Best Of NatureStudy Podcasts (2025)

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The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Makes a Comeback

Play Pause

8h ago

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While most Sandhill Cranes migrate, the Mississippi population lives year-round in wet pine savanna near the Gulf Coast. Their dependence on this unique habitat caused their population to plummet to just 35 when the savanna began to disappear. Through the Endangered Species Act, an almost 20,000

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The Mississippi Sandhill Crane Makes a Comeback 1:44

11h ago1:44

1:44

While most Sandhill Cranes migrate, the Mississippi population lives year-round in wet pine savanna near the Gulf Coast. Their dependence on this unique habitat caused their population to plummet to just 35 when the savanna began to disappear. Through the Endangered Species Act, an almost 20,000-acre wildlife refuge was established for the cranes a…

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Jynx!

1d ago

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A birder may have a target bird so elusive that the bird becomes a kind of "jinx bird." But there was a real bird by that name! The bird once called the "jynx" is known today as the Eurasian Wryneck. When a wryneck is threatened, it twists its head like a snake and hisses. This behavior led to the

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Jynx! 1:45

1d ago1:45

1:45

A birder may have a target bird so elusive that the bird becomes a kind of "jinx bird." But there was a real bird by that name! The bird once called the "jynx" is known today as the Eurasian Wryneck. When a wryneck is threatened, it twists its head like a snake and hisses. This behavior led to the wryneck being invoked in witchcraft to put a spell …

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Owl Sounds with Becca Rowland

2d ago

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When author and illustrator Becca Rowland first started learning to identify bird calls, they were delighted to discover that owls say more than just ‘who’! In her new book Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make, Becca dedicates a whole chapter to the

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Owl Sounds with Becca Rowland 1:45

2d ago1:45

1:45

When author and illustrator Becca Rowland first started learning to identify bird calls, they were delighted to discover that owls say more than just ‘who’! In her new book, Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways to Identify Birds by the Sounds They Make, Becca dedicates a whole chapter to the wonderful world of owl calls. Support for Bird Note is pr…

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American Bittern: Thunder-Pumper

3d ago

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American Bitterns nest in marshes across the northern half of the United States and throughout much of Canada, and they winter along both U.S. coasts south into Central America. But in some places, bitterns are in serious trouble. Much of the extensive, shallow marshland they once bred in has been

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American Bittern: Thunder-Pumper 1:42

3d ago1:42

1:42

American Bitterns nest in marshes across the northern half of the United States and throughout much of Canada, and they winter along both US coasts south into Central America. But in some places, bitterns are in serious trouble. Much of the extensive, shallow marshland they once bred in has been drained or degraded by chemicals and silt. BirdNote i…

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Hummingbirds Caught in a Dark World of Love Spells

4d ago

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Hummingbirds are celebrated for their beauty and grace, but in some places, they are trapped in a dark and deadly tradition. In parts of Mexico, hummingbirds are captured and killed to be used in love spells called chuparosa charms, a practice that has crossed borders and made its way to the United

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Hummingbirds Caught in a Dark World of Love Spells 1:42

4d ago1:42

1:42

Hummingbirds are celebrated for their beauty and grace, but in some places, they are trapped in a dark and deadly tradition. In parts of Mexico, hummingbirds are captured and killed to be used in love spells called chuparosa charms, a practice that has crossed borders and made its way to the United States. Conservationists are working to save these…

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Annakacygna – The Ultimate Bird

5d ago

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Like today’s swans, the extinct species Annakacygna hajimei and Annakacygna yoshiiensis were quite large. But unlike their modern relatives, these birds lived most of their lives out at sea, and their fossils reveal remarkable adaptations to this unusual lifestyle. This led the researchers who first

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Annakacygna – The Ultimate Bird 1:45

5d ago1:45

1:45

Like today’s swans, the extinct species Annakacygna hajimei and Annakacygna yoshiiensis were quite large. But unlike their modern relatives, these birds lived most of their lives out at sea, and their fossils reveal remarkable adaptations to this unusual lifestyle. This led the researchers who first described these species to dub them “the ‘ultimat…

