Cenote bird is a real field recording made inside the Cho Ha cenote, near the Cobá ruins in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The bird is a motmot. Felix Blume recorded it in July 2012 and released it into the public domain.
What is a cenote?
A cenote is a natural sinkhole, where the limestone of the Yucatán Peninsula has fallen in over groundwater and left a pool, sometimes open to the sky and sometimes under rock. Motmots often nest in their soft walls. In this recording you hear the motmot's call and drops of water falling, looped so it plays as long as you like. The bird calls now and then, so this is less even than rain or surf; its loudest moments were softened so they don't jump out each time the loop comes round.
Where the sound comes from
Cenote bird. Recorded by Felix Blume at Cho Ha cenote, near the Cobá ruins, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Public domain (CC0). Original recording on freesound.org
Listen safely
This is a sound, played back through whatever speaker or headphones you already own. It doesn't diagnose, measure, or promise anything about how you sleep, focus, or feel — it's just noise and a handful of real recordings, mixed the way you like them.
Keep the volume low enough that you'd still notice a smoke alarm, a phone ringing, or someone at the door. If you fall asleep in headphones, choose a volume and a pair you'd be comfortable wearing all night, and a session length that ends when you'd want the sound to stop.
If you use this near a baby, keep the speaker several feet from the crib, never inside or clipped to it, and keep the volume low — the same care you'd take with any sound machine in a nursery.
If your relationship with sound, or with sleep, feels difficult rather than simply restless, a doctor or audiologist is the right person to talk to. This is a mixer, not a clinician.
What is a motmot?
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A bird of the forests of Mexico and Central America, known for its long tail. In the Yucatán, motmots are often seen around cenotes, where they nest in the soft rock walls.
What is a cenote?
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A natural sinkhole, formed where the limestone above groundwater has collapsed, leaving a pool open to the air or under a rocky overhang. The Yucatán Peninsula has thousands of them, and many are visited by swimmers.
When was it recorded?
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In July 2012, according to its source, which gives the month but not the day. Our catalogue only holds full dates, so the info panel shows no date rather than an invented one.
Is it public domain?
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Yes. Felix Blume released it under CC0, so anyone may use it for anything. We credit him anyway.