Why are there no birds or squirrels at Augusta National and do Masters broadcasters play in wildlife sounds?

Apr 7, 2026 - 15:30

Jason Day will be rocking a bird-inspired outfit at the upcoming Masters – probably the only feathered friends we’ll see all week.

Day’s head-to-toe bird-themed fit will bring some more wildlife to the 90th edition of the famous tournament at Augusta National.

Bird noises heard on TV appear disproportionate to the amount seen

From dyed ponds to painted grass, Augusta’s grounds are both renowned and revered, and mystery remains beyond the course itself.

The vast distance of the course is, in part, the reason behind one of the more baffling Masters aspects – the alleged absence of birds, squirrels and other wildlife.

A high fence surrounding the pristine property keeps out larger animals like foxes and rabbits, but birds, to state the obvious, can fly.

Over 340 species of the feathered creatures make their way through Georgia each year – many depicted on Day’s apparel – and yet they are only ever heard, not seen on TV during Masters week.

In fact, the sight of a pro sinking a birdie is far more common than spotting one fly past – here’s what we know…

Do broadcasters play in wildlife sounds?

Historically, yes, as the soundtrack from the highlights of Tiger Woods’ storied win at the 2000 PGA Championship can attest to.

Thankfully for fans watching CBS’s coverage, footage of the golfing great’s iconic ‘Putt and Point’ celebration at Valhalla was genuine – audio of birds played by the broadcaster less so.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick successfully got the network to admit the sounds he was hearing could not be from birds common to the tournament’s host region in Louisville.

As a result, it only increased the conspiracy theory that CBS had been doing the same at Augusta National via speakers hidden in the green.

However, during the 2001 Masters, a spokesperson insisted that ‘the birds you hear are live, and they are indigenous to Augusta’.

The delayed 2020 Masters showed the amount of birds with no spectators

The major, which is usually held early in the year, took place in November due to the pandemic

Fitzpatrick, who hasn’t missed a Masters in more than three decades, backed up that point when he checked out the coverage in 2019.

He told Slate Magazine: “I will confess that when I watch golf on TV, I keep a list of the birds that I see and hear.

“All I could hear [in 2019 Masters] was a cardinal and I think an Eastern towhee. To the species, they are all accurate as the ones calling there at this time of year in central Georgia.”

While the presence of the birds has been proven, Fitzpatrick did suggest a reason why the noises are so disproportionally heard on TV.

“It does sound like I hear the same actual song from some of these birds that have quite variable songs,” he added.

“I’m quite sure they must record some good birds at some point, and then they slip back through and play them again here and there to add color.”

Wildlife otherwise steer clear of the thousands of fans

“The noise is definitely birds recorded there right on the grounds,” Fitzpatrick continued. “Let’s just call it audio enhancement.”

Brandon Cromer, who teaches a class on ornithology at Augusta University, suggested that if birds appear scarce during the Masters, it’s more likely because of fear of the patrons.

He told Golf Digest: “Our campus is just a couple of miles away from the course, and we have very similar vegetation and our campus is loaded with birds.

“We have a pretty good diversity of birds, so I imagine the same birds are just right over there.”

“The other thing is that when there are tens of thousands of people walking through, you’re probably going to scare some birds off.”