The Warblers by Birds Canada

Latest Episodes:

The Year in Birds Minisode: Positive News Stories of 2021 Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

A lot happened for birds in 2021, for example, Andrés found the Razorbills... Now, seriously, In this minisode, we cover some of the good news stories that we didn’t have a chance to touch on in our last episode, such as the strengthening of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and significant funding for Indigenous stewardship programs in Canada.
Jody Allair is an avid birder and naturalist who enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world. He is the producer of the Warblers Podcast and the Director of Community Engagement at Birds Canada and has written numerous articles on birds, birding and connecting with nature. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram at @JodyAllair.
Out of Christmas coffee? Want to help create more positive news stories for birds? grab some certified bird-friendly coffee for The Warblers now => at Birds and Beans.
The Great Backyard Bird Count runs from February 18-21, 2022. Register or learn more here: https://www.birdcount.org/
More about the Bird Names for Birds movement.
Please remember we would love to hear from you, let us know what you think about the podcast here or which topics you will love -> podcast@birdscanada.org
Andrea Gress studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan and now coordinates the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for Birds Canada. Follow her work at @ontarioplovers
Andrés Jiménez is a Costa Rican wildlife biologist with a keen interest in snakes, frogs, birds and how human relationships are interconnected with the living world. He studied Tropical Biology in Costa Rica and has a Masters in Environmental Problem Solving from York University. He is Birds Canada's Urban Program Manager and you can follow him at @andresjimo

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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The Year in Birds: Canadian bird and birding highlights from 2021 Jan 25, 2022

Show notes

We sat down with our friends, Yousif and Mike, expecting to chat about the past year in birding—but we couldn’t settle on one topic!

In this episode, we marvel over rare bird sightings, like the Steller’s Sea Eagle that visited multiple Canadian provinces this year. We dig into what it means to be a “birder”, and how the birding community has changed for the better in recent years. And we chat about how bird populations have fluctuated in our lifetimes, and how the influx of new birders and technology like eBird helps us track those changes.

This is an episode with a little bit of everything—we hope you enjoy it.

Ready to get your bird-friendly coffee? Visit www.birdsandbeans.ca/warblers - using this link will automatically apply the code. You can also use the code "Warblers" when you check out. The code helps us measure the positive impact of the podcast on bird-friendly coffee sales. Please note this option is only valid for purchases in Canada.
Or visit www.drinkbirdfriendly.com to find the right option for you.
Mike Burrell grew up in a nature-loving family outside of Waterloo, Ontario and inherited his love of birds from his Dad. He has participated in almost every bird citizen science project he can and currently acts as the Ontario coordinator for eBird Canada. In addition, he acts as the secretary and archivist for the Ontario Bird Records Committee, the Ontario regional editor for the Christmas Bird Count program, several committees for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas-3 and is a member of the Bird Specialist Subcommittee of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Mike, with his brother, Ken, also co-authored the book, Best Places to Bird in Ontario. Follow at @mike_va_burrell
Yousif Attia grew up watching birds and exploring the wilds of central and southern Alberta since he and his family immigrated there when he was four years old. He was drawn to the concept of volunteering for citizen science programs in his early teens when he would tag along on Christmas Bird Counts. Although he has lived in several places across the country, he is now settled on the Fraser Estuary on the West Coast of BC. Yousif has worn many hats over the years at Birds Canada, including work on species-at-risk in southern Ontario, field surveys in the boreal including the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas-2, and managed the Long Point Bird Observatory where he eventually became a North American Banding Council certified trainer. Yousif is now part of a team at Birds Canada that coordinates the Christmas Bird Count and eBird in Canada, and another that develops content on the website. Follow on @ysattia or @biophylia

Andrea Gress studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan and now coordinates the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for Birds Canada. Follow her work at @ontarioplovers
Andrés Jiménez is a Costa Rican wildlife biologist with a keen interest in snakes, frogs, birds and how human relationships are interconnected with the living world. He studied Tropical Biology in Costa Rica and has a Masters in Environmental Problem Solving from York University. He is Birds Canada's Urban Program Coordinator and you can follow him at @andresjimo
Friendly Day by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/<

