Episodes
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Ornithologist J. Drew Lanham's favorite bird is “the one with feathers.” But here, he shares a few species that have been especially on his mind lately — “selected birds of the moment annotated by why.”
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Feathers are amazing structures. But after about a year, constant use and exposure to the elements mean they have to be replaced. So how do you replace the roughly 20 feathers in each wing that are essential to flight? Many species — such as this Common Raven — molt just a few feathers at a time so they can still fly. But waterbirds like ducks and loons molt all of their flight feathers at once. As a result, they’re earthbound and vulnerable to predators for a month or more — until their full suite of feathers has been completely restored.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Today kicks off Coral Reef Awareness Week. Coral reefs are hotspots of biodiversity, but they’re threatened by warming ocean temperatures, pollution, and overfishing. One thing to be aware of this week is how these underwater ecosystems are linked to birds in the skies above them. And seabirds that nest near coral reefs are a great source of nutrients that can help coral reefs recover faster from bleaching caused by oceanic heat waves.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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This American Kestrel evolved to nest in tree cavities or small caves in cliffs. We humans have made life difficult for kestrels. Development has shrunk the open spaces they need. We’ve cleared away dead trees they rely on for nests and sprayed pesticides that eliminate the insects the birds eat. But we humans are also in a position to help. Volunteers are helping to build and put up nest boxes, improve habitat, and monitor these cool little falcons. Together, we can #BringBirdsBack.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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A movie runs at 24 frames per second, just right for humans to sense as normal speed. Pigeons process the visual world several times faster. The frantic car chase that puts us at the edge of our seats would likely appear — to a pigeon — more like a slideshow or PowerPoint. A bird’s rapid-fire perception is vital to its staying alive, whether it’s hunting fast-moving prey or eluding speedy predators. From the pigeon’s perspective, humans live in the slow lane.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Many people would tell you that hearing birdsong puts them in a good mood. Recently, scientists have tried to put numbers to this effect that many of us have noticed. One study found that people who spent a few minutes immersed in the sounds of birds had lower levels of paranoia and anxiety than those who only listened to traffic noise.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Many woodpeckers chisel out deep cavities in tree trunks in order to lay their eggs and raise their brood. The cavities hollowed out by the birds vary in size, depending on the species of woodpecker. The chamber of a tiny Downy Woodpecker descends about a foot from the opening, while the Pileated Woodpecker may chip out a chamber two feet deep. Both are beyond the reach of a pesky raccoon.
Most North American woodpeckers carve a new nest cavity each spring.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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BirdNote celebrates the everyday actions of our listeners and the work of our conservation partners to reverse the alarming decline in North American birds. Together, we can #BringBirdsBack.
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Amid discussion of renaming birds that are named after people, ornithologist J. Drew Lanham forms a “committee of one” to choose his own names for birds. In this episode, he suggests two “better, melodiously appropriate” names for two species named after John Bachman.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Eagle Cliff in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch State Park is an important nesting site for Peregrine Falcons. Each year, popular climbing routes in the area close temporarily to give nesting falcons their space. After peregrines disappeared from the northeast due to the pesticide DDT, Eagle Cliff was the first natural rock face to host a successful peregrine nest. Now, state agencies and New Hampshire Audubon work with rock climbing groups to decide when to close cliffs in the summer.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Researchers studying birds called Japanese Tits, relatives of the chickadees and titmice in North America, noticed that mates raising chicks together often fluttered their wings near the entrance of their nest box. After recording hundreds of examples of this behavior, it became clear that the wing-flutter was a signal for the other bird to enter first, much like that arm-sweeping gesture that people use to mean, “after you.”
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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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 small birds — including this Anna’s Hummingbird — make a point of collecting strands of spider silk to use in nest construction. Spider silk not only acts as a glue, holding the nest together, but it’s flexible enough to accommodate the growing bodies of nestlings. And it’s resilient enough to withstand the bustle of raising those hungry babies.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Male Great Egrets have special long feather plumes called aigrettes, which they use in courtship displays in the spring. These beautiful big birds were nearly hunted to extinction for these special feathers, which were used to adorn ladies’ hats. The plight of the egret spurred people to organize to protect these and other threatened birds, resulting in the creation of some of the country’s first bird protection societies.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Artist David Shepard designs aloha shirts with illustrations of Hawai‘i's native flora and fauna. David actually trained as a botanist, and one of his shirt designs was inspired by his experience working on the Kalaupapa peninsula with the hō‘awa plant. That species needs lots of help from conservationists in part because it was a favorite food of the ‘alala, or Hawaiian Crow, which is now extinct in the wild.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Tiny Marsh Wrens live in wetlands, usually within cattails, reeds, or bulrushes. After choosing his territory, the male weaves up to 15 dome-shaped shells, lashing together cattails, grasses, or reeds. These are called "courting" nests. Then, sitting high atop a perch in the marsh, he sings, inviting a female to select a nest in his territory. once the female has chosen one of his shells, she lines it with cattail down, feathers, leaves, or grass and lays her eggs. Sometimes a second female chooses a nest on the opposite end of his territory.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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In this episode, J. Drew Lanham shares how his grandmother’s personal names for birds helped shape his own relationships with birds. Names such as “redbirds” for Northern Cardinals, “rain crows” for Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and “cat owls” for Great Horned Owls help him feel personally connected to these species. Through developing one’s own ornithology and personal names for birds, he says, anyone can strengthen their bond with birds.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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As singers go, American Robins are exceptional. They’re often the first birds to sing in the morning, and the last you’ll hear in the evening. While their average song strings fewer than a dozen short phrases together and lasts only a few seconds, robins sometimes sing for minutes without a pause. But the most extraordinary measure of robin song is its variety.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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If you’re new to birding, you might be baffled by names like Couch’s Kingbird, Wilson’s Warbler, and Townsend’s Solitaire. These birds were named in honor of scientists and their friends long ago. But the result is a long list of birds named after white men, many of whom took part in colonizing the Americas or enslaved people. The American Ornithological Society or AOS, which governs official bird names in English, is working to rename all birds named after people in North America.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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After young birds have left the nest and can fly short distances, they still follow their parents and beg for food. They squawk and assume a begging posture, wings drooping and head hunched down. Most young birds, including this Crow, depend on their parents for days, weeks, or even months after leaving the nest.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Evolution on islands can produce unusually large species. Haast’s Eagle lived on the islands now known as New Zealand. With a wingspan of 9 feet and weighing up to 30 pounds, the eagle hunted the moa — a flightless bird that stood over ten feet tall. The eagles probably vanished not long after their moa prey went extinct, about 500 to 600 years ago. A site called the Cave of the Eagle contains Maori paintings of Haast’s Eagles, preserving the legacy of this immense raptor.
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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Raising baby birds is a lot of work. You might think that after seeing off their fledged young ones, bird parents would call it a day. But a surprising number of species start again and raise another set of young in the same breeding season — what’s called double brooding. Some birds squeeze in even more broods each year. Mourning Doves have been seen trying to raise six clutches of eggs in one season!
More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.
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