Binaural recording of the Vancouver crow roost in Burnaby near Still Creek. I've been wanting to witness the roost and record there for a long time! I'm grateful to my friend Kirsten for making it happen. I love crows and every evening I see them flying off to the roost about 30 minutes before sunset depending on the weather. They gather in a few spots before departing. One of my favourite spots to see them depart is by the Coast Guard station near the Burrard Bridge. They go suddenly in big exuberant waves of black flapping and cawing. Their roost is in a very urban area which has been encroached in recent years. I'm told at one time there were an estimated 30,000 crows there, likely the biggest roost in North America. But over the years it has shrunk. I'm not sure how many there are there now...maybe 12 to 15 thousand. It was something to behold, the waves of them coming in and the chatter. When we moved around they were clearly disturbed and would find another tree to perch on. So we stayed still as much as possible and apologized when we had to move. 

Because it's an urban area, you'll hear lots of car and plane traffic. From the research I've done, the crows like the safety of the urban infrastructure. I'm sure it includes annoyances too but I guess it's a good trade off for them.

Recorded on April 1, 2025 from 19:59 to 20:06

Vancouver Crow Roost - April 1 2025 (binaural)

I recorded this track sitting still right beside the lower pond in Vanier Park in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC. It was such a nice evening and when I got there it was relatively quiet. I really enjoyed all the different bird sounds at different distances. But as time went on the area got quite busy with party boats and planes and drones and eventually a dance party nearby. It only occurred to me after I was done recording that it was June 30th, so the eve of a holiday. This is why there was so much more human activity at the pond. It's a nice record of a nice summer evening, even if it is not really representative of what it normally feels like. What was interesting is that about halfway through there was a massive crow protest. I'm not sure what they were protesting but it went on for the rest of the recording even as they made their way to their meeting place before going to roost. Near the end of the recording it's faint but you can hear ducklings calling for their mom's attention through all the noise. 

Recording was made on June 30, 2025 from 19:13 to 19:58.

45 minutes at the Kitsilano Pond - June 30 2025 (binaural)

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What 2020 Has Told You?

This podcast is a collaborative project as part of an online course by the same name being offered through the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in summer 2020. As a class, we're producing this podcast series showcasing hopeful stories of nature's rapid response during lockdown, while exploring the interconnectedness of our soundscapes and each other. This unique and timely collection of audio documentaries will paint a collaborative sonic portrait of this historic moment through participatory approaches, and help us to gain insights towards a more ecologically 'sound' future. If we listen carefully, what is nature telling us?

Please note: the opinions expressed in each episode are those of the episode's host(s).

What 2020 Has Told You?

Nature Speaking

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