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Drinking what we love: the case for a bird-friendly coffee revolution Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Wondering what you can do to help birds? Drink (the right) coffee! Specifically, bird-friendly certified coffee. Bird-Friendly coffee is great for birds and people, yet many bird lovers haven’t made the switch. Kirstin Hill from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre joins us to talk about why it’s important to buy bird-friendly CERTIFIED coffee. Spoiler Alert! Canadians drink copious amounts of coffee and by switching to a certified alternative we can have a massive impact on the birds we see flying outside our windows, going to their South American grounds. If you haven't listened to part 1 of our Holiday series special, be sure to listen to Ana Gonzalez-Prieto about what coffee plantations mean for birds.
Ready to get your bird-friendly coffee? Visit www.birdsandbeans.ca/warblers - using this link will automatically apply the code. You can also use the code "Warblers" when you check out. The code helps us measure the positive impact of the podcast on bird-friendly coffee sales. Please note this option is only valid for purchases in Canada.
Or visit www.drinkbirdfriendly.com to find the right option for you.

Kirsten Hill: Kirstin Hill is the incoming Program Manager for Smithsonian Bird Friendly coffee. She is a conservationist at heart and an educator by training, with over a decade of experience working to engage audiences in the protection of wildlife and wild places. A native of Philadelphia, PA, Kirstin now resides in the Metro Vancouver area where she is working to increase the sale and support of Bird Friendly coffee not just for Vancouverites, but for coffee drinkers across Canada and around the world.
Andrea Gress studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan and now coordinates the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for Birds Canada. Follow her work at @ontarioplovers
Andrés Jiménez is a Costa Rican wildlife biologist with a keen interest in snakes, frogs, birds and how human relationships are interconnected with the living world. He studied Tropical Biology in Costa Rica and has a Masters in Environmental Problem Solving from York University. He is Birds Canada's Urban Program Coordinator and you can follow him at @andresjimo
Friendly Day by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100223

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Drinking what we love: the link between birds and coffee Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

When it comes to coffee and birds there’s a surprising amount we can learn. Many of our beloved migrant birds spend their winters in southern climes. In coffee plantations in fact. Shade-grown, organic, fair-trade, and bird-friendly coffee – what’s up with all the certifications? What difference does it make if my coffee is certified bird-friendly?
Dr. Ana Gonzalez grew up among the coffee plantations of Colombia and is now living in Canada. Ana tells us about her work and the important role coffee plays in the lives of many bird species that are in trouble. And the role we can play in helping them.
Research and conservation actions by Ana and collaborators have been supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada, Selva, Birds Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Nature Canada, Selva and other local partners.
Ready to get your bird-friendly coffee? Visit www.birdsandbeans.ca/warblers - using this link will automatically apply the code. You can also use the code "Warblers" when you check out. The code helps us measure the positive impact of the podcast on bird-friendly coffee sales. Please note this option is only valid for purchases in Canada.
Find out more about the importance of making the switch.
Dr. Ana González-Prieto is an avian conservation ecologist. She integrates behavioural and demographic field data with tracking techniques; providing foundational scientific information needed to support international and local conservation strategies for Neotropical migrants of conservation concern. Ana’s work has been recognized recently through receipt of several awards including the BioOne Ambassador Award and the James G. Cooper Early Professional Award, presented by the American Ornithological Society. She obtained her PhD and MSc degree from the University of Saskatchewan, and has held postdoctoral fellowships at Simon Fraser University (Mitacs), the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Research Center, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Her research experience spans from her natal Colombia to North America during the full annual cycle of migratory birds. Ana has lived in 6 different provinces from Quebec to British Columbia but has now settled in White Rock BC, where she currently works for the Science and Technology Branch of ECCC.
Andrea Gress studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan and now coordinates the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for Birds Canada. Follow her work at @ontarioplovers
Andrés Jiménez is a Costa Rican wildlife biologist with a keen interest in snakes, frogs, birds and how human relationships are interconnected with the living world. He studied Tropical Biology in Costa Rica and has a Masters in Environmental Problem Solving from York University. He is Birds Canada's Urban Program Coordinator and you can follow him at @andresjimo
Friendly Day by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100223

