Animals use sound in extraordinary ways to hunt, find a mate and survive

Sound plays a crucial role in the lives, evolution and everyday struggles of animals. Nature is a cacophony of calls and hums, buzzes and beats, but so far, we've only heard part of the story. 

Using cutting-edge audio technology, Secret World of Sound takes us on a journey into a hidden realm.  This groundbreaking three-part series from The Nature of Things, hosted by Anthony Morgan, explores the extraordinary ways animals use sound to hunt, find a mate and survive. 

From Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula to the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa; from the Rocky Mountains of Canada to the reefs of Indonesia; and from the deserts of Arizona to the rainforests of Malaysia, Morgan uncovers startling new perspectives on animal behaviour.

Hunters and Hunted

In episode one, Hunters and Hunted, we enter a high-stakes world where sound is the difference between finding a meal and becoming one. 

In the deserts of Arizona, the small but extraordinary kangaroo rat uses hollow spaces in its skull to amplify the faintest sounds  — including the quiet rustle of a rattlesnake sliding across the sand. In a blooming English garden we follow the flight of a bumble bee that employs one of the most common sounds in nature — its buzz — to unlock a hidden treasure from flowers. And in Vancouver, B.C. we decode a dance of deception performed by gulls to trick unsuspecting worms into thinking it's raining, enticing them to rise to the surface — and to their demise.

Off the coast of the Bahamas, we join a pod of dolphins to reveal how they use their amazingly precise echolocation to find their prey hidden under the sand on the ocean floor. 

Behind the scenes, our team braves temperatures of -40 C to discover, for the first time, how great grey owls can manipulate sound to hear and capture prey hiding under metres of snow. 

Love and Rivals

In the second episode, Love and Rivals, learn how animals use sound to impress, find a mate and fight off rivals.

In the forests of eastern Australia, the male lyre bird attempts to wow a female with his complex song. One of the greatest mimics of the natural world, he digs into an impressive repertoire that includes calls of other birds in the forest, car alarms and even a crying baby.

In the vast grasslands of Alberta, we travel to the traditional breeding grounds of the sharp-tailed grouse to watch an amazing performance. Every year, males gather to put on an elaborate dance routine to attract females, complete with rattling tail feathers, stomping feet and popping neck sacks. 

And in the Pacific Northwest, we meet a fish that sings. Each summer the male plainfin midshipman travels from the depths to the intertidal zone where he uses his stunningly loud song to convince a female to leave the deep ocean and lay her eggs in his nest.

Behind the scenes, we watch as the team records a dime-sized treehopper, capturing the duet sung by the male and female as they search for each other during mating season.

Finding A Voice

The most perilous time in an animal's life is the very beginning. In the third epiosde, Finding a Voice, baby animals use sound to announce their arrival, beg for food and call for help during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. 

In the swamps of South America, a group of baby caimans communicate with each other from inside their eggs in an effort to synchronize their hatching and increase their chances of survival.

In Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park, we get an unprecedented look at a pack of Eastern wolves as the young pups are left on their own while their parents hunt. Many pups don't make it beyond their first year, these ones must use their voices to stave off danger and protect the pack. 

In the U.K., we get a closer listen to songs beyond our hearing. More than 200,000 species communicate in ways that we can't perceive. Using software that converts vibrations to colour, we enter the rich and vibrant realm of the honeybee to discover how they use special sounds to crown a new queen. 

Behind the scenes, we join a team of researchers in western Australia who are using sound to help save a reef bleached by warming oceans.

For decades, natural history films have wowed audiences with jaw-dropping visuals. Sound has always played a supporting role and is often overshadowed by music. But for the first time, nature's sounds take centre stage. Packed with drama, conflict and new discoveries, Secret World of Sound transports viewers into a hidden world and creates a truly immersive and unforgettable experience.