BirdNote Daily

As the Crow Flies

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Traveling "as the crow flies," eating "like a bird," and being "free as a bird" are just a few of the sayings we use to describe everyday human action...

Waxwing Nightlight

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The warm colors and bright accents of the Bohemian Waxwing might make you think it glows in the dark. For the better part of two thousand years, that’...

Stowaway Cockatoo Takes a Cruise

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A beautiful Rose-breasted Cockatoo named Harri took the adventure of a lifetime. She set off unseen on a cruise ship from Brisbane, Australia, and was...

Nuthatches Sweeping the Nest

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

White-breasted Nuthatches aren’t the toughest birds on the block — but when it comes to their nests, they know how to put up defenses. Squirrels c...

Goldeneyes and Whistling Wings

24 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On a still winter afternoon, you may hear Common Goldeneyes flying low across the water. Whistlers, their wings sibilant, make the sound - as Ernest H...

Just What Are Flamingos?

23 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Few birds are as distinctive as flamingos. Scientists once grouped flamingos with storks and ibises. But a study of flamingo DNA delivered a stunning ...

City Owls

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some owls, like Barred Owls and Great Horned Owls, live in the city. As hunters, they find a lot to eat in the city — like rats or squirrels! Both f...

Haley Scott on New York's Indigenous Landscapes

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Haley Scott lives in the Bronx, where she helps other people experience the joy of New York’s wildlife as a bird walk leader. But she maintains a co...

Ivory Gull and Conservation

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Polar Bears symbolize the icy landscapes of the far north like no other animal. The bear's way of life — its very survival — is inseparable from t...

BirdNoir: The Squirrel Mafia

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of BirdNoir, the Private Eye hears from his friend Danny, who is having his bird feeders pilfered by a pack of rowdy squirrels. While ...

Sympathy for the Grackle

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many people become birders by way of backyard feeders, including BirdNote’s Content Director Jonese Franklin. And while she loves to watch Northern ...

Toucan – Tropical Icon

17 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the Amazon, a cacophony of birdcalls surrounds you. One piercing, cheerful yelp catches your ear. Could this be the same sound you remember from a ...

Pygmy-Owls' False Eyes

16 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This Northern Pygmy-Owl appears to have eyes in the back of its head. But why? One theory is that large false eyes may create the illusion that the ow...

Bright Yellow Northern Cardinals

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Northern Cardinals are known for their iconic red feathers, yet that scarlet hue is actually derived from yellow pigments in their food. Most cardinal...

Birds of Prey and Nesting Territories

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Red-tailed Hawks typically have a nesting territory of about a half-mile to a full square mile, depending on how much food there is. Bald Eagles’ ne...

Convocations, Coveys and Charms

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Everybody’s heard of a gaggle of geese and a covey of quail. But what’s a group of penguins called? And a “conspiracy” of ravens? Maybe the wa...

Listening in on Birds

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Collecting data on wild birds is crucial for their conservation. But it requires huge amounts of effort. One way to help streamline the process is wit...

What If You Only Have a Feather?h

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes all you need to identify a bird is a single feather. Because collecting bird feathers is prohibited in the U.S. to protect birds from poache...

Gull Identification II

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The challenge of learning which gull is which brings to mind a crossword puzzle. Take in all the clues, and come up with the right answer. For identif...

Common Mergansers Pushed by the Ice

09 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Around this time of year, Common Mergansers cross the U.S.-Canadian border on their way to wintering grounds in the Lower 48. But how do they know whe...

Migrations: Which Came First, North- or South-bound Migration?

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, hundreds of bird species migrate between North and South America. Some species likely evolved from ancestors that moved north in search of...

The Fight for a Bird-Friendly Chicago

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Window collisions kill nearly one billion birds every year in the U.S., with many fatalities occurring during spring and fall migration. Judy Pollock,...

Mating Strategy of the Saltmarsh Sparrow

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the tidal marshes of the East Coast, the Saltmarsh Sparrow has a breeding strategy described by scientists as featuring an “obligate, promiscuous...

Spark Bird: Kenn Kaufman

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As a young child, Kenn Kaufman ventured into his neighborhood in search of the tigers, bears, and dinosaurs, but quickly found that Indiana doesn’t ...

