BirdNote Daily
Episodes
Father Birds
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 fathe...
Baby Bald Eagles
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Oilbird's Lightless Life
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nature has produced some exceptionally strange animals. One such creature is the Oilbird of northern South America. The Oilbird prefers a diet of wild...
The Kingfisher and the Halcyon Days
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The ancient Greeks believed the gods turned two distraught lovers into kingfishers — or “halcyon birds.” Thanks to divine assistance, these bird...
Celebrating City Birds
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pigeons, geese, and gulls often get a bad rap among city dwellers. But Nicole Jackson, an environmental educator and nature enthusiast, admires these ...
Black-headed Grosbeak Sings!
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The song of this male Black-headed Grosbeak has been described as that of a drunken or scat-singing robin. Compare the songs of both birds, and draw y...
Grackles Galore
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grackles are notoriously loud and brazen birds. For all six species native to the Americas, males are iridescent black and females are sumptuous brown...
Hoatzin!
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Hoatzin is a strange bird, indeed! It looks like it was put together by a committee. But the way it looks isn't the only thing that sets this bird...
El Triunfo Cloud Forest Reserve
07 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
High in the mountains of Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico, a male Highland Guan is performing his territorial display. The Highland Guan perc...
Northern Parula Sings From on High
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Northern Parula is a tiny bird with a big personality. These colorful warblers spend their days in search of tasty insects high up in the forest c...
Bird in Flight, Strong but Light
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The feathers of a bird are, for their weight, among the strongest structures in the world. The bones of this Magnificent Frigatebird weigh less than i...
The Loquacious Chat
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In summer, the thick tangles of streamside vegetation in many canyons echo with an uncanny sound — the Yellow-breasted Chat. You may find it in will...
Vivaldi's Goldfinch
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bird song caught the ear of Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi. And he even named a 1729 flute concerto for a bird — the goldfinch. The source of insp...
Quirky Words for Gray Birds
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many birds have common names that refer to their dominant body color, like the Gray Catbird. Yet some species of gray birds received more colorful des...
A Pigeon’s Eye View
01 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1907, a German pharmacist named Julius Neubronner invented the pigeon camera. It was a small camera strapped to a pigeon’s breast — like a phot...
Bonding with Mom Through Birding
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, environmental educator and nature enthusiast Nicole Jackson tells the story of an unexpected backyard birding experience when she vis...
Migration Stories: The House Sparrow
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Deja Perkins, an urban ecologist and co-organizer of Black Birders Week, remembers seeing House Sparrows all over Chicago as a kid. These little brown...
In Defense of Big Black Birds
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grackles, vultures, and other big black birds are often disparaged by people who’d rather they stay out of sight. But Marcus Rosten, an environmenta...
The Robin Rescue
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Adé Ben-Salahuddin stopped to help a trapped young bird on his way home from work, he found an unexpected source of help: an older Black woman w...
Lessons From Mixed Flocks
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are many benefits for birds that form mixed flocks, from safety and survival to care and feeding. We can see the power of community through the ...
Witnessing Lifers While Honoring a Life Loss
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In June 2024, environmental educator and co-organizer of Black Birders Week Dara Miles Wilson traveled to Camden, South Carolina to attend her cousin’...
Miraculous Shades of Brown
25 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sparrows are remarkable birds that come in a wide range of brown hues. Just as sparrows are frequently dismissed in favor of more "charismatic" specie...
Make Your Cloud-watching More Like Bird-watching
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we watch birds in flight, they’re often seen against a backdrop of clouds. Clouds have many different types and are listed in the International...
California Quail, Up and Running
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The most distinctive characteristic of the California Quail is the black, forward-facing topknot that juts out from its forehead like a small flag. Th...
The Skatebirder
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Mull is not your typical birder — he's a professional skateboarder, or a “skatebirder” as he puts it. He brings binoculars with him when he...
Rivers of Birds
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world champions of long-distance migration is the Arctic Tern. Arctic Terns nest across the far northern reaches of the continent during ou...
Migrations: Watching Migration from the Empire State Building
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the sun sets over New York City, author Helen Macdonald takes in the wonders of spring migration from the top of the Empire State Building. She wat...
