The Masters bird sounds 'controversy' at Augusta, explained
Are the birds at the Masters real in Augusta? Let's dive in as you hear all those bird sounds during the golf major.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in 2023. It’s once again time for the Masters, and that can only mean one thing: It’s time to investigate the mystery of Augusta National Golf Club’s bird song controversy. Not familiar with this case of (alleged) avian shenanigans?
Here’s the lowdown. For years, rumors have claimed that the bird song you hear in the background of Masters broadcasts is fake. Despite a CBS spokesperson insisting that “the birds you hear are live and they are indigenous to Augusta,” many people remain skeptical.
In a 2016 article , The Washington Post’s Thomas Boswell weighed in on the situation: “There are no birds, squirrels, insects or any other living creature indigenous to planet earth at the Masters. Nowhere on the property. Well, okay, there must be some somewhere.
But the Post’s Dave Sheinin and I made a multi-day quest for a single bird sighting. So far, none. Those bird calls that you sometimes hear on the Masters broadcast?