Sam ‘Ohu Gon on Protecting the ‘I‘iwi

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Because of invasive species and climate change, many of the native birds of Hawai‘i are endangered or have gone extinct. Sam ‘Ohu Gon, Senior Scie...

Chickadee Brains Are Bigger in the Cold

03 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the colder months arrive, birds that remain in northern climates face the harsh realities of staying warm and finding food. Some birds approach the...

Chorus Line in the Sky

02 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A flock of small shorebirds, like Western Sandpipers, twists and turns, glittering in the sky. When threatened by a falcon, these birds take to the ai...

American Wigeon

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American Wigeon is a grazer. Its bill is narrow, with a pointed tip like that of a goose. When feeding on water plants, a wigeon grabs a leaf and ...

Songbirds Teach Each Other Tricks

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the UK for years, milk came in bottles with foil caps. Great Tits, a common songbird, learned how to peck through the foil. The skill spread. But h...

Birds in the Winter Garden

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Put your winter garden to work as a haven for birds. Leaves and brush left to compost provide foraging and roosting places, smother this year’s weed...

Spark Bird: Chidi Paige and the Yellow Warbler

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Chidi Paige moved from Nigeria to the U.S., she began running a youth STEM program and had to teach lessons on bird identification. She was in fo...

The Peacock's Tail: More Than Meets the Eye

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When a male Indian Peafowl unfurls its magnificently-colored tail and shakes it, it creates an ultra low frequency sound that we humans can’t hear. ...

The Bustard and the Bee-eater

27 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The massive Kori Bustard struts across the savannahs of Eastern and Southern Africa. Its crested head sits on top of a long neck and stilted legs. And...

Meadowlarks and Grasslands

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The clear, whistled music of the Eastern Meadowlark (seen here) is the unmistakable anthem of eastern North America's farmlands and open country. The ...

Hear White-throated Sparrows Learning to Sing

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The White-throated Sparrow’s melancholy whistle is hauntingly beautiful. But when you hear an adult sparrow performing, just know that the bird wasn...

Flyin' in the Rain

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most birds are mostly waterproof. Their feathers, aided by oil from preen glands, keep them pretty watertight. So why do birds avoid flying during rai...

How to Help Birds that are Far Away

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

University of Puget Sound professor Peter Hodum studies seabird conservation. And he says that if you can’t do something to address a problem, find ...

Banding Birds

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Willistown Conservation Trust in Pennsylvania carries out bird banding to help researchers understand bird populations. Led by licensed bird banders, ...

Welcoming Back Winter Birds

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Although we may think of autumn as the end of the growing season, a sort of winding down in the natural world, for birds it’s as much a season of re...

Cedar Waxwings - Sleek and Handsome

20 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When courting in spring, male and female Cedar Waxwings communicate with distinctly different calls and, perched side by side, often pass back and for...

Prairie Warblers - An Early Successional Species

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite their name, Prairie Warblers nest in tree farms of recently planted pines, in fields overgrown with scattered shrubs, and in clearings under p...

Identify Bird Sounds on Your Phone

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An online tool called BirdNET uses artificial intelligence to identify bird songs and calls. And Cornell’s well-known Merlin Bird ID app now has sou...

Sooty Tern

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sooty Terns have long been called "wide-awakes" because of their calls. But it may describe their sleeping habits, too. When young terns leave their b...

The Sound of a Thousand Geese Taking Off at Once

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During migration, Snow Geese gather in the tens of thousands. They coordinate their movements, flying in a big, compact flock, which makes it harder f...

Komodo Dragons and Cockatoos

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Due to trapping for the pet trade, the talkative and showy Yellow-crested Cockatoo is now considered critically endangered. But scientists recently di...

All Those Fish in a Puffin's Beak

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Puffins fly under water into schools of slender fish, filling their large beaks. Fish are wedged into the gape, the stretchy skin at the beak hinge, b...

Swainson's Hawks Migrate South

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In autumn, hundreds of thousands of Swainson's Hawks migrate to South America. With the help of a satellite tracking device, let's follow an individua...

At the Escarpment

12 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Long, upward slopes called escarpments offer a good chance of seeing some of the many raptor species found in Belize. Shaped like a compact Red-tailed...

Changing How You Hear the World

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We often hear from listeners that BirdNote has changed the way they see and interact with the world around them. It's had that impact for those of us ...

