Best American Birding Association Podcasts (2025)

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09-39: This Month in Birding - September 2025 1:12:25

Play Pause

16h ago1:12:25

1:12:25

The last Thursday of September means that it's time for another This Month in Birding, featuring friends from around the birding world gathering to talk about interesting bird news and science from the last month or so. This time around we welcome Frank Izaguirre, Andres Jimenez, and Sarah Swanson to talk about Barred Owls, baby cowbirds, and our f…

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Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD 34:33

4d ago34:33

34:33

You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how it explains why teens make so many risky decisions; how understanding …

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S22,E07: 09/22/25 (Cornershop feat. Eden Gray, Tchotchke, Still Corners, Moontype, Cool Sounds, Camp Saint Helene, Open Reel Ensemble) 48:49

5d ago48:49

48:49

Season 22 Episode 7 Amsterdam via Rotterdam - Cornershop feat. Eden Gray Poor Girl - Tchotchke Playin' Dumb - Tchotchke The Dream - Still Corners Faded Love - Still Corners Let Me Cry - Moontype Four Hands ii - Moontype Just a Dream - Cool Sounds Pretty Often - Cool Sounds Anniversary - Camp Saint Helene Racing - Camp Saint Helene Quartet Studio Li…

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09-38: A Dirtbag Big Year with Owen Reiser 42:21

6d ago42:21

42:21

A Big Year is maybe the ultimate expression of birding obsession, with all the drama inherent to the effort. Brothers Quentin and Owen Reiser’s attempt at a Big Year maybe most of all. It’s the subject of their documentary, Listers, an attempt to throw themselves into the birding world through perhaps the most extreme expression of the hobby. It’s …

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How to support children after traumatic events, with Robin Gurwitch, PhD 31:12

7d ago31:12

31:12

From hurricanes to wildfires to gun violence, trauma and disaster touch the lives of millions of children each year. Robin Gurwitch, PhD, discusses how disasters affect children’s mental health, how to support children and teens in the aftermath of disasters, and how parents can talk to their children about traumatic events in the news. Learn more …

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09-37: New Art in the New Nat Geo Guide with Andrew Guttenberg 40:15

14d ago40:15

40:15

For more than 40 year the National Geographic Field Guide has been an essential text in the library of US and Canadian birders. The venerable series is in its 8th edition now, published as East and West earlier this year and as as guide from coast to coast just recently. Ted Floyd, a regular on this podcast, is the author, but a field guide is only…

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Financial scams: Why some older adults are at risk, with Duke Han, PhD 24:46

18d ago24:46

24:46

Financial scams targeting people over age 60 cost victims more than $3.4 billion in 2023. Neuropsychologist Duke Han, PhD, talks about why some older adults are at risk, financial vulnerability as an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, and how people can protect themselves and their loved ones from falling victim to a scammer. Learn more about your …

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09-36: Where Have the Gray-headed Chickadees Gone with Brad Meiklejohn 41:59

21d ago41:59

41:59

Gray-headed Chickadee is certainly one of the most enigmatic species of breeding birds in the ABA Area. Though it is found broadly across northern Eurasian it was, until very recently, also known from an isolated breeding population in northern Alaska and far northwestern Canada. Those bird, long a bucket list objective for ABA Area birders, might …

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Hot flashes, heart health and hormones: Rethinking menopause, with Rebecca Thurston, PhD 33:18

26d ago33:18

33:18

For many women, the shifting hormones of midlife bring troubling symptoms like hot flashes, mood and memory changes. Now, researchers are learning more about the short- and long-term health effects of menopause. Clinical health psychologist Rebecca Thurston, PhD, discusses links between menopause symptoms and long-term cardiovascular and Alzheimer’…

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09-35: This Month in Birding - August 2025 1:13:08

27d ago1:13:08

1:13:08

It's This Month in Birding for August 2025 and, as we do at the end of every month, we’ve got a great panel of birders to discuss the month’s birding news and scientific publications. Jason Hall, Mikko Jimenez, and Jordan Rutter join host Nate Swick to talk about grackle behavior, museums, and our very favorite penguins. Links to articles discussed…

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Why “boy" culture is creating a crisis of connection, with Niobe Way, PhD 41:52

