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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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Let’s Talk About Bird Flu

BirdNote ·

2024/11/06

Avian flu, better known as bird flu, has been in news headlines all of 2024. Still, many questions remain for the general public. What is it? What’s causing it? How is it spreading? And how serious should we be taking this public health matter? Our co-hosts Purbita Saha and Deja Perkins sit with

Introducción a la observación de aves: el miedo de...

BirdNote ·

2024/11/05

Para quienes desean probar la observación de aves por primera vez, comenzar puede ser abrumador. ¿Deberías aprender el llamado de cada especie, cada sutil patrón de plumas antes de salir a buscar aves? Aunque es bueno prepararse, existe el riesgo de intimidarse, cuando en realidad el aprendizaje

Sam ‘Ohu Gon on Protecting the ‘I‘iwi

BirdNote ·

2024/11/04

Because of invasive species and climate change, many of the native birds of Hawai‘i are endangered or have gone extinct. Sam ‘Ohu Gon, Senior Scientist and Cultural Advisor for the Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, says the bright red bird called the ‘i‘iwi holds a special place in native Hawaiian

Chickadee Brains Are Bigger in the Cold

BirdNote ·

2024/11/03

As the colder months arrive, birds that remain in northern climates face the harsh realities of staying warm and finding food. Some birds approach the food problem by storing it in advance — a behavior called caching. Chickadees, nuthatches, jays, and some woodpeckers are known to cache large

Chorus Line in the Sky

BirdNote ·

2024/11/02

A flock of small shorebirds, like Western Sandpipers, twists and turns, glittering in the sky. When threatened by a falcon, these birds take to the air, flying so close together that it's hard for a predator to capture one. A bird at one edge turns toward the middle, and a wave sweeps across the

American Wigeon

BirdNote ·

2024/11/01

The American Wigeon is a grazer. Its bill is narrow, with a pointed tip like that of a goose. When feeding on water plants, a wigeon grabs a leaf and rips it off with its strong bill, rather than using the straining apparatus typical of dabbling ducks. Take a field trip with your local Audubon and

Songbirds Teach Each Other Tricks

BirdNote ·

2024/10/31

In the UK for years, milk came in bottles with foil caps. Great Tits, a common songbird, learned how to peck through the foil. The skill spread. But how? Researchers trained Great Tits in different ways of opening a box and re-released them. Knowledge of how to open the box spread rapidly, with most

Birds in the Winter Garden

BirdNote ·

2024/10/30

Put your winter garden to work as a haven for birds. Leaves and brush left to compost provide foraging and roosting places, smother this year’s weeds, and feed next spring’s plant growth. Watch for juncos and towhees in the leaf litter and wrens in the brush. Maybe even a Song Sparrow! With a little

Spark Bird: Chidi Paige and the Yellow Warbler

BirdNote ·

2024/10/29

When Chidi Paige moved from Nigeria to the U.S., she began running a youth STEM program and had to teach lessons on bird identification. She was in for a challenge: she had to learn the local bird species quickly. On a birding trip, she spotted a Yellow Warbler in a pine tree. The beautiful warbler

The Peacock's Tail: More Than Meets the Eye

BirdNote ·

2024/10/28

When a male Indian Peafowl unfurls its magnificently-colored tail and shakes it, it creates an ultra low frequency sound that we humans can’t hear. But it seems to get the special attention of female birds, called peahens.

The Bustard and the Bee-eater

BirdNote ·

2024/10/27

The massive Kori Bustard struts across the savannahs of Eastern and Southern Africa. Its crested head sits on top of a long neck and stilted legs. And this winged giant has a colorful companion. A small bird called the Carmine Bee-eater perches on the bustard’s back. The Kori Bustard and the Carmine

Meadowlarks and Grasslands

BirdNote ·

2024/10/26

The clear, whistled music of the Eastern Meadowlark is the unmistakable anthem of eastern North America's farmlands and open country. The Western Meadowlark and its sweet, liquid notes epitomize the natural expanses of the American West. Sadly, birds of such grassy habitats are among the fastest

Hear White-throated Sparrows Learning to Sing

BirdNote ·

2024/10/25

The White-throated Sparrow’s melancholy whistle is hauntingly beautiful. But when you hear an adult sparrow performing, just know that the bird wasn’t always an expert singer. In the fall, listen for White-throated Sparrows rehearsing their song. Inexperienced young birds sometimes begin with

Flyin' in the Rain

BirdNote ·

2024/10/24

Most birds are mostly waterproof. Their feathers, aided by oil from preen glands, keep them pretty watertight. So why do birds avoid flying during rainstorms? It may have more to do with the air than with the water. Rainstorms tend to occur when atmospheric pressure is low. Air in a low-pressure

How to Help Birds that are Far Away

BirdNote ·

2024/10/23

University of Puget Sound professor Peter Hodum studies seabird conservation. And he says that if you can’t do something to address a problem, find someone who can.

El pequeño colibrí calíope

BirdNote ·

2024/10/22

El ave más pequeña de Norteamérica continental: El colibrí calíope – una joya de apenas 8 centímetros y menos de 3 gramos de peso–. Estas aves migran al norte cada primavera desde el oeste de México. Desde su aposento un colibrí calíope macho supervisa su territorio. Este pájaro exquisito fue

Welcoming Back Winter Birds

BirdNote ·

2024/10/21

Although we may think of autumn as the end of the growing season, a sort of winding down in the natural world, for birds it’s as much a season of renewal as the spring. In the colder months, we welcome back our winter birds — juncos, swans, and more — which spent the summer in their breeding

Cedar Waxwings - Sleek and Handsome

BirdNote ·

2024/10/20

When courting in spring, male and female Cedar Waxwings communicate with distinctly different calls and, perched side by side, often pass back and forth between them a berry or other small fruit or even a flower petal. Waxwings display a wealth of eye-catching plumage. If you relish the company of

Prairie Warblers - An Early Successional Species

BirdNote ·

2024/10/19

Despite their name, Prairie Warblers nest in tree farms of recently planted pines, in fields overgrown with scattered shrubs, and in clearings under power lines. Biologists call these “early successional” habitats. They’re characterized by plants that are the first to return to land altered by

Identify Bird Sounds on Your Phone

BirdNote ·

2024/10/18

An online tool called BirdNET uses artificial intelligence to identify bird songs and calls. And Cornell’s well-known Merlin Bird ID app now has sound ID, too. It’s as simple as opening the app, choosing “Sound ID,” and hitting record. It can pick out multiple species in the same recording.

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