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BirdNote Daily

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.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

00:01:35

Migrations: Tiny Bird, Epic Journey

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/06/02

In the spring, Rufous Hummingbirds journey from Mexico to the northwest U.S., some as far north as Alaska! That’s almost 1,000 miles one way for a bird measuring just under four inches beak to tail, making this the longest migration of any bird relative to body length. Not long after arriving, they bulk up on nectar and bugs for the scenic return trip over the Rocky Mountains.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to

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00:01:42

The African American Heritage Water Trail

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/06/01

In this episode, Lillian Holden — a Chicago-based environmental educator — introduces us to the African American Heritage Water Trail, a 7-mile stretch along the Little Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Channel that flows through the south side of Chicago. Highlighting over 180 years of African American history, the Water Trail includes historical sites linked to the Underground Railroad, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the environmental justice movement. It also features ecological richness and abundant

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00:01:45

Deja Perkins on Gaps in Bird Observations

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/31

For her PhD, Deja Perkins is studying datasets generated by the public, also known as participatory science projects. These projects include eBird, a site where anyone can upload bird observations. And they’re essential to conservation efforts. But Deja says that not every area is well represented in eBird, because right now the participants are predominantly white and affluent, leading to a gap in what we know about the diversity of birds in many low-income and minority areas. Involving a wide

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00:01:45

Spark Bird: Dara Wilson and the Blue-gray Tanager

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/30

While Dara Wilson was working at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in D.C., she introduced visitors to the Amazonia exhibit. She would describe the song of a bird she’d never had the chance to see in the wild, the Blue-gray Tanager. But when Dara moved to Panama, she heard the song that she knew by heart already. Encountering the Blue-gray Tanager in its natural habitat inspired her to keep learning about birds — and to share that knowledge with others as an educator. Dara helps organize Black Birders

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00:01:37

The Robin Rescue

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/29

When Adé Ben-Salahuddin stopped to help a trapped young bird on his way home from work, he found an unexpected source of help: an older Black woman walking by who had just the skills for the problem at hand.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

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00:01:45

What the Niagara River Means to Birds and People

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/28

This episode narrated by Marcus Rosten explores the history and the birdlife of the Niagara River Corridor. Just downstream from the falls, Long-tailed Ducks and Bonaparte’s Gulls call out near the site where the Haudenosaunee and other Native American groups would portage around the falls. Niagara’s churning rapids prevent ice from forming, making it a year-round fishing spot for half the world’s species of gulls. The rapids were also the final hurdle for Freedom Seekers on the Underground Railroad

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00:01:42

If Someone Calls You 'Birdbrain,' Say Thanks

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/27

In this episode, neuroscientist Lola Neal explores how birds are used as models to understand many neural processes, as they have cognitive abilities comparable to those of the cleverest mammals. Studying vocal learning and imitation in songbirds like Zebra Finches has helped researchers explore how language is acquired, an important topic in human infant development and beyond.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to

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00:01:45

Introducing Black Birders Week 2024

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/26

In this episode, Nicole Jackson and Emma Brittain announce the fifth year of Black Birders Week, a week-long celebration with events and activities that highlight the achievements and contributions of Black birders, amplify their experiences in nature, and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in birding and conservation. Stay tuned to BirdNote Daily for a week of shows produced by Black Birders Week organizers and learn how to participate in the week’s events.More info and transcript at

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00:01:41

Celebrating Female Bird DayEducating people on female...

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/25

In 2019, several co-workers at the National Audubon Society formed a team for the World Series of Birding that focused on identifying female birds. Called the Galbatrosses, they sought to highlight how female birds have been understudied and unfairly written off as quieter and less interesting. Since then, the Galbatrosses have led events about IDing female birds and held the first Female Bird Day over Memorial Day weekend in 2020. Learn how to participate in this year’s Female Bird Day here.More

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00:01:45

Saving Snags for Red-headed Woodpeckers

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/24

Red-headed Woodpeckers excavate cavities in large, dead trees called snags. Yet, over much of the Red-head's range, snags are frequently cut down as unsightly, or because they make good firewood. There are ways we can help the Red-headed Woodpecker -- and many other woodpeckers, too. The key is to leave snags intact. If you must cut down a tree on your property, consider leaving the lower trunk as a snag. It's like a wildlife condominium!In the meantime, consider creating a nestbox for a woodpecker

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00:01:39

Night Voices – Nightjars

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/23

As darkness descends on a May evening, the voices of many birds go quiet. But for some birds, especially those known as nightjars, the music is just beginning! An Eastern Whip-poor-will shouts out its name. The call of a Common Poorwill echoes across a canyon. A Common Pauraque calls from the thorn scrub. A Buff-collared Nightjar repeats its Spanish nickname, