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As urbanization expands globally, the communication systems of an increasing number of species are affected. Because bird song is a long-distance signal used to attract mates and defend territories, the evolution of bird song is often shaped by habitat structure and background noise. These potential drivers of song evolution are more often studied in natural areas than in urbanized areas, leaving open the question of how anthropogenic changes to the landscape are affecting the evolution of bird song. One songbird that persists in both urbanized and rural areas in North America is the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys). Our previous work demonstrates that increased background noise in cities and in natural habitats affects acoustic adaptation in this species. However, we lack information about how sound transmits in urban and rural habitats. Because cities tend to have different physical …