Frogwatching Tips

Getting to know the calls of the species in your state really well is the most important part of being a Frogwatch USA volunteer. Listening closely and being aware of your surroundings will make your amphibian identifications easier. But sometimes learning all those different calls can be difficult. So if you are battling to sort out all the frog calls, here are some tips to make things easier:

Before Monitoring:

Narrow down your species list

First, take a look at a field guide to see where the species in your state live. Not all species listed for your state may live in your town so narrow down your species list to those frogs and toads that live in your part of the state.

Then, narrow your list further by learning what time of year these species are most likely to call. By understanding which species will be calling in April and which you won’t hear until July, you can limit the number of species you expect to hear at certain times during the year.

Practice, practice, practice

Let's face it - frog and toad calls are not easy to learn. Nevertheless, a little effort will be wonderfully rewarding because the quality of your data will be better, and the pleasure you’ll get out of recognizing newly learned species will be enhanced.

And the only way to learn the calls is to listen to them! You can learn the calls by listening to them online or by choosing a CD or cassette tape to review. Listen to the calls at home on a regular basis so you are familiar with all the sounds when you are actually out collecting data. When you hear a frog's song, describe what it sounds like. For example, the bullfrog makes a sound like “jug-o-rum” and the northern cricket frog sounds like marbles or pebbles being clicked together. Then, the more time you spend out monitoring, the better you will get to know the calls.

American Bullfrog rana catesbeiana learn more at eNature.com

Northern Cricket Frog acris crepitans learn more at eNature.com

While out monitoring:

Try and identify every sound you hear.

Once you are aware of frogs and toads calling at your monitoring site, then you need to sort out the noises and identify the species. Try to identify the species that you know the best, first. Then listen a little longer to the calls that you do not recognize right away. You can make notes to yourself and try to figure out the species later by listening to the species at home. You can even try to tape record the species you hear while you are in the field and identify them at home by comparing them to known recordings. Only submit data to Frogwatch USA for those species that you are sure you can correctly identify. Then work on learning to recognize more species for your next monitoring visit.

Full List of Easy Frogwatching Tips:

General Frogwatching Tips
Mapping your site made easy!
Name That Tune: Frog Calls
So Many Wetlands...How Do I Choose?
Safety First… Data Second
Bring Frogwatch to Your Community