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Feeding Birds the Right Way Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Should we feed birds? When and why? These are some of the questions we explore with Kerrie Wilcox, Birds Canada’s bird feeding expert. With decades of experience leading Project FeederWatch, Kerrie explains the value of observing the birds in your yard and what the data tells us about bird population trends. And what watching ‘our’ birds contributes to our own well-being.
We’ll also talk to experts to answer some of the amazing questions listeners submitted. Together, we learn why some birds change colour, why birds have different flight styles, different types of nests and what is the most diverse family of birds.
Kerrie Wilcox manages Project FeederWatch in Canada, a program that turns people’s bird feeding hobby into research for conservation. Participants feed birds in their backyards and send counts of those birds to us online. She loves feeling the enthusiasm and commitment of the volunteers. We have learned so much about the winter distributions and movements of birds in North America through Project FeederWatch.
Make sure to join Project Feeder Watch by visiting: https://www.birdscanada.org/you-can-help/project-feederwatch/
Stu MacKenzie is responsible for the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, Long Point Bird Observatory, Thunder Cape Bird Observatory, and aspects of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.
Catherine Dale is a Ph.D. in bird migration patterns in Western Bluebirds breeding in British Columbia, and leads the Breeding Bird Atlas in Newfoundland!
Santiago Claramut is Associate Curator of Birds at the Royal Ontario Museum. He is also a cross-appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto
Want to treat your windows to save birds? Visit Feather Friendly and get the DIY tape. Use the code, BirdsCanada, and Feather Friendly will make a donation to Birds Canada.
We thank Rob Porter from Songbirding Podcast for sharing bird recordings, check out his podcast!

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Minisode: The Epic Annual Migration of the Sabine's Gull Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Sarah Gutowsky shares her recent findings on the migratory route of Sabine’s Gulls. This incredible species migrates 15,000 km from the high Arctic to Perú, and makes a brief but essential stopover along the coast of Vancouver Island in the Juan de Fuca Strait. Sarah helps us explore, not only the methodologies and insights from this research but also how she hopes the research may be used to inspire positive conservation actions.
Shortly after our talk with Sarah, a shipping disaster occurred in the Juan de Fuca Strait. We imagine the environmental impacts will be ongoing for many years. As we follow that news story closely, it’s hard not to think about the Sabine’s Gull and other species that may be impacted.
You can learn more about that disaster here: As container ship smoulders off B.C. coast, environmental concerns remain

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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The seabirds you did not know you love Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

There are 58 bird species living in Canadian oceans, 95% of them are in trouble worldwide, furthermore, we don't really understand how 62% of Canadian seabirds are doing due to unknown population trends. In this episode, you will discover the Seabirds you did not know you love, the reasons for their decrease and what you can do to help them with your everyday choices. Dr. Sarah Gutowsky will take us on a discovery journey that starts with the career path of a talented, unconventional, and inspiring biologist to the conservation and threats facing the enigmatic seabirds that defined her journey.
Please send us your voice memo with any bird question to -> podcast@birdscanada.org
Alternatively, call 519-586-3531, extension 128 and leave a voice mail!
Continue your journey by reading the very short seabird section of the State of Canada’s Birds Report 2019 to find out reasons for their decline and ways to help these bird species.

Dr. Sarah Gutowsky is a Research Adjunct and Instructor in Biology at Dalhousie University and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Acadia University. She has been working in the field of Ornithology for 15 years, studying an array of species and ecosystems. From albatrosses and murrelets in the North Pacific to woodcocks and gulls in Nova Scotia, penguins in the sub-Antarctic to seabirds in the Arctic, all of her research projects have found a way to tackle conservation issues threatening birds all over the planet, on land or at sea. If she had to pick a specialty, she might say studying the movements of seabirds in their marine environment. She loves to share her passion for birds, and finds all sorts of ways to do so, including teaching in the academic and public realms but also guiding tourists in the Polar Regions. Her current research focus is on studying the drivers of regional trends in Common eiders on the east coast, supported through the Mitacs Accelerate Program in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Eye of the Albatross - Carl Safina (also try Song for the Blue Ocean by the same author)
The Seabird's Cry: The Lives and Loves of the Planet's Great Ocean Voyagers - Adam Nicolson
Far from Land: The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds - Michael Brooke
Great Auk Islands: A Field Biologist in the Arctic - Tim Birkhead
The Puffin - Mike Harris and Sarah Wanless
The Herring Gull's World: A Study of the Social Behaviour of Birds - Niko Tinbergen
The Island - R.M. Lockley
Seabirds Beyond the Mountain Crest - Richard J. Cuthbert
Rat Island: Predators in Paradise and the World's Greatest Wildlife Rescue - William Stolzenburg
Holy Mōlī: Albatross and Other Ancestors - Hob Osterlund

* list based on recommendations from Sarah and her international network of seabird biologist peers

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Minisode: Migizi Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Knowledge keeper Alan Colley from the Wolf Clan brings us one of the stories of Migizi. This is the Anishinabemowin name for the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The story was produced and recorded by Shadowland Theatre for the Milliken Mills High School Earth Day Celebration in 2020. Check out the poems, songs and works of arts prepared by students for this Celebration here: https://www.mmhsbirds.com/ - You will love them!
Watch Alan telling the story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6nYi3k3hxs

Alan Colley is an Anishinaabe knowledge keeper located in Canada's most diverse city, Toronto. He provides teachings that inform the connections between Aboriginal culture and the environmental understanding provided by nature. His mission is to promote a sustainable relationship with Toronto, Turtle Island (North America) and Mother Earth for generations to come.

