The American Birding Podcast

Latest Episodes:

06-34: This Month in Birding - August 2022 Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

At the end of every month, we host a roundup of recent bird news on the American Birding Podcast. For August we're thrilled to welcome Stephanie Beilke, Jordan Rutter, and Brodie Cass Talbott to the panel to talk about homogenization of bird species, bird habitats in urban landscapes, wild Rock Pigeons, and how birding has changed in our lifetimes.

Link to articles discussed in this episode:

As more bird species go extinct, those left may be more alike

The strange reason migrating birds are flocking to cities

Rare wild ancestors of domestic pigeon found on Scottish islands

Here's How Drastically Birding Has Changed Over the Past 50 Years

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06-33: The Nature of Nutcrackers with Peri Sasnett Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

One of the most iconic and beloved birds of the North American west is the Clark's Nutcracker, the highlight of anyone's trip to the high country. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the bird's relationship to the ecosystem goes beyond begging for trail mix from hikers, a fascinating symbiosis that was recently the topic of Glacier National Park's Headwaters podcast, whose host, Peri Sasnett, joins us to talk nutcrackers and conservation.

Also, changes to the ABA Checklist are here, with more potentially on the way.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-32: A Lifetime of Birding Achievement with JB Brumfield and J. Drew Lanham Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

Earlier this year the ABA was delighted to award our Lifetime Achievement Award to a pair of birders who have made a very big impact not only on the places where they live, but on the birding community across the continent. J. Drew Lanham is a birder, poet, academic, award-winning memoirist, and JB Brunfield is an environmental educator, artist, and the undefeated Big Year champion of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. We welcome them both to talk about the state of birding, mentorship, and whether Ohio or South Carolina are better for birds.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-31: The Fledgling for Young Birders with Hannes Leonard & Adrianna Nelson Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Close observers of the ABA might remember when we launched a new publication completely produced by a team of teen birders from all over the ABA Area. It's called The Fledgling, and after two issues it is well on its way to being something special. Hannes Leonard and Adrianna Nelson and members of The Fledgling team and they join Nate Swick to talk about this publication and the needs of young birder more generally.

Also, why do field guides to the US and Canada call themselves field guides to "North America"?

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-30: This Month in Birding - July 2022 Jul 28, 2022

Show notes

July is awfully hot across most of the ABA Area, and we've got a panel with no shortage of hot takes for the July 2022 This Month in Birding. Martha Harbison, Nicole Jackson, and Nick Lund join host Nate Swick to talk about national birds, woodpecker myths, ravens, macaws, and how your brain works when you bird.

Don't forget to join the ABA for FREE coffee or join Nate in Panama in September!

Links to topics discussed:

Study Upends Theory that Woodpeckers have Shock-absorbant heads

Common Ravens Repopulating the Eastern US

Spix's Macaws Return to the Wild

Study Examines Memory in Birdwatchers

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-29: Meet the New ABA Executive Director, Nikki Belmonte Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Back in May of this year, the American Birding Association announced the hiring of Nikki Belmonte as the organization's newest Executive Director. She comes to us with a background in non-profit management, environmental education, and as a hobby birder. We're excited to welcome her to the podcast to talk about birding community, CBCs, and the best flannel to cover up your nerdy bird shirt.

Also, hoat is the deal with the Hoatzin?

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-28: Random Birds, Vol 5, with Ted Floyd Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

Birding magazine editor and all-around bird-knower Ted Floyd is back for another bout of Random Birds. He joins host Nate Swick, a big bird list, and a random number generator to create podcast magic. They talk Eared Grebes, Black Vultures, and whatever other birds the magic number tells us to talk about.

Also, the Duck Stamp is back and you can get yours at the ABA! Join the ABA and get a FREE bag of Song Bird Coffee!

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-27: Birding Book Club - Best Birding References Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Birders love bird books, and we at the American Birding Podcast love to get together to discuss bird books in the Birding Book Club segment. Donna Schulman from the website 10,000 Birds and Birding magazine's Frank Izaguirre join Nate Swick to talk about our favorite Bird and Birding Reference guides. It's a broad topic, but if you're looking for books to fill out your bird library, we're here to help.

For links to the books discussed on this episode, head to the ABA website.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-26: This Month in Birding - June 2022 Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

It's the last episode of the month and that means it's time for This Month in Birding, featuring a fun panel of ABA friends discussing the biggest birding news of the month and more. On our panel this month, Sarah Bloemers from the hilarious Bird Sh*t podcast, Frank Izaguirre of the ABA's Birding magazine, and aeroecologist and birder Mikko Jimenez. They join host Nate Swick to talk Grasshopper Sparrow success, a new invasive bird in the UK, and the features you'd want in your ultimate birding vehicle.

Links to articles discussed:

Recovery of one of North America's Most Endangered BirIt'sds Reaches Historic Milestone

Scientists Develop New Methods to Improve Mapping of Bird Migrations

Britain's Birds At Risk from Asian Songbird

And also a link to the Twitchers documentary Frank mentions

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

06-25: Canopy Tower Stories with Carlos Bethancourt Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

Mention Panama to a bunch of birders and typically only one place comes to mind - beautiful Canopy Tower. A former radar station and military installation west of Panama Cit, Canopy Tower has, over the last couple decades, transformed into one of the most well-regarded ecolodges in the Americas. And when you talk about Canopy Tower you cannot help but talk about Carlos Betancourt, whose work as a guide and mentor has helped to put Canopy Tower on the map and help establish a community of guides throughout Latin America. He joins us to talk about his own journey into birding, and his favorite things about showing Panama to eager birders.

Want to see it for yourself? Join Nate and the ABA in Panama this fall! Also, bird flu hit Northern Gannet colonies on both sides of the Atlantic.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

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