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Strange Places for a Nest Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Birds are resourceful. Wherever they live, even in the biggest cities, they find clever places to build their nests. An initiative from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology called Celebrate Urban Birds once asked people to share the funkiest and funniest places they’ve seen a bird nest. Among the highlights were a family of robins set up shop in a coiled cable hung near a welding rig, a wren nest in an old car motor, and a tiny hummingbird nest perched precariously on an outdoor string lightbulb.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Is There a Bird Flu Vaccine? Dec 11, 2024

Show notes

Avian flu has been in news headlines all of 2024. And many people are concerned for birds, other animals, and humans. Dr. Wendy Puryear, a molecular virologist, says scientists are working together worldwide to decrease the threat.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Voices and Vocabularies – Great Horned Owls Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Great Horned Owls have a lot to say! When a pair of Great Horned Owls calls in a duet, the female usually hoots first, and the male replies at a lower pitch. Great Horned Owls may also pierce the darkness with an eerie shriek, which may signal a hungry owlet begging for food or a female defending its nest. They can also hiss, pop, meow, coo, and snap their bills. So have a listen after dark. There may be a Great Horned Owl in your neighborhood!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Birding 101: Don’t Get Discouraged by Lookalikes Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

If you’re a new birder and find yourself feeling confused by lookalike birds, don’t be too hard on yourself. Some bird species look almost identical, and some of the most advanced birders get stumped.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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The Brown Thrasher's Never-Ending Songbook Dec 08, 2024

Show notes

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 species has been documented singing more than 1,100 different songs: a mix of imitations and invented little melodies. While mockingbirds usually repeat a song or phrase three or more times before moving on, Brown Thrashers tend to repeat a phrase only twice.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Screech-Owls Go Fishing Dec 07, 2024

Show notes

Screech-owls are opportunistic diners. In the Pacific Northwest, they’ll prey on small birds, crayfish, large ants, or earthworms. In Arizona, pocket mice and pack rats. And in Ohio, biologists who noticed a fishy smell around Eastern Screech-Owl nest boxes found the remains of dozens of shad. It’s clear that screech-owls may be a consistent nocturnal predator on fish, especially in cooler months, when other prey are dormant. Gotta feed those hungry owlets!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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BirdNoir – The Mystery of the Blue Bird Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of BirdNoir, Michael Stein — Private Eye — gets a call from a friend, Danny, who wants to know why the bluest bird he’s ever seen has vanished. But there are many birds that are blue besides the true bluebirds (which belong to the thrush family). To solve the mystery, the detective needs to know the right questions to ask Danny, finding the relevant information to identify the bird and figure out what happened.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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How Terns Read the Water Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

Like an expert angler, a tern can read the surface of the water to find where to catch its next fish. Scientists piloted a drone to track the flight paths of terns on the hunt. The terns sought out turbulent water. A vortex formed by colliding currents traps fish near the surface, where terns can snap them up. Terns fly toward bubbly upwellings to see if the rising water brings prey animals along with it.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Geese Whiffling in for a Landing Dec 04, 2024

Show notes

Looking at a Canada Goose, you might not think their bodies are designed for fancy flying. But watch as a flock of geese comes in for a landing at a lake and you might be surprised. If the flock comes in too fast or too high above the water, geese have a little trick to slow themselves down for a safe landing. The geese stop flapping and then quickly roll their bodies upside down, while twisting their long necks the right way up. Finally, they rotate again to right themselves just in time to gently splash down. It’s a maneuver called whiffling. It seems to help the geese slow down quickly – but sometimes it might just be for fun.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Titmice Lead the Way Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

In winter, many songbirds join flocks made up of multiple species that travel around looking for food, benefitting from safety in numbers. But a bird flock that doesn't move in the same direction soon scatters to the wind. It turns out that the Tufted Titmouse, a small gray songbird, is often the one leading the flock. Researchers studying the flight paths of flocks found that the paths taken by the titmice best reflected the direction of the group as a whole, compared to other species in the group. This was especially true when the flock moved quickly between sites, when staying organized is key.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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