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Songbirding — Nature
Songbirding

Immerse yourself in the elsewhere.

Guided by award-winning naturalist and field recordist Rob Porter, the Songbirding podcast is an audio nature documentary that takes you on guided hikes while you learn the songs of dozens of North American songbird species. Entirely recorded in the field, and equally ideal for learning or relaxing to. You really won’t hear any other podcast quite like this (and if you do, we’d really like to hear about it!).

Songbirding has been four-time nominated as Best Science Podcast for the Canadian Podcast Awards.

You can start with any episode in any season. Season 1: Bruce Peninsula, Ontario; 2-3: Southern Ontario; 4: Mid-western & Southern Ontario; 5: Johnston Harbour, Ontario; 6: Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania; 7: Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

For those with high-frequency hearing loss, please search for “Songbirding Under 5kHz”.

Credits

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.
Cover art by Lauren Helton – https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/

About the Host

Rob is a software engineer and naturalist in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is the winner of the 2025 Betty Blashill Environmental Prize, and started the Songbirding podcast in 2019. He is also currently the Bird Studies Group Director of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club.

Support

Support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Copyright: © Rob Porter

Latest Episodes:

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 6 Nov 09, 2026

Show notes

I’m half way down the main descent of the Fullerton Loop Trail.

For this final stretch we’ll be listening to this Varied Thrush, as well as Pine Siskin, Tennessee Warblers, and more.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

Producer: Lesley Loksi Chan

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 5 (Western Warbling-Vireo) Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

The Western Warbling-Vireo is greyish olive bird that can be found in deciduous trees in woodlands and open areas in western Canada and the United States.

Its name is quite descriptive of its song — a rapid and almost frantic warbling song that is loud enough that you are more likely to hear this bird than see it.

In 2025 this species was split from the Eastern Warbling-Vireo, which has a much more rapid sounding and less disjoined song. This split happened after this recording, so you’ll hear me refer to it simply as a Warbling Vireo.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

2026 Owl-o-ween Special Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

In the first half we explore insect songs & sounds in southern Ontario in mid-October, then to a group of Common Ravens in Alberta in June.

Credits

The Songbirding Halloween Special (2026) is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Scott Buckley. https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/library/

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 4 Oct 12, 2026

Show notes

While hiking the Fullerton Loop Trail I found a very cooperative Townsend’s Solitaire, at about the halfway point of the hike. For this episode, we’re going to listen to this long-winged songster, as well as many other songbird species here.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 3 Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

Continuing the ascent of the Fullerton Loop Trail, I’m about to encounter the songs of Red-breast Nuthatches, Western Warbling-Vireos, and Townsend’s Solitaires.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 2 Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

As I continue along the Fullerton Loop Trail, I’ll be encountering some Chipping Sparrows, Varied Thrush, Mountain Chickadees, and more.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Fullerton Loop Trail, Part 1 Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

The Fullerton Loop Trail is a half-day hike that gives expansive views over the Elbow Valley in Kananaskis Country.

During my trip in early June of 2025, it was full of birdsong, even though the climate felt like winter was still holding on a slight bit.

For the next six episodes we’ll be exploring this trail, hearing from an extensive number of species as we pass through open meadows, steep ravines, and dense alpine forest.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Species in Focus: Varied Thrush Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

The Varied Thrush is a striking species to look at, and a haunting one to hear.

The male’s mix of dark colours mixed with orange gradients make them look dressed for Halloween.

Their song sounds something between a haunted flute and a referee whistle, and stands out to me as one of the more unique songs of North American species.

For this species in focus episode, I’ll be sharing recordings from the Fullerton Trail in 2025, Sheep River and the Rae Glacier in 2026.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Species in Focus: Townsend's Solitaire Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

The Townsend’s Solitaire can be a very, very long winded bird. It may have the longest continuous song I’ve ever recorded.

To me this bird has always looked like someone had taken a Northern Mockingbird and made it thrush-shaped. It is a mostly-grey thrush with dark wings that can have a small flare of tan colour to them.

Its song can sound very finch-like, with a mix of warbles and abrupt changes in pitch.

At times, this bird will also sing while flying over its territory.

For this species in focus episode, I’ll be sharing recordings from the Fullerton Trail in 2025, and Gorge Creek Trail in 2026, as well as a brief we’ve heard already from Jumpingpound Demonstration forest in 2025.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Barrier Lake, Part 2 Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

I’m at the top of Prairie View, a broad vista overlooking Barrier Lake. It’s been a long hike up and I’ll be headed back down soon, stopping wherever I hear birdsong.

Credits

Songbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.

Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.

The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062

Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.

Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

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