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The Women Who Fought the Feather Fad Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

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 extravagant feathers from birds both near and far. The trade in feathers drove several species, from the Little Egret to the Great Crested Grebe, to near-extinction. Fed up with the killing of wild birds for fashion, a group of British women met to put an end to this cruelty. The organization became the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, or RSPB, which continues to be a leader in bird conservation today.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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The Surprising Secret of Hummingbird Tongues Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

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, scientists thought those tongues worked through capillary action, like how water instantly rises into a straw in a full cup. But when scientists spent years using slow-motion cameras to capture hummingbirds drinking in greater detail, they uncovered a completely different story: the tongues act like a tiny but powerful pump.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Spark Bird: Walter and Patch Sep 10, 2024

Show notes

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 Patch, after the white patch on the back of her head, and kept returning to the park to see her. Patch became used to Walter, accepting him as part of the landscape. He documented her transition from juvenile to adult, learning her quirks and mannerisms.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Birds as Pollinators Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

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 Rainbow Lorikeet gets pollen on its forehead and throat. When it visits another flower of the same species, it transfers the pollen to that flower. The pollen fertilizes the plant's eggs to produce its seeds, and the plant's reproduction is assured.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Ridgway's Rails on San Francisco Bay Sep 08, 2024

Show notes

Once abundant around San Francisco Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail — formerly known as the California Clapper Rail — is now endangered. In the 19th Century, unregulated hunting plundered the species. In the 20th Century, rampant development reduced salt marsh habitat by 85%. But in the 21st Century, the Ridgway’s Rail has allies. Restoration is under way to increase healthy saltmarsh habitat for these endangered birds. Also, efforts to control the number of predatory cats are improving the chances for the Ridgway’s Rail to survive.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Truffle-Hunting Birds Sep 07, 2024

Show notes

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 turns out that some bird species can also find their way to a truffle treat. Researchers working in the Patagonia region of Chile had noticed truffles with little beak-sized bite marks, and even watched a bird eat a truffle. They found truffle DNA in the birds’ droppings, suggesting that truffles are a staple of the birds’ diet. Some of the fungi species eaten by the Patagonian birds look like berries that grow locally, which might help birds see them better.

Listen to this show in Spanish here.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Are Birds Nests Reused? Sep 06, 2024

Show notes

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 yet once the chicks fledge, the structures probably won’t be reused. But bigger birds, such as herons, hawks, and eagles, often reuse a nest for many years. Europe’s migratory White Storks — like those pictured here — get the award for best reuse. One nest site, still used in 1930 and likely seeing many repairs, dated back to 1549. That’s a continuous series of stork pairs nesting in one spot for 381 years!

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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The Secret Lives of Goldfinches Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

American Goldfinches are one of our most familiar birds, but they lead lives that are anything but ordinary. These birds will sometimes raise two broods a year, have a secret weapon against cowbirds, and have the ability to distinguish between songs that — to our ears — sound the same. Backyard birds they may be, but American Goldfinches never cease to amaze.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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How Studying Turkey Hens Helps Conservation Efforts Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

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 career studying wild turkeys and says one recent, critical discovery about the nesting habit of hens has made a crucial impact on the conservation efforts.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Migration: Long, Short, and In-Between Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

In September, this Arctic Tern flies from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Rufous Hummingbirds follow pathways of mountain wildflowers, from as far north as Alaska south to Mexico. Ruby-crowned Kinglets, migrate altitudinally from the mountains to the lowlands. Each of these birds migrates, but on a very different course. All make the most of food and breeding opportunities that change with the seasons.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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