1M ago41:52

41:52

Many boys form deep friendships in childhood. But as they become teens, they report fewer close, rich friendships. Niobe Way, PhD, author of “Rebels With a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves and Our Culture,” discusses “boy" culture; why boys are naturally as emotionally intelligent as girls; the societal pressures that lead to disconnection among …

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09-34: Random Birds, August 2025, with Ted Floyd 1:03:43

1M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

Every once in a while, Birding editor Ted Floyd drops in for for another episode of Random Birds. The Birding Gods smile on Ted and Nate's random number generator for an eclectic bunch of birds from warblers to gulls, and one incredibly apropos selection. The AOS Classification Committee decisions are in, and Michael Retter has all the changes to y…

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Why numeracy counts in everyday life, with Ellen Peters, PhD 35:22

1M ago35:22

35:22

From deciding whether to buy a house to weighing the risks and benefits of taking a new medication, many important life decisions hinge on understanding numbers, statistics and probability. Ellen Peters, PhD, author of “Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Numbers” discusses what it means to be numerate; how numeracyaffects people’…

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09-33: Why Birders Go Where They Go with Natalia Ocamp-Peñuela & Scott Winton 36:59

1M ago36:59

36:59

Bird tourism is booming, and in many parts of the world we’ve seen countries invest in conservation and tourism infrastructure to take advantage of it. Certainly birders are drawn by unique species, but perhaps our choices for bird-watching destinations have as much to do with other factors as they do with the presence of really great birds. It’s t…

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Encore - How science can help you change your behavior for the better, with Katy Milkman, PhD 43:42

2M ago43:42

43:42

What can you learn from the science of behavior change that can help you make the changes you want to see in your life? Katy Milkman, PhD, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You are to Where You Want to Be, discusses the importance of accurately…

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09-32: The Backyard Bird Chronicles with Amy Tan 40:15

2M ago40:15

40:15

Writer Amy Tan is perhaps best known for her many novels including The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter’s Daughter, exploring themes of identity, family, and the immigrant experience. Her newest book, however, explores something rather different. The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a collection of nature writing and sketching focuses on the many avian …

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Encore -- Why we choose to suffer, with Paul Bloom, PhD 23:18

2M ago23:18

23:18

Why do people like to watch scary movies or listen to sad songs? Why do we run marathons and raise children, even though both of those pursuits come with struggle and pain? Paul Bloom, PhD, discusses why suffering is linked to meaning in life, the connection between pleasure and pain, and the difference between chosen and unchosen suffering. Please…

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09-31: This Month in Birding - July 2025 49:41

2M ago49:41

49:41

The end of the month means This Month in Birding, and for July 2025 we've got a great panel of fun birders to discuss the month's birding news and scientific publications. Birders know Rebecca Heisman, Nick Lund, and Dexter Patterson for their great work in the birding world, and they join host Nate Swick to talk about hummingbird bills, drinking b…

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Encore -- Why is it so hard for adults to make friends? With Marisa Franco, PhD 32:14

2M ago32:14

32:14

As an adult, making new friends—and maintaining old friendships—can be tough. Life is busy and friends end up taking a backseat to other relationships and responsibilities. Marisa Franco, PhD, psychologist and friendship expert, talks about how to make new friends and strengthen and rekindle old friendship ties, why Americans’ friendship networks a…

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09-30: Loon News you can use with Natasha Bartolotta 32:17

2M ago32:17

32:17

The ABA’s 2025 Bird of the Year Common Loon is beloved across the United States and Canada, and though we at the ABA will only celebrate it for a short time, there are other organizations that have made protection and awareness of Common Loons their reason for being. The National Loon Center in Crosslake, Minnesota, is one such organization. They a…

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What the movies get right (and wrong) about relationships, with Paul Eastwick, PhD, and Eli Finkel, PhD 38:47

2M ago38:47

38:47

For many of us, movies offer our earliest lessons in love and help shape our expectations about what romance and relationships might look like. Relationship researchers Paul Eastwick, PhD, and Eli Finkel, PhD, are cohosts of the podcast “Love Factually,” where they use psychology to dissect their favorite rom coms. They talked to “Speaking of Psych…

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09-29: Bird Talk with Becca Rowland 34:10

