Caw, chirp, and coo your way through new Carnegie Museum of Natural History show

Visitors to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History usually see more than hear wildlife through dioramas full of taxidermied specimens. Now, a new, interactive exhibition at the museum promises to bring the avian world to life through sound.

Opening today, Chirp, Chitter, Caw: Surrounded by Birdsong invites visitors to, as a press release states, "relax in a listening lounge, mimic unusual bird calls, and stroll down Bird Hall to hear sonic snapshots."

The museum coordinated the exhibition with The World According to Sound, a podcast and self-described "listening series" dedicated to reconnecting audiences with the beauty of the audible world. Created by audio engineer Chris Hoff and journalist Sam Harnett, the project has produced short, bite-sized episodes covering the lesser-heard noises of nature, with titles like "The Secret Sounds Giraffes Make When the Sun Goes Down."

“We were so excited when Chris and Sam approached us about bringing this experience to Pittsburgh,” says Sarah Crawford, the museum’s Director of Exhibitions and Design.

Chirp, Chitter, Caw: Surrounded by Birdsong includes sounds produced by the Southern Cassowary, the Superb Lyrebird, and the Pileated Woodpecker, among others.
The show expands on the museum's mission of preserving and educating people on various bird species, either through its Bird Hall full of winged taxidermied creatures, or through its Powdermill Avian Research Center in the Laurel Highlands, which works to track and evaluate bird populations.

Chirp, Chitter, Caw isn't the first time the museum has launched projects focused on bird sounds. In 2017, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and The Studio — a lab operated by the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh — released Dawn Chorus, a downloadable alarm app designed to wake users up with bird audio sourced from Cornell University’s Macaulay Library.

Crawford believes the new show will appeal to an audience already clearly fascinated with the avian world.

“Our audiences love Bird Hall and are always eager for bird programming, whether they’re exploring our displays, following the research and bird banding at our Powdermill Avian Research Center in the Laurel Highlands, or demonstrating their familiarity and passion for the region’s birds on social media," says Crawford. "I can’t wait for them to experience the incredible artistry of Chris and Sam. The museum’s birds will never look — or sound — the same.”

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Chirp, Chitter, Caw: Surrounded by Birdsong. Continues through Sept. 4. Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Included with museum admission. carnegiemnh.org