Investing in Our Listeners' Learning Journeys

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

BirdNote shows are made to be accessible for people of all ages, because we want to reach as many folks as we can with the joy of birds. Listeners who...

Supporting the Nest

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A female Wood Thrush will carefully choose each piece of nest-building materials because her eggs will depend on it for warmth and protection. But eve...

BirdNote Helps Kids Learn Their Birds

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We hear from lots of people about how much they learn from listening to BirdNote. In this episode, Kim Bradmon and her son Ben share their stories.Mor...

Listeners Help Us Delve Deeper

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As part of our fundraising week, we’re sharing a clip from our podcast, Bring Birds Back. Because of listener support, we’re able to take our time...

Purple Martins Head South to the Amazon

06 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Purple Martin is the largest swallow that nests in the US and Canada. During fall, Purple Martins from western North America migrate to a distinct...

Crowned-Pigeons: Big, Beautiful, Threatened

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine a pigeon the size of a Turkey Vulture or a Canada Goose! Meet the crowned-pigeon. Four species inhabit the large, equatorial island of New Gui...

Putting the Hum in Hummingbird

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To figure out the source of a hummingbird’s hum, scientists built a special rig to measure air pressure, twelve high-speed cameras, and over 2,000 m...

Migrations: Can Birds 'See' Magnetic Fields?

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some migratory songbirds such as European Robins have special light-sensitive proteins called cryptochromes in their eyes. New research suggests how t...

Bilingual Birding with Daniela Herrera

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For many, birding is about more than just a love and appreciation for birds – it also helps build community. But finding a birding group in a commun...

The Bird of Freedom

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a bird in Cuba with plumage in blue, red and white — the same colors as the nation’s flag. The Tocororo, or Cuban Trogon, is the nationa...

Glowing Feathers

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When a Northern Saw-whet Owl spreads its wings, many birds can see something our human eyes can’t: the owl’s flight feathers glow with ultraviolet...

Great Horned Owl Family in Autumn

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Compared to many birds, Great Horned Owls remain with their parents a long time. They hatched in early March, from eggs laid in late January. By April...

Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

28 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United States is home to more than 550 National Wildlife Refuges – havens for wildlife, including the Canvasback. But only one refuge can claim ...

Bird Facts Stranger Than Fiction

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Novelist Kira Jane Buxton has written several books about a pet crow navigating a post-apocalyptic world. But her writing is full of real-world bird b...

Fairy-Wrens Sing Secret Passwords to Unborn Chicks

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Superb Fairy-wrens teach their embryonic chicks a secret code. This incubation call contains a special note that will later serve as a password. When ...

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Lafayette Park in St. Louis, Missouri, a dozen or so Eurasian Tree Sparrows from Germany were released. But unlike other introduced species such as...

BirdNoir: The One That Got Away

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, the Private Eye tells his saddest story: his nemesis bird. That’s what birders call a species that keeps giving you the slip. His n...

Birding 101: Birding Without Leaving Home

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You don’t need fancy binoculars or lavish trips abroad to look for birds. In fact, you don’t even have to leave home — you can enjoy the birds o...

Montezuma Oropendola - The Golden Pendulum

22 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a clearing where an ancient Mayan city once stood, the Montezuma Oropendola perches and sings. His courtship display is astonishing: he swings by h...

Prions Filter-Feed Like Whales

21 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Birds called prions have an especially creative approach to getting their food. They pass seawater through their mouths and filter it to catch tiny an...

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo or Rain Crow?

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In addition to their scientific names, birds are also given "official" English names. Take the bird commonly known as the rain crow, for example, offi...

Sofia Barboza on Becoming More Aware of Birds

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When climate scientist Sofia Barboza was living in New York City, she found it challenging to connect with the outdoors the same way she had growing u...

Migrations: You're Going the Wrong Way!

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During migration, some birds change orientation, often by a full 180 degrees, and travel almost the same distance — but in the opposite direction —...

Rosa Malagon on Leading Hikes in Florida

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rosa Malagon grew up believing that birds hold spiritual significance, thanks to teachings from her Mexican heritage that her mother would share. Now ...

Swallows on Wires

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Once nesting season ends, swallows know it's time to party! Whether they nest as single pairs or in large colonies, both adults and juveniles now gath...

Seabirds in the Desert

15 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The White-vented Storm-Petrel is a small black and white seabird found off the coasts of Chile and Peru. Storm-petrels spend their entire lives at sea...

