Shows / BirdNote
BirdNote
Escape the daily grind and immerse yourself in the natural world. Rich in imagery, sound, and information, BirdNote inspires you to notice the world around you. Join us for daily two-minute stories about birds, the environment, and more.
Episodes
BirdNoteGlowing Feathers
When a Northern Saw-whet Owl spreads its wings, many birds can see something our human eyes can’t: the owl’s flight feathers glow with ultraviolet light. It’s…
BirdNoteCrow Parents, Fearless Defenders
Although American Crows may seem blasé about pillaging another bird's nest, they regard a threat to their own young as a punishable offense. To protect their…
BirdNoteCómo se mantienen frescas las aves
En un día caluroso de verano, observa con atención aves como el cuervo, o como esta águila cabeza blanca. Nunca los verás sudar, porque las aves no tienen…
BirdNoteChristian Cooper, Cattle Egrets, and Cinema
Author Christian Cooper is never not birding — even at the movies. For season 8 of the Bring Birds Back, Christian shares the story of a bird out of place in…
BirdNoteSwift Bricks
Common Swifts in Europe nest in eaves and under roof tiles and gables. But modern construction doesn’t have these nooks and crannies, and populations of swifts…
BirdNoteThe Bald Eagle, a National Symbol
Immature Bald Eagles look so different from mature Bald Eagles that early ornithologists thought they were a different species entirely! Sitting about three…
BirdNoteA Young Bewick's Wren Learns to Sing
At this time of year, a very young male Bewick's Wren is beginning to learn how to sing. His father sings a crisp well-defined song, separated by pauses, but…
BirdNoteBirding 101: Bird Sound Vocabulary
Bird voices can vary tremendously. Learning to describe how a bird sounds will make it easier to figure out who’s singing. This episode shares a few common…
BirdNoteThe Baltimore Oriole
Not all blackbirds are mostly black. This Baltimore Oriole is orange! The bird's common name is a nod to Sir George Calvert, First Lord of Baltimore, whose…
BirdNoteHunting and Conservation Go Hand in Hand
When waterfowl are in decline, hunters are some of the first people to sound the alarm — and fund their recovery. On the Bring Birds Back podcast, Ducks…
BirdNoteDavid Shepard’s Aloha Shirts
After David Shephard moved to Hawai‘i to study botany, he realized that the “main character” of the islands is birds — many plants have co-evolved with birds…
BirdNoteTraveling with Blue-winged Teal
Noticeably smaller than Mallards, Blue-winged Teal wings have large patches of powder blue edged in emerald. Blue-winged Teal are long-distance migrants…
BirdNoteOkefenokee Swamp and Prothonotary Warbler
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was set aside to protect the fabled Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia and Florida. Tall cypress trees and Spanish moss give…
BirdNoteDelightful Duets
While many songbirds are accomplished soloists, some of the bird world’s most impressive performances are actually duets.
BirdNoteTree Swallows and Feathers
Tree Swallows glisten in the June sunlight, as they swoop and glide, their arcs interlacing in the air. When a white feather flutters down among them, one…
BirdNoteYellow-billed Magpie
Yellow-billed Magpies are clever, colorful birds — and they’re only found in central California. Their hefty bodies are boldly patterned in black, white, and…
BirdNoteBuzzy, Black and Yellow ... Birds!
