Life List: A Birding Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Winter birding, subsistence hunting, and a backyard bird feeding debate Jan 24, 2026

Show notes

New this episode: Check out our chapters in Apple Podcasts to preview our conversation!

The gang's all here to chat about winter birding, from backyard feeders to chilly pelagics, plus the consumption of atypical food sources (to us Americans, at least), great places for your first Neotropical birding trip, and a sweet tooth distraction.

Come for the look back on recently extinct birds...stay for the cold- and warm-weather travel inspo!

Get more Life List by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.
Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Blending science, art, and humor to celebrate nature with Rosemary Mosco Jan 11, 2026

Show notes

We are delighted to be joined by Rosemary Mosco, acclaimed science writer and naturalist, to chat about obscure bird facts, a love of pigeons, and yes, whale poop.

Check out all of Rosemary's comics, books, workshops, talks, and everything she's up to on her website.

Come for the science-driven whimsy...stay for the joy we can all gleam from nature.

Our favorite birding experiences of 2025 Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

It's our first-ever year end special! We recount our favorite birds, moments, wildlife, and even sounds of the year. And we get a little sidetracked with other tidbits, as we do. Because this is Life List!

From George, Alvaro, and Mollee: Thanks for being here and listening along with us. We're so happy to continue producing this podcast and sharing our love of birds with all of you. Happy New Year!

How birds shape our lives and landscapes with Stephen Moss Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

This episode, we're joined by Stephen Moss, who shares his delightful insights into why birds around the world and in our backyards are equally important to us.

Check out Stephen's website here and all of his books here.

Come for the spark birds (and to hear it's okay if you don't remember every bird on your life list!)…stay for the reminder of why birds matter everywhere.

Hawkwatch experiences and birding parallel landscapes with Joshua Covill Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

This episode, we’re joined by Joshua Covill: birding guide, hawkwatcher, and all-around mountain wanderer. Josh is sharing stories from Montana's Jewel Basin and beyond, plus a conversation about parallel ecosystems around the world.

Come for the dreams of Mongolia's vastness…stay for the feeling of watching migration from the top of the world!

Bird taxonomy season! Deep-diving splits, lumps, and our life lists Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

We're birders, talking about birding! George, Alvaro, and Mollee pulled up their personalized taxonomy updates from eBird (get an overview, all the data, and your personalized report) to chat about their life list updates and what else has changed around the globe.

Come for the nuts and bolts, stay for the taxonomic camaraderie!

Inside eBird: The world’s biggest birding project with Brian Sullivan Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

This episode, we’re joined by Brian Sullivan—birder, photographer, and co-leader of one of the most transformative projects in the birding world: eBird. From the earliest red-tailed hawk obsessions to building a global platform used by millions, Brian shares stories that bridge fieldwork, data, and wonder.

Highlights include:

How eBird grew from a niche experiment to a cornerstone of global ornithology
Red-tailed hawks, pelagics, and what it means to really know a species
The evolution of Birds of the World and where bird data is headed next
Balancing tech, fieldwork, and the joy of birdwatching

Come for the redtails and migration maps…stay for the big-picture vision that’s shaping the future of birding.

Almost arrested: Birding in Qatar and South African springtime adventures Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Alvaro has some juicy stories from the field: did he finally succeed in finding a Saunder's tern, or did a run-in with the law in Qatar foil his attempts yet again?

Topics with George and Alvaro include:

Birding on a layover in Qatar
The most accessible birding locations in the Middle East
A South African springtime tour recap
The adrenaline of safari birding
Rocky Mountain oysters and other questionable culinary field experiments
Late-summer birding notes, migration updates, and trip recaps

Come for Alvaro's verdict...stay for the tales of wild places!

P.S. If you've made it this far in the show notes - thanks! - and from Mollee, sorry that this one is out a few days late!

Traveling as a birder and musician with Bonner Black Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

We’re joined by Bonner Black: Nashville-based singer-songwriter, birder, and all-around force of nature.

Highlights of our chat include:

Growing up birding in Tennessee and carrying that love on the road as a touring musician
The parallels between birding, music, and life on the road
How songwriting and birding both demand patience, attention, and a little obsession
The ways nature sneaks into Bonner's lyrics

Come for behind-the-scenes tales of a professional music artist…stay for shared love of birding!

Birding with us: our backyard birdwatching conversations Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

One of our favorite things to hear from guests is that it's like you're birding with us during our conversations. This time, you actually can!

We're each recording from our backyards, during some mid-afternoon, mid-September birdwatching. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to join us on a birdwalk, now's your chance!

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