Eliot Ford synthesizes findings from sensory ecology, bioacoustics, cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral science to show that “listening” is not merely auditory input; it’s an adaptive system for detecting signals, estimating risk, and coordinating action. She examines how nonhuman species use soundscapes and vibration cues for navigation, mating, predator avoidance, and habitat selection, then connects those mechanisms to the human nervous system—attention, threat detection, pattern recognition, and the limits of perception under stress. Case studies range from reef soundscapes and bird migration corridors to urban noise gradients and wildfire-prone landscapes, illustrating how altered acoustic environments can shift behavior and disrupt ecological relationships.

Rather than treating listening as a metaphor, the book frames it as measurable practice: building better baselines, designing monitoring around signal-to-noise, and translating uncertainty without collapsing complexity. The central argument is practical: improving the way we “listen”—to data, to communities, and to ecosystems—changes the quality of our interventions. In doing so, The Listening Species offers an evidence-based framework for restoring attention as a form of environmental competence, with direct implications for conservation planning, public communication, and regenerative design.