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Towhees' Distractive Plumage

6d ago

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Both this Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee of the West sport a black or dark brown hood and back. And when they fly, their tails flash white. When a hawk gives chase, the towhee's flashing tail-feathers draw the predator's attention. Momentarily distracted, the hawk may come up with just a

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Towhees' Distractive Plumage 1:38

6d ago1:38

1:38

Both this Eastern Towhee and the Spotted Towhee of the West sport a black or dark brown hood and back. And when they fly, their tails flash white. When a hawk gives chase, the towhee's flashing tail-feathers draw the predator's attention. Momentarily distracted, the hawk may come up with just a couple of tail feathers — as the towhee escapes into t…

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The Endangered 'Akiapōlā'au

7d ago

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The 'Akiapōlā'au is a bright yellow bird with a black eye mask, found only in the upper elevations on the Big Island of Hawai'i. But its most distinct feature is its totally unique, uneven bill. The top of the bill is long, skinny, and curved like a sickle. Once abundant, habitat loss and disease

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The Endangered 'Akiapōlā'au 1:45

7d ago1:45

1:45

The 'Akiapōlā'au is a bright yellow bird with a black eye mask, found only in the upper elevations on the Big Island of Hawai'i. But its most distinct feature is its totally unique, uneven bill. The top of the bill is long, skinny, and curved like a sickle. Once abundant, habitat loss and disease from mosquitoes has taken a toll on the 'Akiapōlā'au…

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Quirky Words for Patterned Birds

8d ago

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Descriptive names can be a great help when you’re getting to know a new bird. Some species have common names that put their plumage pattern front and center – like the Five-striped Sparrow. If you encounter a bird described as flammulated, lineated, banded, or barred, keep an eye out for their

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Quirky Words for Patterned Birds 1:45

8d ago1:45

1:45

Descriptive names can be a great help when you’re getting to know a new bird. Some species have common names that put their plumage pattern front and center – like the Five-striped Sparrow. If you encounter a bird described as flammulated, lineated, banded, or barred, keep an eye out for their namesake stripes and streaks! BirdNote is grateful to t…

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The Elegant Black Tern

9d ago

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Elegant Black Terns breed in summer on secluded wetlands across the northern states and Canada. Because of major losses of wetlands in their breeding range — especially in Canada's prairie provinces — Black Tern numbers have dropped dramatically since the 1960s. The future of this beautiful bird

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The Elegant Black Tern 1:42

9d ago1:42

1:42

Elegant Black Terns breed in summer on secluded wetlands across the northern states and Canada. Because of major losses of wetlands in their breeding range — especially in Canada's prairie provinces — Black Tern numbers have dropped dramatically since the 1960s. The future of this beautiful bird depends on protecting and restoring high-quality wetl…

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Dave Mull and the Courage of Steller’s Jays

10d ago

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Skateboarder and birder Dave Mull remembers the first time he heard a Steller’s Jay imitating a Red-tailed Hawk. “These Steller's Jays were pretending to be something they were not, kind of tricking the world,” he says. It got him into the mindset that he could attempt a terrifying new skateboard

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Dave Mull and the Courage of Steller’s Jays 1:45

10d ago1:45

1:45

Skateboarder and birder Dave Mull remembers the first time he heard a Steller’s Jay imitating a Red-tailed Hawk. “These Steller's Jays were pretending to be something they were not, kind of tricking the world,” he says. It got him into the mindset that he could attempt a terrifying new skateboard trick called the “stump jump.” Music in today's epis…

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Nature’s Alarm Clock: Which Rooster Crows First?

11d ago

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Roosters don’t need to set an alarm to tell them when it’s time to crow — their internal circadian clock lets them anticipate sunrise with remarkable accuracy. To us sleepy humans, it may seem like they all start crowing at once. But scientists have found that roosters follow a strict social

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Nature’s Alarm Clock: Which Rooster Crows First? 1:45

11d ago1:45

1:45

Roosters don’t need to set an alarm to tell them when it’s time to crow — their internal circadian clock lets them anticipate sunrise with remarkable accuracy. To us sleepy humans, it may seem like they all start crowing at once. But scientists have found that roosters follow a strict social hierarchy: only the top bird can issue the first cock-a-d…

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Hudsonian Godwit

12d ago

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Hudsonian Godwits are tough birds to find, and they were once thought extinct due to overhunting. After nesting at sites scattered in the High Arctic, they migrate south on a route that takes them over the ocean from Canada to South America. In spring, they head north through the Great Plains

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Hudsonian Godwit 1:42

12d ago1:42

1:42

Hudsonian Godwits are tough birds to find, and they were once thought extinct due to overhunting. After nesting at sites scattered in the High Arctic, they migrate south on a route that takes them over the ocean from Canada to South America. In spring, they head north through the Great Plains. Populations are estimated to be in the tens of thousand…

1
Seabirds Thriving on Volcanic Slopes

13d ago

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In August 2008, Kasatochi Island erupted in the middle of auklet breeding season, burying tens of thousands of chicks in hot ash. At first, the auklets’ future on the island appeared bleak. But in just a few years, the birds had returned in force. Thousands nested within the innumerable chambers

1
Seabirds Thriving on Volcanic Slopes 1:45

13d ago1:45

1:45

In August 2008, Kasatochi Island erupted in the middle of auklet breeding season, burying tens of thousands of chicks in hot ash. At first, the auklets’ future on the island appeared bleak. But in just a few years, the birds had returned in force. Thousands nested within the innumerable chambers left behind by sea-cooled lava. More info and transcr…

1
Beaks and Grosbeaks

14d ago

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Beaks suited for opening tough, hard seeds — thick, conical beaks — evolved in more than one lineage of birds. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are related to cardinals, which also have powerful beaks. Evening Grosbeaks belong to the finch family, which includes goldfinches and crossbills — an entire family

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Beaks and Grosbeaks 1:35

14d ago1:35

1:35

Beaks suited for opening tough, hard seeds — thick, conical beaks — evolved in more than one lineage of birds. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are related to cardinals, which also have powerful beaks. Evening Grosbeaks belong to the finch family, which includes goldfinches and crossbills — an entire family of seedeaters. But both these grosbeaks were named…

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Seeing the Rainbow in a Bird’s Feathers

15d ago

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We make it a habit to detail the broad and beautiful spectrum of bird colors, but iridescent feathers are undoubtedly among the most mesmerizing. When sunlight hits the Bufflehead’s dark head feathers at the right angle, their colors transform into shades of the rainbow, from deep violet to green

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Seeing the Rainbow in a Bird’s Feathers 1:38

15d ago1:38

1:38

We make it a habit to detail the broad and beautiful spectrum of bird colors, but iridescent feathers are undoubtedly among the most mesmerizing. When sunlight hits the Bufflehead’s dark head feathers at the right angle, their colors transform into shades of the rainbow, from deep violet to green and gold. Common Grackles, caught in natural light, …

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Sister Species: Snow Goose and Ross’s Goose

16d ago

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Ross’s Geese and Snow Geese are both white-bodied waterfowl with black wingtips that can be difficult to tell apart. The pair are a great example of what science calls sister species, which occur when a portion of one species takes an evolutionary step away from the rest, resulting in a species

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Sister Species: Snow Goose and Ross’s Goose 1:45

16d ago1:45

1:45

Ross’s Geese and Snow Geese are both white-bodied waterfowl with black wingtips that can be difficult to tell apart. The pair are a great example of what science calls sister species, which occur when a portion of one species takes an evolutionary step away from the rest, resulting in a species split. In this case, genetic studies suggest that the …