Xeno canto access (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

I'm finding it less and less easy to access the site, can't get in at all right now.

Anyone else noticing anything?

 

[Dave Boyle]

I'm finding it less and less easy to access the site, can't get in at all right now.

Anyone else noticing anything?

I've been getting Gateway Time-out for a couple of days, its been good for ages before this for me

 

[Andy Adcock]

I've been getting Gateway Time-out for a couple of days, its been good for ages before this for me

That's what I'm getting right now so maybe there's some work going on?

There is an argument at the moment about having so many bird recordings available like this, that they may be used in some illegal or immoral way. There is at least some, pressure to withold or restrict, access to certain species.

 

[Dave Boyle]

That's what I'm getting right now so maybe there's some work going on?

There is an argument at the moment about having so many bird recordings available like this, that they may be used in some illegal or immoral way. There is at least some, pressure to withold or restrict, access to certain species.

XC, along with the other major sound libraries, were asked years ago to restrict the availability of recordings of a whole host of species, mainly SE Asian songbirds at risk from illegal trapping - one of the things I like about XC is they actually did it & you can't even listen to those recordings anymore or get better site information than just the country, although if you need them for research you can still contact the recorder.

 

[01101001]

It makes sense, but does it really help with Macaulay Library not complying (and do you need any more than one recording for tape luring)?

 

[Dave Boyle]

It makes sense, but does it really help with Macaulay Library not complying (and do you need any more than one recording for tape luring)?

Somebody asked them that a little while ago & they just said they'd been asked to restrict the recordings, they agreed it was important and they were keeping them restricted until they were told it wasn't necessary anymore. You're probably right, recordings are widely available elsewhere, but at least XC know they're not playing a role in illegal trapping

 

[DMW]

I'll probably Jinx myself but I've not had a problem accessing XC lately. What I will say is that it's becoming increasingly unusable for common European species as the sheer volume of recordings for these makes load times very long. I'm sure I'll get criticised for saying this but there's a swamping effect where some users post huge numbers of quite useless barely-audible nocmig recordings. I know there's a value to large data sets etc but at some point the "noise to signal ratio" needs to be addressed.

 

[Dave Boyle]

Its back for me now!

 

[Xenospiza]

I'll probably Jinx myself but I've not had a problem accessing XC lately. What I will say is that it's becoming increasingly unusable for common European species as the sheer volume of recordings for these makes load times very long. I'm sure I'll get criticised for saying this but there's a swamping effect where some users post huge numbers of quite useless barely-audible nocmig recordings. I know there's a value to large data sets etc but at some point the "noise to signal ratio" needs to be addressed.

Which they then also rate as "A" when they should be "D" or "E"...

 

[Sc0tty]

 

[Andy Adcock]

Its back for me now!

For me too!

 

[KenM]

It’s an “amazing” tool!…having used it (when I first became aware of it) circa early millenia. Initially suspecting a “species” seen in Aug.’96 only partially, before it flew off calling, the likes of which was committed to memory and never forgotten.
I only had the written phonetics (from Collins) to go on, which did look good, as best as one might hope for.
However once I’d discovered XC and played the “call note”….it was a truly electric moment! Many thanks to Xeno Canto for that wonderful experience!

 

[Tiraya]

I was never here "early enough" to experience the hay day of XC. Anytime I've used it, I've wanted to help learn bird songs and calls for upcoming trips, but it turns out any species I needed to learn was restricted and unavailable...

 

[Andy Adcock]

I was never here "early enough" to experience the hay day of XC. Anytime I've used it, I've wanted to help learn bird songs and calls for upcoming trips, but it turns out any species I needed to learn was restricted and unavailable...

Getting that way more and more.

Unless you know someone who can send recordings to yoo, you might end up biting the bullet and buying a CD if one is available for where you're going.

 

[Tiraya]

Getting that way more and more.

Unless you know someone who can send recordings to yoo, you might end up biting the bullet and buying a CD if one is available for where you're going.

In some places, I've heard support for this. Some of the bird guides have expressed it helps their business because it pressures birders into hiring a guide when they can't do their own research.

Actually, one of the main reasons there was no audio available for Socotra Bunting was this, according to behind the scenes communication. Their public reasoning for keeping it quiet was that it would give visitors too much confidence to find the bird on their own! In hindsight it's probably also why the only field guide for the island neglects to mention ID features for some birds in particular, ones that need them most, and instead remarks to hire an experienced guide to find and identify it instead...