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Secret Messages in Birdsong? Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

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’s senior producer Mark Bramhill listened to familiar birdsongs in reverse, he heard…

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Birds Expanding the Human Imagination Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Glenn Albrecht grew up in a “bird lover’s paradise” in western Australia. But when he saw how coal mining displaced communities, polluted the air and water, and decimated bird populations, Glenn lacked the words for his emotions. He created the concept of ‘solastalgia’ to describe the pain of witnessing environmental harm where you live. He imagines a possible future era, called the ‘Symbiocene,’ when human activity will, once again, be fully interconnected with the ebb and flow of the rest of nature and therefore cause no more destruction of life on Earth.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Robins and Earthworms: The Backstory Mar 30, 2025

Show notes

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 except in the southern states. So the earthworm plucked by the robin in the park or on your lawn is probably a relatively new arrival, most likely a species Europeans conveyed to the Americas in plant soil or the ballast of ships.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Have You Ever Seen a Tom Turkey's Beard? Mar 29, 2025

Show notes

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 spurs, and… a beard. This “beard” is a small cluster of bristles that sprouts from his chest plumage. It looks like a misplaced ponytail. The older the tom, the longer the beard.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Common Yellowthroat Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Common Yellowthroats are one of the most abundant warblers in North America. They’re adaptable birds, thriving in places that pickier warblers pass over. So it’s easy to find yellowthroats in urban areas. Check for them in marshes, overgrown fields, and brushy areas along streams or trails.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Melanin Makes Feathers Stronger Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

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, pelicans, storks, and flamingos all have black-tipped wings. These flight feathers are rich in a pigment called melanin. But melanin doesn’t just provide color. It also helps make feathers stronger. Feathers with melanin have a tougher layer of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails, compared to feathers without. So the black feathers actually help protect a wing from wear and tear.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Thirsty Hummingbirds Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

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 Central America. And they’re ready for a drink. You can help these thirsty birds by hanging a hummingbird feeder filled with the right kind of nectar. Select a feeder that you can easily clean on the inside, and one that has plenty of red to attract the birds. Then fill it with sugar water made by dissolving one part sugar in four parts water (use plain table sugar — no honey or sugar substitutes allowed). And please — no red food coloring.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Spark Bird: Jerome Gaw at the Aquarium Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

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 for his interview, he had to give a presentation on a creature he wasn't familiar with: the Great Blue Heron. But he read up on the bird, practiced his presentation again and again, and aced the interview. Over the years, his appreciation for birds has kept growing.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Meet the Tiniest Owl in the World Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

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 than a golf ball. But don’t let their size fool you. The Elf Owl hunts beetles, crickets, and spiders, plus the odd lizard or mouse. Even larger prey like scorpions — with the stingers carefully removed — may end up cached in the nest for later dining.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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American Woodcock Mar 23, 2025

Show notes

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. After a few sharp calls, the woodcock takes flight. As he spirals upward, slim, stiff feathers at his wingtips create a curious twittering. At the apex of his flight, the woodcock circles, then descends in a slow spiral, putt-putting like a tiny car about to run out of gas. The woodcock's odd looks and sounds have earned him many colorful nicknames. The most memorable? Timberdoodle!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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