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Urban Birding with Deja Perkins May 24, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, urban ecologist Deja Perkins talks about how many bird species live right within bustling cities. Whether you’re on your porch, at your local park, or the parking lot of your favorite store, you can find birds. Deja suggests taking five minutes to focus your attention on birds. Look up in the sky, along power lines and the tops of buildings. Close your eyes and listen — past the sounds of traffic — for the songs of nearby birds.

This week is Black Birders Week. Learn how to participate in Black Birders Week here and by following #BlackBirdersWeek on social media.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Tennessee Warbler, Nectar Thief May 23, 2026

Show notes

Tennessee Warblers love drinking nectar, but they do it without helping to pollinate flowers. By tapping a hole into the base of a flower, these warblers enjoy an easy meal while bypassing the flower’s pollen. But they give back to their ecosystems in other ways – such as eating countless insects!

Tom and Annalee Luhman celebrate BirdNote with today's show. They believe BirdNote stories are a magical doorway to nature and all of its wonders.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Birding for a Better World May 22, 2026

Show notes

Molly Adams co-founded the Feminist Bird Club to try to make birding safer and more inclusive. Along with co-author Sydney Golden Anderson, Molly wrote a book called Birding for a Better World that welcomes newcomers to birding and offers ways to make events more inclusive and accessible. The book debunks myths that can scare people away from birding and describes how mindful birding can help improve our world.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Spark Bird: Rickie Lee Jones and the Mourning Dove May 21, 2026

Show notes

Grammy-winning musician Rickie Lee Jones says her earliest memories are of sounds: running water, a bouncing ball, and the soft coos of Mourning Doves. In this episode, Rickie reminisces on her experiences hearing doves throughout her life and how she learned to call back to them in kind.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Voices and Vocabularies – Eastern Bluebirds May 20, 2026

Show notes

A male Eastern Bluebird stands on a wooden nestbox attached to a fence post. The bluebird’s song – and his alert presence - assert his claim to this territory. In the mid-20th Century, the numbers of bluebirds in the Northeast declined to the lowest level ever, due largely to nesting competition from non-native starlings and House Sparrows. Then, conservation groups stepped up, setting out “bluebird trails” of nestboxes. Thanks to groups like the North American Bluebird Society, we can still count on bluebirds to welcome the arrival of spring.

This episode is brought to you by Wild Delight Bird Food, which aims to support wild bird populations with clean, nutritious ingredients in every blend. Available at Chewy.com.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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What’s a Beak Made Of? May 19, 2026

Show notes

Bird beaks, or bills, come in many shapes and sizes. And birds use them for just about everything: to collect food, preen, fight, court, and more. In order for a bird to fly, its beak must weigh as little as possible. Beaks are covered with a sheath of a tough material called keratin, which grows continuously because a beak wears down with use.

This episode brought to you by the Bobolink Foundation.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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How an Ornithologist with a Microphone Made History May 18, 2026

Show notes

With today’s mobile apps and sound libraries, it’s never been easier to listen to birds on demand. But that wasn’t always the case – not until the 1920s when ornithologist Arthur Allen teamed up with an ambitious film production crew to record the dawn performance of a Song Sparrow. That first recording, featured in this episode, is now one of millions in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Reddish Egret – Lagoon Dancer May 17, 2026

Show notes

The Reddish Egret, a particularly glamorous heron, is best known for its startling antics in capturing fish. When fishing, the egret sprints across the lagoon, weaving left and right, simultaneously flicking its broad wings in and out, while stabbing into the water with its bill. Fish startled at the egret’s crazed movements become targets of that pink dagger. At times, the bird will raise its wings forward over its head, creating a shadow on the water. It then freezes in this position for minutes. Fish swim in, attracted by a patch of shade and . . . well, you know the rest.

Support comes from Wild Delight Bird Food, offering a variety of blends designed to mimic the natural resources wild birds crave, available at Chewy.com.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Hovering is Hard Work May 16, 2026

Show notes

Hummingbirds are built for hovering flight, with flexible wrists that rotate their wings in a rapid figure-eight motion that generates almost constant lift. Eurasian Skylarks, on the other hand, hover by fluttering their wings 10-12 times per second, singing all the while. Some raptors such as American Kestrels use a different strategy: by flying into the wind, they can float in place while they scan for prey.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

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Golden-Cheeked Warbler May 15, 2026

Show notes

The Golden-cheeked Warbler is an endangered species and the only bird that nests exclusively in central Texas. Males arrive in March to stake out a territory in the juniper-oak woodlands – the older the trees, the better! By the end of July, the warblers are on their way back to mountain forests of southern Mexico and Central America. Sadly, deforestation has destroyed and fragmented much of their habitat across the Americas. Now, this special songbird’s future depends on people stepping up to protect our forests — from Nicaragua to Texas.

This episode is dedicated to naturalist Dave Sutherland from Boulder, Colorado, who has taught so many so much!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

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