The Art of Listening
Listen again on BBC Radio 4
The programmes
1. First sounds
2. Making yourself heard
3. The art of listening
4. Beyond our senses
5. Underwater chorus
6. Meaning of sounds
7. Soundings of the future
8. Song of the Earth
Beyond our senses
He does his best to become a barn owl, trying to catch himself a field vole using just his ears, and looks at how birds learn their songs, some starting before their egg has even hatched.
With the help of experts in their field, Aubrey explores the latest research into animal communications networks. Aubrey discovers how members of the same species eavesdrop on each other, as well as eavesdropping on other species around them. At the forefront of our understanding of bioacoustics this research goes way beyond the obvious one-to-one communication and is providing a new window to the natural world.
He also looks at how scientists are able to turn the tables by eavesdropping on the animals and how this is helping in the conservation of many species including bitterns and elephants.
Later in the series, Aubrey goes on an underwater sound safari, discovers sounds human ears are not normally privy to, and samples some of the acoustic hotspots from around the world.