2M ago34:10

34:10

The search for the perfect mnemonic is the bane of any field guide author, from Roger Tory Peterson to your podcast host. It's the part of writing about birds and birding that requires the most creativity, ans Nova Scotia author and artist Becca Rowland, The Girl in White Glasses, has come up with an entire book devoted to the weird and wonderful s…

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Can AI help solve the mental health crisis? With Vaile Wright, PhD 30:27

2M ago30:27

30:27

People are increasingly turning to chatbots for mental health advice and support – even as researchers work to develop safe, evidence-based AI mental health interventions. Vaile Wright, PhD, discusses the promises, limitations and risks of AI in mental health; how AI tools are already being used in mental health care; how these tools could help exp…

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09-28: The State of Maui's Birds with Hannah Mounce 38:30

3M ago38:30

38:30

The state of Hawaii’s birds is a topic that is frequently front of mind to those of us who care about bird conservation, and on every island there are bird researchers and conservationists on the ground putting any number of conservation efforts into practice. Dr Hannah Mounce is the program manager of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, and she…

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Why can’t you remember being a baby? With Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD 41:42

3M ago41:42

41:42

Why can’t you remember your first birthday party? Or the house you lived in at age 2? Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD, talks about new studies that suggest that babies and toddlers may form early memories; why we aren’t able to retrieve them as adults; and how evolving brain imaging techniques could help answer these questions – and help us understand mo…

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09-27: The Case for Saving Scrub Jays with Aaron Bloom 30:46

3M ago30:46

30:46

The story of the Florida Scrub-Jay is one that encompasses many modern conservation angles and concerns. Local government, bedrock federal legislation, development, climate change, eBird, and at the center of it, a remarkable and friendly endemic bird species. Recent challenges to conservation efforts in Florida have prompted the public interest gr…

American Birding Association Podcasts

1
The American Birding Podcast

American Birding Association

1
Speaking of Psychology

American Psychological Association

1
The Sounds in My Head

Daniel

1
Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

PRX

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09-39: This Month in Birding - September 2025 1:12:25

1
Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD 34:33

1
S22,E07: 09/22/25 (Cornershop feat. Eden Gray, Tchotchke, Still Corners, Moontype, Cool Sounds, Camp Saint Helene, Open Reel Ensemble) 48:49

1
09-38: A Dirtbag Big Year with Owen Reiser 42:21

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How to support children after traumatic events, with Robin Gurwitch, PhD 31:12

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09-37: New Art in the New Nat Geo Guide with Andrew Guttenberg 40:15

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Financial scams: Why some older adults are at risk, with Duke Han, PhD 24:46

1
09-36: Where Have the Gray-headed Chickadees Gone with Brad Meiklejohn 41:59

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Hot flashes, heart health and hormones: Rethinking menopause, with Rebecca Thurston, PhD 33:18

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09-35: This Month in Birding - August 2025 1:13:08

1
Why “boy" culture is creating a crisis of connection, with Niobe Way, PhD 41:52

51
09-34: Random Birds, August 2025, with Ted Floyd 1:03:43

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Why numeracy counts in everyday life, with Ellen Peters, PhD 35:22

51
09-33: Why Birders Go Where They Go with Natalia Ocamp-Peñuela & Scott Winton 36:59

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Encore - How science can help you change your behavior for the better, with Katy Milkman, PhD 43:42

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09-32: The Backyard Bird Chronicles with Amy Tan 40:15

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Encore -- Why we choose to suffer, with Paul Bloom, PhD 23:18

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09-31: This Month in Birding - July 2025 49:41

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Encore -- Why is it so hard for adults to make friends? With Marisa Franco, PhD 32:14

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09-30: Loon News you can use with Natasha Bartolotta 32:17

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What the movies get right (and wrong) about relationships, with Paul Eastwick, PhD, and Eli Finkel, PhD 38:47

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09-29: Bird Talk with Becca Rowland 34:10

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Can AI help solve the mental health crisis? With Vaile Wright, PhD 30:27

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09-28: The State of Maui's Birds with Hannah Mounce 38:30

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Why can’t you remember being a baby? With Nicholas Turk-Browne, PhD 41:42

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09-27: The Case for Saving Scrub Jays with Aaron Bloom 30:46