Orchard Orioles Band Together
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Orchard orioles are social birds that build their nests in large trees among streambanks and wetlands. The males have chestnut-colored breasts and bla...
Swainson's Warbler
18 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Swainson's Warbler is one of North America's shyest birds. These birds forage quietly on the ground, flipping over leaves to expose and capture in...
Robins Raise a Brood in a Hurry
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to raising a family, American Robins have got it down. Approximately eight days after the male and female mate, the female builds the ne...
Bird Song ID
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roger Tory Peterson, the best known American figure of 20th Century birdwatching, offered help on birding by ear. Whenever he could, he provided a cat...
How to Be a Better Wildlife Photographer
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conservation photographer Noppadol Paothong says that if you go out to take pictures of birds, you shouldn’t just aim to take an eye-catching photo....
High Island – Migration on the Gulf
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you're near High Island, Texas in the spring, you might witness a "fallout," one of the great spectacles of bird migration. Thousands of birds, inc...
Warbler Migration in Ohio with Kenn Kaufman
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every spring in Northwest Ohio, the shores of Lake Erie transform into a birder’s paradise. Birder and author Kenn Kaufman, who lives in this area, ...
American Herring Gull
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With white and grey feathers, a piercing stare, and noisy screams, the American Herring Gull is a “seagull” that's well adapted to land-locked liv...
Mother Birds
11 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Avian motherhood is a mixed bag. Peregrine Falcon mothers share duties fairly equally with Peregrine dads. At the other end of the spectrum is the fem...
The Crafty American Crow
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Crows. Large, black, noisy. The raucous birds of the neighborhood. Some people love them; others aren't so sure. American Crows are crafty and resourc...
Searching for Trogons in the Sycamore Trees
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just an hour south of Tucson, Arizona, Madera Canyon is a nature-lover’s dream. Among the more than 250 bird species found in this region throughout...
Bringing Condor Home
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tiana Williams-Claussen is a member of the Yurok Nation and Director of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department. In this episode, she shares the story of ...
Ruffed Grouse: Splendid Drummer
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The male Ruffed Grouse stands on a resonant fallen log in the shelter of a brushy thicket, thumping the air with his wings. He raises them and, cuppin...
A Sailor Finds Companionship with Birds II
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sailor and artist, Brechin Morgan, circumnavigated the globe solo. Alone on the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, he welcomed the companionship of a ...
Bobolinks: Birds of Grasslands
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Male Bobolinks are first to arrive on their breeding grounds in the grasslands. Why are there fewer Bobolinks than in decades past? Probably because t...
A Marsh With More Than One Purpose
04 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary in Northwest California is an important stop along the Pacific Flyway, one of the four main routes for bird mi...
International Dawn Chorus Day
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first Sunday of May is International Dawn Chorus Day, a day to appreciate the beauty of birds’ dawn songs. Dawn Chorus Day began as a small even...
There’s Something About Penguins
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s just something about penguins. Pleasantly plump, they stand upright and teeter like toddlers. Although often depicted in black and white, mo...
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds that nest in the Eastern states. Most Ruby-throats spend the winter in Central America. By March,...
Puffin Bills Glow
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Puffins are known for their flashy bills, striped like a giant piece of candy-corn. New research has found that the bills of Atlantic Puffins glow bri...
Limpkin - Bird of the Swamp
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's dawn on a spring day in the Big Cypress Swamp of Florida. Mist rises from quiet water into Spanish moss hanging from the cypress branches. A Limp...
Bird Songs of April
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The month of April inspires poets, sometimes with contradictory results. Poet TS Eliot describes April as "the cruelest month." Shakespeare strikes an...
Soaring with Redtails
27 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Red-tailed Hawk soars on broad, rounded wings, the epitome of effortless flight. Without flapping, it traces a leisurely, rising circle. The hawk is...
Burrowing Owls: Howdy Birds
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Burrowing Owl is about as big as a can of beans on stilts. Between the long legs, bright yellow eyes, and signature bobbing salute, these little bir...
