PODCAST

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.

science

All Episodes

Rapid Evolution in the Galápagos Islands

BirdNote ·

2026/02/28

Scientists have long thought that new species took a very long time to emerge. This thinking has now changed dramatically. On an island in the Galápagos, researchers Rosemary and Peter Grant discovered that a hybrid union of two distinct species of finch produced descendants different from any of

Ducks That Whistle

BirdNote ·

2026/02/27

Whistling as they fly, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are gorgeous waterfowl with bright pink bills and legs, chestnut necks and backs, and black underparts. Though most whistling-ducks live in the tropics, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are found in the U.S. along the western Gulf Coast and Florida

The Delightfully Round Bearded Reedling

BirdNote ·

2026/02/26

The Bearded Reedling is a wetland songbird that’s enjoying a boom in both population and popularity. Barely larger than a chickadee, the male reedlings are often photographed with their feathers puffed out to near spherical proportions, earning them the nickname of “the roundest bird in the world.”

Birding 101: Bird Vocab Basics

BirdNote ·

2026/02/25

Any hobby or special interest has its own jargon. You’ll pick up on the silly slang that birders use as you go – like calling the Yellow-rumped Warbler, “butterbutt.” Still, learning a few basics of bird vocab is useful when you’re starting out. It’ll help you ask better questions when you’re

Lo que hace que las plumas sean tan fuertes y ligeras

BirdNote ·

2026/02/24

Las plumas de las aves son conocidas por su ligereza, pero también son sorprendentemente resistentes: soportan vuelos complicados y vientos fuertes. Están hechas de beta-queratina, una versión más resistente de la queratina que compone nuestras uñas y cabello. Además, tienen una estructura

BONUS EPISODE: Words in Flight

BirdNote ·

2026/02/23

Birds have always been a source of inspiration for writers, like Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou, and William Shakespeare, to name a few. But what is it about them that so captures our literary imagination? Words in Flight is a celebration of contemporary poetry about birds and what they teach us

Feeding Frenzy

BirdNote ·

2026/02/22

It's late winter at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida. Many birds have finished nesting, and young birds are everywhere. This morning, wind and tide have conspired to strand schools of fish in backwater ditches. And the birds are taking advantage of it. It's a feeding

Cranes' Voices Across the Globe

BirdNote ·

2026/02/21

There are fifteen species of cranes across the globe, found everywhere but Antarctica and South America. During the winter, cranes forage and rest together by the thousands. Listen in to the voices of cranes from all over the world. Nothing evokes the spirit of the wild like the voices of these

A Hummingbird Hospital in a Mexico City Apartment

BirdNote ·

2026/02/20

In Mexico City, 73-year-old Catia Lattouf started a hummingbird hospital — in her apartment! She hosts dozens of hummingbirds as they recover from injuries. Catia, who once ran a French high-fashion boutique, began caring for hummingbirds in 2012, after she survived cancer that was considered

How the Barnacle Goose Was Named

BirdNote ·

2026/02/19

Boldly patterned in black, white, and silver, Barnacle Geese are stunning birds. In Europe, huge flocks gather in pastures and mudflats where the geese feast on grasses and moss — but not barnacles. So where did they get that name?

Magpie-Jay Flocks Are Led by Females

BirdNote ·

2026/02/18

Found in much of Central America, White-throated Magpie-Jay flocks are family groups led by a dominant female. They include a mate and several female offspring that bring food to the primary female and her young. It’s an example of cooperative breeding, when birds other than the parents help out to

Hembras emplumadas al mando

BirdNote ·

2026/02/17

A menudo, los machos son las aves más grandes y vistosas, cortejan a hembras exigentes, y ellas se encargan de criar a los polluelos. Pero no siempre es así. Las jacanas hembras se enfrentan entre sí por territorios donde puedan mantener a varios machos —de la mitad de su tamaño— que son quienes se

Migrations: Pine Siskin Irruption

BirdNote ·

2026/02/16

Do you ever see flocks of birds in your yard that show up in droves one year, but are completely absent the next? Some nomadic species such as Pine Siskins move based on the availability of food and habitat. It’s called irruptive migration, and it sometimes leads to backyards full of siskins. While

Mating for Life

BirdNote ·

2026/02/15

Most bird species in North America mate for a single breeding season. Some may team up again the following year, just because both stay in - or return to - the same territory. Fewer than one-fifth of Song Sparrow pairs are reunited. Hawks, eagles, and ravens have wide territories, thus few contacts

Seeds of Attraction

BirdNote ·

2026/02/14

What is it that draws us to a romantic partner? Birds have lots of ways to catch the attention of a mate. Most cranes duet with prospective partners for years before they begin breeding. Crested Auklets of both sexes produce a pungent citrus perfume. And Blue-footed Boobies dance, showing off their

eBird: Contribute to Science While Birding

BirdNote ·

2026/02/13

eBird, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, lets you log the bird species you observe on a smartphone app or on the web. Whether you’re going on a birding trip or enjoying birds near home, you can list the species you found on eBird. Millions of people all over the world help eBird create a

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

BirdNote ·

2026/02/12

Over the course of four days in February, the Great Backyard Bird Count gathers heaps of info about birds all over the world — and helps people connect with their local birds. Anyone can participate with the Merlin Bird ID app. And if you’re familiar with your neighborhood birds, you can submit a

The Best Nest

BirdNote ·

2026/02/11

Some birds woo a mate by building the best nest. Males of many weaverbird species construct a series of intricately woven nests to impress a prospective partner. A male Red-winged Blackbird can even attract multiple mates if he controls prime breeding territory. Adélie Penguins construct their nests

Respirar como un ave

BirdNote ·

2026/02/10

Las aves poseen una anatomía respiratoria sumamente eficiente que impulsa el esfuerzo del vuelo. Esto se debe a grandes sacos de aire de paredes delgadas distribuidos por toda la cavidad corporal, que funcionan como los fuelles en un acordeón. Este sistema parabronquial para extraer oxígeno del aire

Finding Mom's Favorite Bird

BirdNote ·

2026/02/09

Author and illustrator Becca Rowland likes to keep an eye out for cardinals. Her mom loves them and is pretty good at finding them, too. Becca didn’t know how she did it, until they realized their mom was birding by ear! Now Becca has written a new book called, Bird Talk: Hilariously Accurate Ways

815 results

BirdNote

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter