Best BirdNote Podcasts (2025)

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Pigeon Guillemots Have Fun

Play Pause

1h ago

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Although many seabirds utter groans and croaks, the Pigeon Guillemot produces a lovely series of trills and whistles. As part of their courtship, they fly side by side in large circles and loops, a perfectly synchronized flying act. These guillemots do not breed until they are between three and five

1
Pigeon Guillemots Have Fun 1:45

2h ago1:45

1:45

Although many seabirds utter groans and croaks, the Pigeon Guillemot produces a lovely series of trills and whistles. As part of their courtship, they fly side by side in large circles and loops, a perfectly synchronized flying act. These guillemots do not breed until they are between three and five years old. The male chooses a site in a crevice o…

1
Why Are Blackbirds Black?

3h ago

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Why are blackbirds black? One possible answer is that black is conspicuous against just about all of Nature's backgrounds. Blackbirds, like this flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, feed on the ground. Whenever a predator approaches, they take flight. Coming together quickly

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Why Are Blackbirds Black? 1:40

7h ago1:40

1:40

Why are blackbirds black? One possible answer is that black is conspicuous against just about all of Nature's backgrounds. Blackbirds, like this flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds, feed on the ground. Whenever a predator approaches, they take flight. Coming together quickly in a dense mass may confuse the predator and thwar…

1
How Nestlings Leave the Nest

23h ago

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Young birds leave their nests in different ways. Some shuffle tentatively along the nearest branch and practice flapping their wings, while others take the "big leap." Which path they take depends upon their species and the location of the nest. Young Great Horned Owls clamber out of the nest to

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How Nestlings Leave the Nest 1:45

1d ago1:45

1:45

Young birds leave their nests in different ways. Some shuffle tentatively along the nearest branch and practice flapping their wings, while others take the "big leap." Which path they take depends upon their species and the location of the nest. Young Great Horned Owls clamber out of the nest to nearby branches where they flap their wings and make …

1
Crested Auklets Entice Their Mates with Scent

2d ago

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Crested Auklets are small seabirds that nest on remote cliffs in the Northern Pacific and the Bering Sea. But it’s their smell that really sets these birds apart. They smell like tangerines! Experiments show that females go for males that emit the strongest scents.

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Crested Auklets Entice Their Mates with Scent 1:38

3d ago1:38

1:38

Crested Auklets are small seabirds that nest on remote cliffs in the Northern Pacific and the Bering Sea. But it’s their smell that really sets these birds apart. They smell like tangerines! Experiments show that females go for males that emit the strongest scents. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekl…

1
Pelagic Birds by Boat

3d ago

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Some birds spend most of their lives on the open ocean, only coming to land when it's time to breed. These high-sea specialists are called pelagic birds, which include jaegers, petrels, and albatrosses, among many others. The best way to see them for yourself is by setting sail on a pelagic birding

1
Pelagic Birds by Boat 1:45

3d ago1:45

1:45

Some birds spend most of their lives on the open ocean, only coming to land when it's time to breed. These high-sea specialists are called pelagic birds, which include jaegers, petrels, and albatrosses, among many others. The best way to see them for yourself is by setting sail on a pelagic birding tour or whale watching cruise! More info and trans…

1
Advice to Beginning Birders from David Sibley

4d ago

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David Sibley, creator and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds, offers this advice to people learning to identify birds: “Spend time at home, paging through the field guide . . . by flipping through the pages of the book and looking at pictures and reading the names, you’ll start to get a sense

1
Advice to Beginning Birders from David Sibley 1:45

4d ago1:45

1:45

David Sibley, creator and illustrator of The Sibley Guide to Birds, offers this advice for people learning to identify birds: “Spend time at home, paging through the field guide . . . by flipping through the pages of the book and looking at pictures and reading the names, you’ll start to get a sense of what those birds are . . . It doesn’t have to …

1
What’s in a Name? A Bird!

5d ago

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Names are conventions, right? But some names contain something special: a bird! For example, the name Paloma comes from the colloquial name in Spanish for the common pigeon, but as a human name it often refers to doves. Or Garzón, my last name, is derived from Garza, or Heron, in Spanish. Listen to

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What’s in a Name? A Bird! 1:45

6d ago1:45

1:45

Names are conventions, right? But some names contain something special: a bird! For example, the name Paloma comes from the colloquial name in Spanish for the common pigeon, but as a human name it often refers to doves. Or Garzón, my last name, is derived from Garza, or Heron, in Spanish. Listen to this episode in Spanish here. More info and transc…

1
Black-bellied Plover, Arctic Nester

6d ago

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In the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, June days offer almost continuous daylight to breeding birds, including this Black-bellied Plover. At this high latitude, Black-bellied Plovers can complete their breeding cycle in a month and a half. Not long after the summer solstice, the adults begin their

1
Black-bellied Plover, Arctic Nester 1:43

6d ago1:43

1:43

In the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, June days offer almost continuous daylight to breeding birds, including this Black-bellied Plover. At this high latitude, Black-bellied Plovers can complete their breeding cycle in a month and a half. Not long after the summer solstice, the adults begin their southbound migration, without their young. Juvenil…

1
As the Crowe Flies

7d ago

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Crows play many roles in human cultures, from ominous tricksters to sacred purveyors of wisdom. After exploring the stories behind her family surname, attorney and playwright Alice T. Crowe discovered a deep historical connection between the racist symbology of Jim Crow and the negative image of

