The American Birding Podcast

Latest Episodes:

10-41: How to Pick a Duck Stamp with Catherine Hamilton Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Birders know that the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Duck Stamp program is one of the most effective conservation initiatives in the US, but what of the Duck Stamps themselves? How are they chosen? What do judges look for? Why does one family always seem to win? This year Catherine Hamilton, a southern California based birder and artist, was given the responsibility of helping to choose the year's most enduring conservation image, and she joins host Nate Swick to talk about her experience.

Also, Nate is back from a great weekend with Birds Houston, and is looking forward to the ABA's next Community Weekend in Charleston, South Carolina.

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10-40: Not So Common Gulls with Amar Ayyash Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

The recent split of our Mew Gulls into Short-billed Gull and Common Gull, in the Americas and Eurasia, respectively, has offered yet another complicated identification concern for dedicated gull-watchers to ponder. And ponder they have, in North American Birds, Common Gull in Eastern North America by Chicago area birder and author of The Gull GuideAmar Ayyash, takes a look at the status of Old World Common Gulls in the ABA Area, suggesting that there are mysteries hiding within the bird we used to call Mew Gull.

Also, birders should be on the lookout for a significant irruption of Rocky Mountain bird species into the lowlands. More at aba.org.

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10-39: Secrets of SoCal Parrots with John McCormack Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

There are a few lucky places in the ABA Area where parrots still fly free, even if most have captive origins these day. But these big loud flashy birds have a history and future than is perhaps more interesting than many birders might imagine and these feral populations can even give us some insights into the frequently threatened wild birds in Mexico and Central America. John McCormack, director of the Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, was one of the authors of a paper about how two closely related Amazon parrots in southern California more or less fit into the landscape together and he joined us in 2021 to talk about it.

Also, Nate returns from the St. Louis Community Weekend with stories about warblers and serendipitous swifts. Join us for our next community weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, in November!

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10-38: This Month in Birding - September 2026 Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

The last Thursday of the month means it's time for This Month in Birding. For September 2026, host Nate Swick welcomes Andres Jimenez, Mikko Jimenez, and Sarah Swanson to discuss real data in the bird name debate, Dodo intelligence, Ontario Plover news, tiny backpacks for birds and much more.

Links to items discussed in this episode:

Birds of many feathers? Examining perceptions among US birders following the American Ornithological Society's eponymous renaming decision

Federal government assessing threats to piping plovers in Wasaga Beach

Only two complete dodo skulls are known to exist. Scientists just looked inside them – and discovered this

Tiny backpacks reveal the secret, sometimes circuitous migrations of small songbirds

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10-37: El Niño in Central America and Beyond with Tyler Wenzel Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

El Niño is one of those strange climate phenomena that we're still trying to understand, particularly as it pertains to birds and birders, who are driven by and inspired by weather systems. This year's El Niño looks to be a particularly intense one, and birder and educator Tyler Wenzel explored it in a recent Field Ornithology piece on the ABA's website called Intense El Niño Sends Humboldt Current Seabirds to Central America. He joins us to explore it in more detail.

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10-36: Random Birds, September 2026, with Ted Floyd Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Birding editor Ted Floyd joins host Nate Swick once again for another attempt to whittle down the Big Bird List using a random number generator. This episode of Random Birds features some widespread species that everyone has heard of, including a couple of common raptors and some eastern songbirds. Plus a swipe at Czech composer Antonin Dvorak that was a long time coming.

Also, some of 2026's most anticipated taxonomic changes were leaked from an unlikely source.

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10-35: Making Art out of Bird Collisions with Holly Greenberg Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In the next couple months, billions of migrating birds will be crossing the continent from north to south. Those birds increasingly must navigate a gauntlet of threats, not least of which are windows and lights, the combination of which kills untold numbers of birds annually. Holly Greenberg is an artist and founder and director of Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene, an organization that uses art and community engagement to bring awareness to these threats to birds and hopefully inspire action for their benefit.

Also, in light of lots of media about Gen Z birders, Nate considers the relative lack of Gen X birders.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

10-34: This Month in Birding - August 2026 Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

The end of August 20206 sees us looking forward to fall, but pausing first to enjoy a discussion about some interesting pieces of bird and birding news from the last few weeks. Friends of the podcast Martha Harbison, Frank Izaguirre, and Ryan Mandelbum join host Nate Swick to talk about urban bird behavior, the lifespans of female birds, and a whole lot about bird poop. Seriously. More than we expected.

Links to items discussed in this episode:

Urbanization reduces shyness and neophobia in a common waterbird

Do birds enjoy flying?

Why is it so hard to find DNA in bird poop?

Female birds have shorter lifespans than male birds across 35 North American species, researchers find

Guy Tudor, Whose Art Brought Obscure Birds to Life, Dies at 91

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10-33: Little Bird in a Big Sky with Bonner Black Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Nashville based singer/song-writer Bonner Black is confidently making her way in the worlds of both music and birding. She's been touring bird festivals all over the world this year and and she is a fun follow on social media with often hilarious takes on birding culture. Bonner's well-received debut album Hopeless RomANTICS featured songs that landed on The New York Times 2023 Spring Playlist, and her fourth studio project is a 5 song EP titled Little Bird in a Big Sky, which features some birdy touches amongst the more expected tracks, releases on August 20th. She joins us to talk about birds, music, and how to make a living combining the two.

Also, sent Nate your hottest bird takes for a special LIVE Take it or Leave it at the Rio Grande Valley Bird Festival.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

10-32: Feathered Forest with Marina Richie Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Birds and trees are a natural combination, and in author Marina Richie's latest, Feathered Forest: Aloft With Birds in Ancient Trees, she meditates on the big forests of her home in the Pacific Northwest and the birds that inhabit them. From Pacific Wrens on the forest floor, to Vaux's Swifts high above the canopy, each bird offers insights into the grandeur of these places.

Also, thought we were done with NACC taxonomy? But wait, there's more! Nate updates listeners on the last proposal packet and the potential for a new crossbill.

Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

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