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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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What’s in a Name? A Bird!

BirdNote ·

2025/06/21

Names are conventions, right? But some names contain something special: a bird! For example, the name Paloma comes from the colloquial name in Spanish for the common pigeon, but as a human name it often refers to doves. Or Garzón, my last name, is derived from Garza, or Heron, in Spanish. Listen to

Black-bellied Plover, Arctic Nester

BirdNote ·

2025/06/20

In the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, June days offer almost continuous daylight to breeding birds, including this Black-bellied Plover. At this high latitude, Black-bellied Plovers can complete their breeding cycle in a month and a half. Not long after the summer solstice, the adults begin their

As the Crowe Flies

BirdNote ·

2025/06/19

Crows play many roles in human cultures, from ominous tricksters to sacred purveyors of wisdom. After exploring the stories behind her family surname, attorney and playwright Alice T. Crowe discovered a deep historical connection between the racist symbology of Jim Crow and the negative image of

If You See a Bird with Leg Bands

BirdNote ·

2025/06/18

If you see a wild bird with a small metal band around its leg, that means researchers have given the bird a unique ID to keep track of it over the course of its life. You can report the sighting to the Bird Banding Laboratory, a part of the U.S. Geological Survey that studies banded birds across the

El pradero chihuahuense

BirdNote ·

2025/06/17

En 2022, ornitólogos reconocieron al pradero chihuahuense ( Sturnella lilianae) como una especie única, en lugar de una subespecie del pradero oriental. Recibe su nombre de la región del norte de México en donde se encuentran fácilmente. Los praderos chihuahuenses viven en paisajes de pastizales

Green Jay

BirdNote ·

2025/06/16

Adorned in shades of peridot green, sapphire blue, and onyx black, the Green Jay is a jewel-toned wonder with a voice as loud as its color palette. Their range is split over two regions, one from southern Texas to northern Belize and a second along the Andes Mountains from Venezuela to Bolivia

Father Birds

BirdNote ·

2025/06/15

The male hummingbird leaves the female to build the nest and raise the young alone, but other father birds are more involved. A Peregrine Falcon father shares duties almost evenly with the mother. (Stewart, pictured, nested on a Seattle skyscraper for many years.) But the male Emu of Australia tops

Baby Bald Eagles

BirdNote ·

2025/06/14

Baby Bald Eagles have a lot to learn before they reach adulthood. While still in the nest, they practice fanning their wings and jumping into the air to test their strength. When they’re finally ready for their first test-flight, the fledglings sometimes land unceremoniously on the ground until a

The Oilbird's Lightless Life

BirdNote ·

2025/06/13

Nature has produced some exceptionally strange animals. One such creature is the Oilbird of northern South America. The Oilbird prefers a diet of wild berries and fruits, especially lipid-rich fruits like palm nuts and avocados (which leads to fatty young and the Oilbird's name). This unusual

The Kingfisher and the Halcyon Days

BirdNote ·

2025/06/12

The ancient Greeks believed the gods turned two distraught lovers into kingfishers — or “halcyon birds.” Thanks to divine assistance, these birds would enjoy calm weather during their nesting period. Even today, many kingfishers have echoes of this story in their scientific names.

Celebrating City Birds

BirdNote ·

2025/06/11

Pigeons, geese, and gulls often get a bad rap among city dwellers. But Nicole Jackson, an environmental educator and nature enthusiast, admires these cosmopolitan birds for their resilience and adaptability.

¿Los pájaros carpinteros sufren daño cerebral?

BirdNote ·

2025/06/10

Cuando los pájaros carpinteros tamborilean, azotan sus picos contra la corteza muchas veces por segundo. Los científicos durante mucho tiempo han planteado la hipótesis de que los carpinteros deben tener una forma de proteger sus cerebros de posibles lesiones. Sin embargo, los trabajos más recientes

Grackles Galore

BirdNote ·

2025/06/09

Grackles are notoriously loud and brazen birds. For all six species native to the Americas, males are iridescent black and females are sumptuous brown. Though these grackles may look the same, they each make their own distinctive ruckus. Though some deem them pests, grackles can also call us to

Hoatzin!

BirdNote ·

2025/06/08

The Hoatzin is a strange bird, indeed! It looks like it was put together by a committee. But the way it looks isn't the only thing that sets this bird apart. The Hoatzin is strictly a leaf-eater, filling its stomach with leaves, and then resting and digesting for long periods. Chicks have vestigial

El Triunfo Cloud Forest Reserve

BirdNote ·

2025/06/07

High in the mountains of Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico, a male Highland Guan is performing his territorial display. The Highland Guan perches on a tree-branch, whistles, and then glides on vibrating wings. The resulting wondrous sound is like no other. The bird’s display creates a sound

Northern Parula Sings From on High

BirdNote ·

2025/06/06

The Northern Parula is a tiny bird with a big personality. These colorful warblers spend their days in search of tasty insects high up in the forest canopy of woodlands in North America. To get a good look, first try listening for their unmistakable vocal feats! This episode is sponsored by Gary and

Bird in Flight, Strong but Light

BirdNote ·

2025/06/05

The feathers of a bird are, for their weight, among the strongest structures in the world. The bones of this Magnificent Frigatebird weigh less than its feathers! To further reduce weight while maintaining strength, many bird bones are fused. In addition, the pectoral and pelvic girdles and ribs are

The Loquacious Chat

BirdNote ·

2025/06/04

In summer, the thick tangles of streamside vegetation in many canyons echo with an uncanny sound — the Yellow-breasted Chat. You may find it in willow thickets, brushy tangles, and other dense, understory habitats, usually at low to medium elevations around streams. The male Yellow-breasted Chat may

El Bosque de Niebla de la Reserva El Triunfo

BirdNote ·

2025/06/03

En lo alto de las montañas de Chiapas, estado en el extremo sur de México, una chachalaca negra ( Penelopina nigra) macho hace su demostración territorial. Esta chachalaca, también conocida como Pajuil, se refugia en una enramada, silva y se desliza mientras aletea. El sonido resultante es

Quirky Words for Gray Birds

BirdNote ·

2025/06/02

Many birds have common names that refer to their dominant body color, like the Gray Catbird. Yet some species of gray birds received more colorful descriptors than others. Silvered, plumbeous, glaucous, and slate are just some of the bird world’s many shades of gray!

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