This spring and summer, I have been enjoying the call of the grasshopper sparrow—a dry, insect-like buzz that tells me they are near. A friend recently informed me that this pretty little prairie bird has a second song—a rapid series of squeaks, chirp and trills that rise and fall for several seconds. All this time, I had no idea! It got me wondering—what else am I not hearing correctly? What else am I overlooking in the acoustic world around me? Sound is such an important part of our natural world. Animals use sound to find desirable habitats and mates, avoid predators, protect their young, and establish territories.
Sound can also greatly enrich your appreciation of our natural world. Many people visit Kankakee Sands, eager to see the bison, watch the butterflies, and view the ever-changing prairie flowers. As well they should! But as any bird watcher can tell you, the sounds of the prairie can add just as much to a prairie visit. The birds that you see and hear can tell you about the habitat you are in. If you are seeing and hearing meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, and dickcissels, you are likely in a dry prairie. If you are hearing sandhill cranes, bitterns, and mallards, you are likely near a wetland. Are the birds singing to one another to declare the edges of their territory? Are they calling to alert one another of a predator prowling? Are there hawks circling, soaring, and screeching overhead? Are there young birds chirping for their parent to feed them?
This summer, construction continues at Kankakee Sands to create improved visitor amenities. It’s gonna be great! During construction, several of our favorite locations to experience the prairie, such as the Bison Viewing Area and the Kankakee Sands Nursery, are closed for visitation. Don’t let that deter you from visiting! You can still walk the loop trail at Conrad Station Savanna at the north end of Kankakee Sands. Red-headed woodpeckers thrive there and believe me, you’ll hear their raucous call and their drumming on the tree trunks well before you see them. What are those woodpeckers communicating to you and the other woodpeckers nearby? Listen hard!
Or you can walk the Grace Teninga Discovery Trail at Kankakee Sands and delight in the wind whipping through the prairie grasses. What does is sound like as the grasses and flowers sway past one another? Lean in and listen near the milkweed in bloom—you can hear the butterflies’ wings softly flapping as they move from blossom to blossom. In fact, you can listen to the prairie from so many locations around Kankakee Sands. There are many maintained parking areas that you can pull your car or bike into and listen from. While you are listening, remember that all those birds and insects are hearing the noises coming from you—your tummy rumbling, your knuckles cracking, the sound you make when you swallow, or your quiet breath. You are part of the song of the prairie!
This summer, visit Kankakee Sands, avoid the construction, and find a quiet spot to open up a lawn chair and relax. You’ll soon discover it’s not so quiet after all as you listen to the music of the prairie. And remember, you are an important part of that song, too!
Check out this TikTok video on the sounds of nature and how scientists are using those sounds!