Golden-cheeked Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Townsend’s Warblers, and Hermit Warblers share similar songs and plumage. Though they all breed in…
BirdNoteWorld Rainforest Day
Tropical rainforests are stunning places. Despite covering a small part of the Earth’s surface, they support half of the world’s biodiversity. The variety of…
BirdNoteMarsh Voices at Sunrise
In marshes across the country, birds awaken on a summer morning. Tall dense grasses and reeds often make marsh birds hard to see, but their voices carry easily…
BirdNoteStudying Climate Change by Watching Bird Nests
Organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and by Birds Canada, volunteers for Project NestWatch observe local nesting birds and track whether they’re…
BirdNoteThe Power of Albatross Partnerships
Waved Albatrosses produce such slow-growing, needy offspring that females lay only a single egg every two years. And both parents need to share the load until…
BirdNoteMigrations: Tiny Bird, Epic Journey
In the spring, Rufous Hummingbirds journey from Mexico to the northwest U.S., some as far north as Alaska! That’s almost 1,000 miles one way for a bird…
BirdNoteWhite-tailed Kite
White-tailed Kites are distinctive birds of prey. They only live in a few states in the U.S., but they’re common in grasslands throughout much of Central and…
BirdNoteEl estómago de hierro de los buitres
Planeando en silencio sobre la tierra con sus amplias alas negras, los buitres casi no necesitan presentación. Los conocemos como el equipo de limpieza de la…
BirdNoteAmerican Oystercatcher
American Oystercatchers are crow-sized shorebirds that can be found foraging in intertidal zones along the U.S. Atlantic shoreline and both coasts of Central…
BirdNotePigeon Babies Do Exist
Rock Pigeons are one of the most common urban birds. But why do we never see baby pigeons? Some baby birds — like down-covered ducks, geese, and chickens —…
BirdNoteThe Royal Pigeons
Despite their modern reputation, pigeons were once beloved by royalty. Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire in the 16th Century, kept over 20,000…
BirdNoteJuan Fernandez Firecrown
The Juan Fernandez Firecrown is a critically endangered hummingbird that is only found on Robinson Crusoe Island, near Chile. Measuring more than 4 inches long…
BirdNoteLegislating is for the Birds
In American democracy, elected officials work for the people. That means you can be a voice for birds by reaching out to your representatives at every level of…
BirdNoteOlive-sided Flycatcher
What a comfort it would be if every bird song were as easy to recognize — and remember — as that of this Olive-sided Flycatcher. Some people think it sounds…
BirdNoteAves venenosas
El mundo está lleno de criaturas venenosas. Algunas mariposas, escarabajos y ranas usan colores vivos para advertir a las aves y otros depredadores de que…
BirdNoteThe Link Between Whales, Seabirds, and a Tiny Fish
In shallow waters off the coast of Massachusetts, ocean predators come from far and wide to hunt. Humpback whales join Great Shearwaters and many other…
BirdNoteSpider Silk — Duct Tape for Bird Nests
The spider’s web is an intricate piece of precision engineering. Made from large proteins, it’s sticky, stretchy, and tough. So it’s no surprise that many…
BirdNoteBaby Birds — Leave Them Alone
Just because a young bird appears to be alone – whether on the ground or squawking loudly from a bush or tree – doesn't necessarily mean it is sick or injured…
BirdNoteCover Open Pipes To Protect Birds
Open, vertical pipes are commonly used to build fences, anchor gates, and post signs. Inquisitive birds often inspect these cavities in their search for food…
BirdNoteAmerican Kestrel
The American Kestrel is the smallest, most numerous, and most widespread North American falcon. This bird is built for speed, its long pointed wings often bent…
BirdNoteFrom Fishing to Conservation With Alex Troutman
Wildlife biologist Alex Troutman jokes that he was always destined to be a fisherman. But Troutman family fishing trips taught Alex to appreciate birds, too…
BirdNoteLas reinitas mieleras aman lo dulce
Las reinitas mieleras ( Coereba flaveola), también conocidas como bananeros, son aves cantoras diminutas con una debilidad por lo dulce. Su distintivo pico…
BirdNoteRachel Carson and the Veery
Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, and her beloved friend Dorothy Freeman shared a love of nature, and especially of one bird: the Veery, a type of…
BirdNoteSnake-Eagles Are Awesome
When a soaring Short-toed Snake-Eagle spots a delicious snake, it swoops down, grabs it with its talons, then tears off the snake’s head. Still on the wing, it…
BirdNoteBinoculars 101
A decent pair of binoculars can considerably enhance your enjoyment of birds. In this episode, birder and naturalist Dara Miles Wilson shares a crash course on…
BirdNoteLittle Birders, Big Lessons
Brianna Amingwa, is an environmental educator, co-organizer of Black Birders Week and mom of two little bird-loving boys. For Black Birders Week, Brianna…
BirdNoteFreedom Song: Harriet Tubman’s Barred Owl Call
Harriet Tubman was a heroic abolitionist in the cause to end chattel slavery. She was also an excellent astronomer and naturalist — and an expert birder. She…
BirdNoteHow the Woodcock’s Journeys Connect Us
In this show, Marcus Rosten shares his involvement in a study of the American Woodcock with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The…
BirdNoteSemillas de atracción
¿Qué nos atrae hacia una pareja romántica? Las aves tienen muchas formas de llamar la atención de su compañero. La mayoría de las grullas cantan en dueto con…