Shadowland is a professional theatre company founded nearly 40 years ago. the company animates a multitude of spaces in urban and rural communities using puppetry, masks, stilt-walking, live music and other spectacles. Shadowland's community-engaged practices celebrate local stories with a strong environmental focus.
Get in touch! We would love to hear from you, let us know what you think about the podcast here or which topics you will love and if you have bird-related burning questions, send us a voice message here -> podcast@birdscanada.org
Want to learn more about indigenous bird names? Listen to Episode 6 Bneshiinyik now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1784269/9243503
Bald Eagle recording credits to: Peter Ward and Ken Hall who uploaded their recording to www.xeno-canto.org

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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Bneshiinyik Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Bneshiinyik is how Anishinaabe people know birds. On this episode that marks National Truth and Reconciliation Day, we talk with Joseph Pitawanakwat a young knowledge keeper in search of medicine, names and stories. He talks about how birds are named in Ojibwe and some of the teachings and gifts they share with us. What you will discover in this episode is that language is a key to the knowledge of an organism and how it fulfills its duties and functions on the land. This knowledge brings you to a good life on the land.
Please remember we would love to hear from you, let us know what you think about the podcast here or which topics you will love -> podcast@birdscanada.org
Joseph Pitawanakwat is an Ojibwe knowledge keeper for ancestral knowledge of plants, medicine and language. He is from Wiikwemikoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island and he is the founder and director of Creator’s Garden, an Indigenous outdoor, and now online, education-based business focused on plant identification, beyond-sustainable harvesting, and teaching every one of their linguistic, historical, cultural, edible, ecological and medicinal significance through experiences. He has delivered presentations and intensive programming to over 100 first nations communities, 20 Universities and 12 colleges, and dozens of various institutions throughout Canada, the United States and beyond. He is uniquely blending and reinforcing that Indigenous knowledge with an array of western sciences. @creators.garden on Instagram and Twitter.

Andrea Gress studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan and now coordinates the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for Birds Canada. Follow her work at @ontarioplovers
Andrés Jiménez is a Costa Rican wildlife biologist with a keen interest in snakes, frogs, birds and how human relationships are interconnected with the living world. He studied Tropical Biology in Costa Rica and has a Masters in Environmental Problem Solving from York University. He is Birds Canada's Urban Program Coordinator and you can follow him at @andresjimo
Special thank you to Rob Porter from Songbirding podcast for the amazing recording of the Northern Watertursh (Parkesia noveboracensis) and to Jeff Dyck recorder of the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) uploaded to the fantastic open sound library www.xeno-canto.org

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

Support the show

Minisode: Using Merlin Sound ID for Pros Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Whether you are testing the Merlin Sound ID app or have mastered the app, got a new recorded, shotgun mic for your phone and have annoyed all your family asking them to be quiet while you record... you might have some burning questions. Like, is sound ID enough to report a bird? Can I get better at recording? What do I do if Merlin gets a bird wrong? In this Minisode, we explore these scenarios and more!
Please remember we would love to hear from you, let us know what you think about the podcast here or which topics you will love -> podcast@birdscanada.org
Listen to the full episode here:
Drew Weber coordinates the Merlin project at the Cornell Lab, as well as some web development for eBird and Macaulay Library. He enjoys expanding Merlin Bird ID to include new regions and new features to help users identify birds, whether it's their first bird or their life list is over 5,000. He has been birding since he was a kid and loves anything with birding and technology, he combines these two things every day. @drewweber on Twitter.
Download Merlin Bird ID App here - > https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/
Learn all about AI-powered Sound ID here
Learn how to record and submit your bird recordings to the Macaulay Library.
Smartphone recording tips.

Send us your bird questions! Email podcast@birdscanada.org, DM us on social media, or comment on any episode or review platform. We will answer the top questions on December's episode.

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