Long Range Microphones | Ideal for Bird Enthusiasts

Long Range Microphone For Bird Watching

Sample Clips Captured with a Sound Shark

The Sound Shark is ideal for capturing bird songs. The Sound Shark’s long range allows bird watching videographers to record their favorite birds from afar. It does so by recording audio that matches the close-up shots of the birds being filmed. The Sound Shark allows bird watching filmmakers to produce videos that truly make the viewer feel like they are experiencing the birds up-close.

Bird watching experts know a telephoto lens will let you get a great close-up shot of an elusive bird, but if your audio sounds too distant your video can be ruined. Use the Sound Shark to record great audio to match your great video.

Download Our FREE Guide to Recording the BEST Bird Songs!

Nature videographer Chris Dale has captured many wonderful videos for his “WoodFibreBirder” YouTube channel. He was kind enough to share some of his videos with his comments.

“Here is a short video of a pair of Red-throated Loons calling. Taken this morning ( July 15, 2023 ) at Alice Lake Provincial Park from about 100 metres away and using the Sound Shark.” (Watch on YouTube)

“Just got back from Penticton in the interior of British Columbia and took this video of nesting Red-necked Grebes that I thought you might like. The video was taken from about 15 metres away or about 50 feet. Other than the one scene of the grebes interacting, most of the background sounds are bird sounds and rain drops falling on the lake, and all were recorded with the Sound Shark.” (Watch on YouTube)

“Here is another video taken near Penticton of a Pygmy Nuthatch excavating a nest hole. This video was taken from about 18 metres ( 60 feet ) away.” (Watch on YouTube.)

(Watch on YouTube.) (Watch on YouTube.)
“I just got back from four nights in Penticton which is in the interior of British Columbia. The area is desert like and has different birds there compared to the coast of B.C. where I live. Here are a couple of videos I took while up in Penticton. Both videos were taken from about 30 metres ( 100 feet ) away from the birds.”

“Here is another short video I made of a singing Western Meadowlark last weekend using the Sound Shark. I was on the opposite side of a road and about 30 feet below the bird so I was probably 50 – 60 feet away from the subject. I have been getting YouTube comments from viewers on how clear the sound recording was.” (Watch on YouTube.)

Tree Swallow: “Here is a short video taken a couple of days ago using the Sound Shark to record these Tree Swallows from about 10 – 15 metres away in the Squamish River Estuary” (Watch on YouTube.)

Northern Saw-whet Owl Video: “Ducks quacking in front of me and Downy Woodpecker and Pine Siskins in the trees above and Bald Eagles calling about a half kilometre (.3 miles ) away” (Watch on YouTube.)

Nature videographer Chris Dale has captured many wonderful videos for his “WoodFibreBirder” YouTube channel. He was kind enough to share some of his videos with his comments.

Trumpeter Swans: “Sound Shark audio but only synchronized with the video when the swans were eating the grass from about 20 metres ( 60 feet ) away” (Watch on YouTube.)

Dark-eyed Junco Video: “Taken from about 10 metres ( about 30 feet ) away” (Watch on YouTube)

Swainson’s Thrush Video: “The Swainson’s Thrush was taken from about 30 to 40 feet away” (Watch on YouTube)

Barred Owl Video: “the American Robins mobbing the Barred Owl were all around in the forest from 10 to 40 feet away but the sound Shark did an excellent job of recording their chirps.” (Watch on YouTube)

Varied Thrush Video: “The Varied Thrush was filmed from about 75 feet away.” (Watch on YouTube)

Bald Eagles Video: “Most of the eagles in the video were a bout 100 metres away on a gravel bar but the sounds were coming from eagles in the trees close to me as well as across the river about 400 metres away. I think there is only one scene where the eagle in view was making a sound the rest of the calls were made by the eagles further away in the trees. I had my headphones on while I filmed and the sound of the eagles and ducks in the river was amazing.” (Watch on YouTube)

Nature photographer / cinematographer Eric Williamson has captured several wonderful videos for his ShutterTraxs website. He was kind enough to share one of his videos. Eric said he was approximately 75 feet from the nest. (Watch on YouTube.)

Nature photographer Marco Valk captured this video of screaming bald eagles with a Lumix GH5, Saramonic Smartrig+ and a Sound Shark parabolic microphone. Valk estimated the distance at 200+ meters but the audio delay indicates the distance was actually much greater. The effective focal length was 1960mm. In his words “Impressive sound! (straight from the camera)”. (The original video can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/100009446293922/videos/1894510560873802/)

Marco also supplied this video of Surf Scoter ducks taking flight in Alaska.

The first thing Mr. Valk mentioned, after receiving his Sound Shark Kit in the Netherlands, was how much it had reduced his wind noise.

Check out Marco’s Facebook page, his Youtube channel, and his gallery.

National Geographic Explorer, and Fullbright Fellow, Robert A Boyd III (@boydrb3) used a Sound Shark to capture audio for his project in Barbados. He provided some test clips and an introduction of his project all captured by his Sound Shark. #fulbright #natgeoexplorer

Chicken Call in Normal and Slow Motion

Grackle Call Normal and In Slow Motion

Robert A Boyd III introduces his upcoming National Geographic project.
(This video was recorded using his Sound Shark)

Nature photographer and blogger, Christian Sasse, explains why he uses the Sound Shark when streaming. Sample videos are coming soon!

Check out Christian’s Photography website and Facebook page.

Our good friend, and ambassador, Dan Weecks, created this side by side comparison of a Sound Shark and a Rode NTG2 shotgun microphone, recording birds on a lightpole from approximately 60 feet away. There are more side-by-side comparisons on our video gallery page.

We were invited onto “Birding with Lois” to discuss how bird enthusiasts can record bird songs, and how the Sound Shark fits into that.

Solution to my bird song identification problems!

I had been trying to use my iPhone with apps (BirdNET, Merlin, Song Sleuth) to identify my local forest birds. These apps allow you to use your phone to record calls and then offer ID suggestions. But it didn’t work – the bird calls were buried in background noise of the recordings.

I looked into options to improve the recordings of my phone. Professions use parabolic microphones or shotgun mics and a dedicated recorder – kits costing thousands of dollars. DIY options required more audio engineering chops than I had or had time to learn. Even adding an external microphone and adapter could add horrible background hiss if not matched. There was no “Plug and Play” system for recording to a smart phone.

I found the Sound Shark – a portable parabolic receiver/microphone combination. They have great information on their website (kloverproducts.com/sound-shark/us/) and their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/Sound SharkVideos). I contacted their Customer Service to ask what I would need to connect the Sound Shark to my iPhone and get adequate recordings. My email was quickly answered by the most knowledgeable, attentive Customer Service Rep I’ve encountered. I soon realised the “Rep” was Paul Terpstra, the company owner and developer of the Sound Shark. Paul worked with me to get the system I wanted, even testing microphones and adapters.

Now I have a handheld parabolic mic system that plugs into my phone and makes great recordings. We added a phone mount, so I can watch the sonogram on the app while I aim the Sound Shark and record.

Sound Shark is 9” consumer version of a 16” system Paul developed for Fox Sports. Sound Shark Audio (for Consumers)/Klover Products (for Professionals) are great companies. Sound Shark will set you up whether you want to use a smart phone or a dedicated recording system.

They make the Sound Shark in Wisconsin, so they are pure, mostly.

Ann E.
Fredericksburg VA

Have you used a Sound Shark to record awesome bird songs? Share your story with us and we will send you a Sound Shark T-shirt!