1
As the Crowe Flies 2:27

7d ago2:27

2:27

Crows play many roles in human cultures, from ominous tricksters to sacred purveyors of wisdom. After exploring the stories behind her family surname, attorney and playwright Alice T. Crowe discovered a deep historical connection between the racist symbology of Jim Crow and the negative image of these birds in many Western cultures. Despite the soc…

1
If You See a Bird with Leg Bands

8d ago

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If you see a wild bird with a small metal band around its leg, that means researchers have given the bird a unique ID to keep track of it over the course of its life. You can report the sighting to the Bird Banding Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Geological Survey that studies banded birds across the

1
If You See a Bird with Leg Bands 1:39

9d ago1:39

1:39

If you see a wild bird with a small metal band around its leg, that means researchers have given the bird a unique ID to keep track of it over the course of its life. You can report the sighting to the Bird Banding Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Geological Survey that studies banded birds across the continent. Analyzing where and when banded birds …

1
The Chihuahuan Meadowlark

9d ago

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In 2022, ornithologists recognized the Chihuahuan Meadowlark as a separate species rather than a subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark. Named after the northern region of Mexico where they're easy to find, Chihuahuan Meadowlarks live in dry desert grasslands. They form a distinct population in Mexico

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The Chihuahuan Meadowlark 1:35

10d ago1:35

1:35

In 2022, ornithologists recognized the Chihuahuan Meadowlark as a separate species rather than a subspecies of the Eastern Meadowlark. Named after the northern region of Mexico where they're easy to find, Chihuahuan Meadowlarks live in dry desert grasslands. They form a distinct population in Mexico and the southwestern U.S., and have a song that s…

1
Green Jay

10d ago

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Adorned in shades of peridot green, sapphire blue, and onyx black, the Green Jay is a jewel-toned wonder with a voice as loud as its color palette. Their range is split over two regions, one from southern Texas to northern Belize and a second along the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia

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Green Jay 1:44

11d ago1:44

1:44

Adorned in shades of peridot green, sapphire blue, and onyx black, the Green Jay is a jewel-toned wonder with a voice as loud as its color palette. Their range is split over two regions, one from southern Texas to northern Belize and a second along the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia. Green Jays often forage in family flocks where their n…

1
Father Birds

12d ago

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The male hummingbird leaves the female to build the nest and raise the young alone, but other father birds are more involved. A Peregrine Falcon father shares duties almost evenly with the mother. (Stewart, pictured, nested on a Seattle skyscraper for many years.) But the male Emu of Australia tops

1
Father Birds 1:45

12d ago1:45

1:45

The male hummingbird leaves the female to build the nest and raise the young alone, but other father birds are more involved. A Peregrine Falcon father shares duties almost evenly with the mother. (Stewart, pictured, nested on a Seattle skyscraper for many years.) But the male Emu of Australia tops them all. He remains alone on the nest for nearly …

1
Baby Bald Eagles

13d ago

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Baby Bald Eagles have a lot to learn before they reach adulthood. While still in the nest, they practice fanning their wings and jumping into the air to test their strength. When they’re finally ready for their first test-flight, the fledglings sometimes land unceremoniously on the ground until a

1
Baby Bald Eagles 1:40

12d ago1:40

1:40

Baby Bald Eagles have a lot to learn before they reach adulthood. While still in the nest, they practice fanning their wings and jumping into the air to test their strength. When they’re finally ready for their first test-flight, the fledglings sometimes land unceremoniously on the ground until a parent offers further encouragement. Juvenile Bald E…

1
The Oilbird's Lightless Life

14d ago

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Nature has produced some exceptionally strange animals. One such creature is the Oilbird of northern South America. The Oilbird prefers a diet of wild berries and fruits, especially lipid-rich fruits like palm nuts and avocados (which leads to fatty young and the Oilbird's name). This unusual

1
The Oilbird's Lightless Life 1:41

13d ago1:41

1:41

Nature has produced some exceptionally strange animals. One such creature is the Oilbird of northern South America. The Oilbird prefers a diet of wild berries and fruits, especially lipid-rich fruits like palm nuts and avocados (which leads to fatty young and the Oilbird's name). This unusual-looking bird is longer than a crow, with big eyes and a …

1
The Kingfisher and the Halcyon Days

15d ago

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The ancient Greeks believed the gods turned two distraught lovers into kingfishers — or “halcyon birds.” Thanks to divine assistance, these birds would enjoy calm weather during their nesting period. Even today, many kingfishers have echoes of this story in their scientific names.

1
The Kingfisher and the Halcyon Days 1:39

14d ago1:39

1:39

The ancient Greeks believed the gods turned two distraught lovers into kingfishers — or “halcyon birds.” Thanks to divine assistance, these birds would enjoy calm weather during their nesting period. Even today, many kingfishers have echoes of this story in their scientific names. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscr…

1
Celebrating City Birds

16d ago

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Pigeons, geese, and gulls often get a bad rap among city dwellers. But Nicole Jackson, an environmental educator and nature enthusiast, admires these cosmopolitan birds for their resilience and adaptability.

1
Celebrating City Birds 1:45

16d ago1:45

1:45

Pigeons, geese, and gulls often get a bad rap among city dwellers. But Nicole Jackson, an environmental educator and nature enthusiast, admires these cosmopolitan birds for their resilience and adaptability. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listeni…