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Tune Up Your Ears – East Mar 16, 2024

Show notes

By March in the East, cardinals and other songbirds that don't migrate are already singing heartily to attract mates. Many other birds – including Yellow Warblers – will return north from the tropics in April and May, announcing themselves in song as soon as they arrive in nesting areas. Now is the perfect time to tune up your ears.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Jacana, aka Lily-trotter Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

The strange wading birds known as jacanas are nick-named "lily-trotters" for their ability to walk on lily pads. In Jamaica, they're known as "Jesus birds," because they appear to be walking on water — a feat made possible by their long toes. But that's not the only cool thing about jacanas. The males, including the Comb-crested Jacana pictured here, can carry their young under their wings. Picture this colorful wading bird, crouching down and spreading his wings. The young scoot in under him, and he sweeps them up and carries them off, tiny legs dangling from under his wings.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Create Bird Habitat at Home with Native Plants Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Birds have lost many habitats they’ve called home for millions of years, but people can help create bird habitats wherever they live. It all begins with native plants. If you have a yard, or even just a few outdoor plant pots, you can offer native plants to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Below, find online tools that show you native plant species ideal for your location.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Reddish Egret - Lagoon Dancer Mar 13, 2024

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.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Birding 101: Learning How to Strike Out Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

When you go birding, sometimes you’re in the right place at the right time and there are more species than you can count. Other times, not so lucky. Striking out when looking for birds is frustrating. But a bad day of birding can teach you a lot. Try doing some research into the conditions that day and talking to people that know about birds in your area – they’ll probably commiserate with their own stories about striking out.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Rainwater Basin Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

For 20,000 years, spring rains and melting snow have filled the playas of the Rainwater Basin of south-central Nebraska. As winter ends, 10 million waterfowl rest and feed there before continuing north. The seasonal wetlands form a funnel for birds heading from the Gulf Coast and points south to northern breeding grounds. In recent years, the number of Snow Geese stopping there in spring has risen dramatically to more than three million birds. A third of North America's Northern Pintails rely on the food-rich habitat there. Twenty-seven species of shorebirds use the wetlands, as well as half a million Sandhill Cranes.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Sandgrouse: Desert Water-carriers Mar 10, 2024

Show notes

Sandgrouse live in some of the most parched environments on earth. To satisfy the thirst of their chicks, male sandgrouse carry water back to the nest in a surprising but effective way: by carrying it in their feathers. Thanks to coiled hairlike extensions on the feathers of the underparts, a sandgrouse such as this Burchell's Sandgrouse can soak up and transport about two tablespoons of liquid. The sandgrouse chicks use their bills like tiny squeegees, “milking” their father’s belly feathers for the water they need.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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The Nasally Fish Crow Mar 09, 2024

Show notes

The harsh caws of American Crows are one of the most familiar bird calls in North America. Fish Crows sometimes join flocks of American Crows as they forage for food. The two crow species look similar, but have a distinct call that sounds a bit like an American Crow with a stuffy nose. The Fish Crow is found in much of the eastern U.S. and is spreading to new areas north and west to breed.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Introducing Aviary, the Shapeshifting Bird Superhero Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we meet Aviary: the superhero alter-ego of a mild-mannered birder bitten by a radioactive feather mite. Aviary became able to shapeshift into any of the birds they've seen in their travels — taking on the ultra-fast flight of a falcon or the super-swimming skills of a penguin. Aviary soon realized they’d have to use their powers for good when something seemed off with the local owls one night.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Tree Swallows Spend the Winter Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Most swallow species that nest in North America eat almost nothing except flying insects. When the bugs die off in the fall, the swallows head south to winter in the tropical zones of Central and South America and the Caribbean. However, Tree Swallows can also eat small fruits. If Tree Swallows arrive in the north before the insects are out, they’ll supplement their diets with fruit, giving them a competitive advantage for limited nesting sites.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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