A Lost Hummingbird is Found Again
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Santa Marta Sabrewing is a hummingbird species so rare, they’ve only been documented twice in recent years. Native to the mountains of Colombia,...
A Kettle of Vultures
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the daytime, hot air rises as the sun heats the ground. The rising column of air is called a thermal, and it’s the perfect way for a Turkey Vultu...
Raising the World’s Deadliest Bird
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might think the first bird species that humans raised in captivity would be a relatively small one, like a chicken. But evidence suggests that peo...
Poetry in the Parks
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For her signature project You Are Here, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón sought to connect people and nature through poetry. In addition to curating a bo...
Great-tailed Grackle
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Great-tailed Grackles live up to their name. The glossy black males trail their long, V-shaped tails behind them as they fly, almost like a plane towi...
The Legendary Phoenix
20 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The ancient Greeks and Egyptians described a mythical bird called the Phoenix, a magnificent creature that was a symbol of renewal and rebirth. Accord...
Recycle Your Eggshells to Help Nesting Birds
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Female birds need to eat calcium to have enough of the mineral to lay their eggs. But it can be hard to find enough of it to eat in nature. We can hel...
Kinglet Fireworks
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of the time, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet is neither ruby nor regal. A tiny songbird washed in faded olive-green, the male shows a hint of crimson atop...
Brewer's Sparrow, Sageland Singer
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most musical and complex bird songs in the U.S. is that of the Brewer's Sparrow. It's a veritable aria, ringing forth from the sagebrush of...
Pablo Neruda’s Celebrated Birds
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pablo Neruda is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Though the Chilean poet is best known for his writings about love, birds wer...
What’s a Field of Grass to a Bird?
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Although a field of grass might not seem like valuable habitat at first, many birds have adapted to nest in grassland habitats and nowhere else. In No...
From Bobwhite Coveys to Pairs
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout winter, Northern Bobwhites gather in groups called coveys to search for food during the day and share warmth at night. These small quail ar...
The Eagle Eye
13 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever heard the term “eagle eye?” An eagle’s vision is incredibly sharp, and its eyes can weigh more than its brain. The secret to the bird’s e...
Nest Building
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Want to try building a nest? Consider this... an average American Robin weighs less than three ounces. An average person weighs 170 pounds, or 1,000 t...
Music to Our Ears
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of Jessica Rugh Frantz’s favorite things about being the director of development at BirdNote is getting to hear from listeners about how much th...
Hearing From BirdNote Listeners
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We know for many listeners, BirdNote is part of your everyday routine. But don’t take our word for it. Let Michael and Mary Ann tell you what BirdNo...
Support the Things You Love
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At BirdNote, we believe that the more that people learn about birds, the more likely they are to take steps to protect them. Listeners like you have s...
BirdNoir: The Mystery of Public Media Funding
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of BirdNoir, the Private Eye gets a call from his pal Roy asking to know how BirdNote stays on the air. His wife says the show is fund...
Short and Sweet!
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We know you’ve got a busy schedule, which is why our team at BirdNote produces fun, sound-rich episodes about the natural world in less than two min...
Adopt a Tree to Save the Birds
06 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many birds depend on caterpillars often found on trees lining city sidewalks. But few insects spend their whole lives on the tree: the next stage is i...
How Much Birds Sing
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A typical songbird belts out its song between 1,000 and 2,500 times per day. Even though most bird songs last only a few seconds, that's a lot of warb...
Poet Holly J. Hughes Honors the Birds We've Lost
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poet Holly J. Hughes’ book Passings is a collection of poems about 15 species of birds that we have lost, or presume to be extinct. For National Poe...
The Cool, Rugged Life of a Snow Bunting
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Arctic is still wintry when male Snow Buntings return to nesting areas in April. There's a big benefit to arriving early enough to claim a prime n...
White-crowned Sparrow
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The White-crowned Sparrow pours out its song over and over on spring and summer days-and even on moonlit nights-often up to 15 times a minute. Now her...
Secret Messages in Birdsong?
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Birds convey many types of messages through their songs and calls, but some may have ulterior motives. It may seem a bit foolish, but when BirdNote’...
