can simply complete the purchase, then forward them the order confirmation email with the download link and they will be able to download the guide directly.

If you have problems purchasing or downloading the guide or other questions, you can contact us at macaulaylibrary@cornell.edu.