Cowbird Mafia

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brown-headed Cowbirds have a sneaky approach to parenthood. They lay eggs in the nests of other songbirds, and the songbird hosts often raise the cowb...

Playful Keas

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keas are large alpine parrots from New Zealand. Intelligent and social, they have olive-green plumage, a red rump, and a long, curved beak. Keas produ...

The Women Who Fought the Feather Fad

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the human fascination with bird feathers went a little too far. Women’s hats and dresses featured extrava...

The Surprising Secret of Hummingbird Tongues

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hummingbirds use their long tongues to sip nectar from flowers. They’re able to roll their tongues into a tube-like shape. Since the 1800s, scientis...

Spark Bird: Walter and Patch

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sculptor and musician Walter Kitundu first became enraptured by birds in 2005 when a Red-tailed Hawk flew four feet above his head. He named the bird ...

Birds as Pollinators

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Birds are part of the complex web of Nature, and each fits into this web in its own way. Some even pollinate flowers! While feeding at a flower, this ...

Ridgway's Rails on San Francisco Bay

08 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Once abundant around San Francisco Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail — formerly known as the California Clapper Rail — is now endangered. In the 19th Cent...

Truffle-Hunting Birds

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With their excellent sense of smell, pigs are renowned for sniffing out truffles, a fungus that grows underground and is prized for its taste. But it ...

Are Birds Nests Reused?

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s talk about nests. Every spring, robins build their cup-shaped nests using grass and mud. Orioles weave a hanging sack. It’s hard work, and y...

The Secret Lives of Goldfinches

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American Goldfinches are one of our most familiar birds, but they lead lives that are anything but ordinary. These birds will sometimes raise two broo...

How Studying Turkey Hens Helps Conservation Efforts

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Chamberlain is a wildlife ecologist at the University of Georgia and co-founder of the Wild Turkey Lab. He’s spent the majority of his 30-year ...

Migration: Long, Short, and In-Between

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In September, this Arctic Tern flies from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Rufous Hummingbirds follow pathways of mountain wildflowers, from as far n...

Can Crows Laugh at Me?

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The American Crow’s rattle call is uncommon, and researchers aren’t sure what it means. It could be a gathering call, a predator alarm, or a call ...

Does a Robin Hear Its Worm?

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How does a robin know a worm is in one exact spot? Does it see the worm or hear it? Smell it? Sense its movements through its feet? To find the answer...

Catching Insects

31 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Birds that depend on flies for food have many creative ways of catching their prey. Swallows execute sharp turns and quick changes of speed. Bluebirds...

Warning Eggs About a Warming World

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For birds, learning starts early. Birds listen to their parents’ songs and calls from inside the egg. Recent findings have shown that calls from Zeb...

Migrations: Molt Migration

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of summer, the once-bright feathers of a male American Goldfinch look ragged. Growing new flight feathers in a process called molting makes...

Do Woodpeckers Suffer Brain Injuries?

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When woodpeckers drum, they slam their beaks against bark many times per second. Scientists have long hypothesized that woodpeckers have a way of prot...

Wood Ducks Succeed

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your eye may be drawn to the gorgeous male Wood Duck, but it is the call of the modestly plumaged female you’ll hear. This call tells the male where...

The Broad-tailed Hummingbird’s Dazzling Dives

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are small but hardy creatures built for life in the mountains. They survive freezing cold nights by slowing their heart rate...

Swallow or Swift?

25 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At a glance, swallows and swifts, both graceful fliers, look much alike. But swifts — like this Chimney Swift — have longer, slimmer wings and sho...

What’s a Beak Made Of?

24 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bird beaks, or bills, come in many shapes and sizes. And birds use them for just about everything: to collect food, preen, fight, court (as this pair ...

Learning More About Birds by Sketching Them

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many people take an interest in birds as they get older. But others start very early, like one young BirdNote listener named Ben Bradmon. He has been ...

The Brown Thrasher's Never-Ending Songbook

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Northern Mockingbird isn’t the only mimic bird in town. Brown Thrashers also learn songs from nearby birds and add them to their repertoire. The...

The Ulūlu's Comeback

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are promising signs that a native Hawaiian bird called the ulūlu is on the way to recovery. Also known as the Millerbird, this small gray songb...