Brood XIV – A Magicicada septendecim chorus

Last week I headed east for a few days to see about recording the 17-year Brood XIV cicada emergence. I’ve grown an affinity for the periodicals over the past few years and the emergence event as a whole, and I was lucky enough to squeeze in a few days recording them in southeastern KY and northern/eastern TN.

It’s a challenge to plan a trip like this from afar and successfully execute it when time is a multi-layered factor. Soil temperature and local weather conditions dictate not only how far along the cicadas are in their lifecycle, but how active they might be calling on any given day. Add to this the goal of making long-form, naturally silent recordings within a time window of just a few days, and the chances of coming away with “good” results can potentially be pretty dismal.

This trip had critical setbacks every step of the way, from multiple flight delays to generally cool temps and even disastrous weather in the region. I’ve learned from my time on the PCT that flexibility and the openness to pivot last-minute are not only crucial for success, but that through allowing your definition of success to grow and change, it can lead to unexpected, positive outcomes and is a vital part of the human experience.

So, after four days in the field, and over 1500 miles of driving, I have audio to sift through—a lot of it with the roar of cars, planes, and OHV traffic masking the nuanced din of faintly calling cicadas a week or so later in their lifecycle than I’d hoped for.

But! There are a few gems in there, and I’d like to share one here.

This is a 3:30 recording of a Magicicada septendecim (aka the “Pharaoh” cicada) chorus, with sparse calls in the background from M. cassini and M. septendecula. Listen for M. septendecim’s characteristic “weeee-ooo” call. All three species of Brood XIV are represented here, and it’s the cleanest chunk of recording I have of this soundscape.

This is the third trip I’ve made to record periodical cicadas (‘21, ‘24, ‘25), but the first time I’ve experienced such a dominance of septendecim. In my other trips it’s been the noisy, amplitude lfo-synced cassinis that take over at ear-piercing volume (a truly immersive and penetrating sonic environment!) Considering all the setbacks and “non-ideal” circumstances of this trip, I experienced something new and did some learning along the way. Cool.

You can pick the time, you can pick the place, but you can’t pick em both.