Birds Expanding the Human Imagination
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn Albrecht grew up in a “bird lover’s paradise” in western Australia. But when he saw how coal mining displaced communities, polluted the ai...
Robins and Earthworms: The Backstory
30 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When glaciers pushed south into what is now the U.S. around 20,000 years ago, they scraped off the soil layer and spelled the end of native earthworms...
Have You Ever Seen a Tom Turkey's Beard?
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With his brilliantly colored plumage fanned out in display, a tom (male) Wild Turkey is a handsome sight to behold. He has a bright red head, long spu...
Common Yellowthroat
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Common Yellowthroats are one of the most abundant warblers in North America. They’re adaptable birds, thriving in places that pickier warblers pass ...
Melanin Makes Feathers Stronger
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many species have black feathers on the trailing edge of their wings, regardless of what color most of their feathers are. Birds as different as gulls...
Thirsty Hummingbirds
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here they come! Rufous Hummingbirds, Black-chins, Broad-bills, Ruby-throats, and others are migrating north after a hot, dry winter in sunny Mexico or...
Spark Bird: Jerome Gaw at the Aquarium
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Jerome Gaw got the chance to volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific, he was stoked. He'd loved sharks and marine life since he was a kid. But f...
Meet the Tiniest Owl in the World
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Standing less than six inches tall, with gray feathers and big yellow eyes, the Elf Owl weighs less than an ounce and a half — that’s a bit less t...
American Woodcock
23 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At sunset, the male American Woodcock – a plump, robin-sized bird – walks slowly on short legs from the cover of the forest to a nearby clearing. ...
Adaptations for Flight
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Birds evolved not only wings, but many other adaptations that make it possible to fly. Feathers provide insulation, waterproofing, and a lightweight m...
Zone-tailed Hawks Mimic Vultures
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zone-tailed Hawks of the American Southwest look a lot like Turkey Vultures. And they often soar among groups of Turkey Vultures. By consorting with v...
Spring Bursts Forth
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People often say that spring “bursts” forth. But this seasonal change isn’t like flipping a switch. It’s more like a series of waves breaking ...
Beautiful and Beneficial Gardening for Birds
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Buying enough birdseed to keep all your backyard birds satisfied can run up a big bill. Homegrown National Park co-founder Douglas Tallamy says growin...
Black Swifts Reach for the Moon
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracking devices revealed that Black Swifts spent over 99% of their time in the air during the winter, almost never touching the ground for months. Wh...
Field Sparrow Nests Climb Higher and Higher
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Field Sparrows make use of all the warm months of the year by building multiple nests each breeding season. Females will build their first, cup-shaped...
Drumming with Woodpeckers
16 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Like a jazz player beating out a drum roll, a woodpecker uses its bill to rap out a brisk series of notes. Early spring resounds with the percussive h...
How Do Birds Brake from Flight?
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Birds are often admired for their ability to fly. But braking just in time to avoid a crash landing is amazing by itself. How does a robin go from ful...
Squirrel or Bird?
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Identifying birds by ear means getting familiar with each species’ unique voice. And that means learning the other voices in the ecosystem, too. Squ...
Spark Bird: The First Robin of Spring
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rasheena Fountain studied environmental science and worked at her local Audubon Society. Now she writes about nature and diversity in the outdoors. An...
Counting Ducks with Alison Vilag
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Vilag has worked for half a decade as a fall and spring waterbird counter at remote migration hotspots around Lake Superior. For weeks, every d...
Poisonous Birds
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world is full of poisonous creatures. Some butterflies, beetles and frogs use bright colors to warn birds and other predators that they’re full ...
Glimpsing the Future Through Washington's Puffins
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some of the largest populations of Tufted Puffins are in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and other northern coastlines. But University of Puget Sound p...
Bushtits
09 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Weighing about as much as four paperclips, Bushtits are smaller than many hummingbirds. And they take full advantage of their diminutive size. While l...
Fastest Bird on Two Legs
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine an Ostrich, an Emu, a roadrunner, and the world’s fastest man and woman, all lined up for a race. Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt holds the men’...