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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.

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Dreading the Terns

BirdNote ·

2025/07/31

In June of 2022, Adé Ben-Salahuddin worked as a volunteer research assistant on a tiny island off the coast of Maine at a Common Tern breeding colony. Every once in a while, the colony would suddenly go dead silent as all the adult terns took flight and dove over the rocky cliffs, returning soon

Biomimicry, Birds and Beyond with adrienne maree brown

BirdNote ·

2025/07/30

On this season premiere episode, meet your new co-host, Billy Almon! Billy is an astrobiofuturist (which you’ll hear more about later), and one of his passions and expertise is in the art of biomimicry. Billy lays out the history of this ancient process, how it's been instrumental in connecting

Patos que silban

BirdNote ·

2025/07/29

Silbando mientras vuelan, los pijijes alas blanca ( Dendrocygna autumnalis) – o patos silbones de ala blanca – son aves acuáticas espectaculares, con picos y patas de color rosa brillante, cuello y lomo castaños, y partes inferiores negras. Aunque la mayoría de los patos silbadores viven en los

Breeding Birds of the Northern Great Plains

BirdNote ·

2025/07/28

Migratory birds connect the Northern Plains with many parts of the Western Hemisphere. Lark Buntings, Baird’s Sparrows, Upland Sandpipers, and many other birds winter from Central to southern South America. But their reproduction depends on the bounty of the prairie spring. Disrupting any part of

The Secretarybird: Eagle on Stilts

BirdNote ·

2025/07/27

The Secretarybird of sub-Saharan Africa looks like a slim eagle set on the long, slender legs of a crane. Secretarybirds can fly but prefer to hunt on foot, walking over 20 miles a day and dispatching their prey with powerful kicks of their taloned feet.

On the Trail of the Bobwhite

BirdNote ·

2025/07/26

The Northern Bobwhite — many call it just the Bobwhite — has an unmistakable call, which is also the source of its name. The species is native to the US, east of the Rockies. But Northern Bobwhites have been released into the wild as game birds in many locales in the West.

Hummingbirds Help Mites Hitch a Ride

BirdNote ·

2025/07/25

Mites are tiny critters related to spiders and ticks. Because they are typically no larger than a grain of salt, many mite species rely on larger animals to survive. In the neotropics, hummingbird flower mites freeload off an existing partnership. This group of mites feeds on nectar and pollen, but

Sleeping on the Wing

BirdNote ·

2025/07/24

Some swifts and frigatebirds stay aloft for months. But for a long time, scientists did not know if the birds might be sleeping on the wing. A 2016 study provided answers. Tiny devices attached to the heads of frigatebirds revealed fascinating information: the birds did sleep while aloft, most often

Season 7 of Bring Birds Back Coming Soon!

BirdNote ·

2025/07/23

Bring Birds Back, is back... and we’ve got two new co-hosts, Billy Almon and Anika Hazra! They'll be sharing their own personal knowledge and passions with you, while also interviewing world-renowned faves like J. Drew Lanham, adrienne maree brown, and Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali – to name a few. We’re

Perlita azul gris: Un pequeño pájaro con una gran...

BirdNote ·

2025/07/22

La menudita perlita azulgris (Polioptila caerulea) de apenas unos 10 centímetros se encuentra en gran parte de Estados Unidos y México, y también en algunas regiones del Caribe. Busca activamente insectos pequeños en árboles y arbustos para comer, a menudo quedando suspendida en el aire por un

River Rapids, Dippers and Ducks

BirdNote ·

2025/07/21

Powerful currents and rocky terrain make for a dangerous place to swim. But for birds like the American Dipper and Harlequin Duck, whitewater rapids and fast-flowing streams offer all the comforts of home.

Insects Are Essential

BirdNote ·

2025/07/20

Insects sustain our ecosystems, as a food source and pollinators of 90% of all plants. But their numbers have dropped by half in the last 50 years, so it is now critical to help foster insects. One concrete way to help is to grow native plants that provide food and shelter for insects like

The Eyes of an Owl

BirdNote ·

2025/07/19

Peer into an owl's face – there is something almost human about its large, forward-facing eyes. The Great Gray Owl, which stands two feet tall and weighs 2 and 1/2 pounds, has eyes larger than those of most humans! Enormous eyes enable owls to see in near darkness. An owl's retinal anatomy is

Bird Scent: It's All About the Bacteria

BirdNote ·

2025/07/18

Many birds have an excellent sense of smell. And the odors that birds make can act as mating signals for some species. The source for many of these scents, says biologist Danielle Whittaker, are the microbes that live in birds’ preen oil, which they use to keep their feathers in good condition

Bird Emoji

BirdNote ·

2025/07/17

Today, July 17th, is World Emoji Day — because that’s the date on the little calendar emoji. These cartoon graphics can show everything from smiley faces to plants, hearts, and of course, birds. In fact, some of those bird emoji were among the very first emoji ever made!

Seasonal Flooding of the Amazon

BirdNote ·

2025/07/16

When it’s predictable and wildlife is well adapted, natural flooding can create a biological bonanza. In the Amazon River Basin, which holds one-fifth of the world’s fresh water, annual rains can raise water levels 30 to 40 feet in just days. Forests turn into vast lakes, dotted with trees, while a

Si ves un ave con anillas en las patas

BirdNote ·

2025/07/15

Si ves un ave silvestre con una pequeña anilla metálica en la pata, significa que hay investigadores que le asignaron una identificación única para poder seguirla a lo largo de su vida. Puedes reportar el avistamiento al Bird Banding Laboratory, una división del U.S. Geological Survey que estudia

Rufous-collared Sparrow: Tico-Tico

BirdNote ·

2025/07/14

The song Tico-Tico no Fuba, like Carmen Miranda, came to us from Brazil. Believe it or not, the song is about a bird. The Portuguese lyrics tell the story of the tico-tico, a local name for the Rufous-collared Sparrow. Like so many birds, tico-tico was named for its song. In the song, the bird keeps

Beaks and Bills

BirdNote ·

2025/07/13

A bird’s bill is an incredible multi-tool — good for preening feathers, building a nest, self-defense, scratching, displaying, building a nest, and egg-turning. And a bill must be the right size and shape for the bird’s diet, whether that’s probing for worms, cracking open seeds, or tearing apart

Song Neighborhoods

BirdNote ·

2025/07/12

Birds of the same species don’t always sing exactly the same as each other. But those that live near each other sometimes have similar songs. Scientists refer to this pattern as a song neighborhood. It’s less like a regional dialect among people that’s found over a large area. It’s more local than

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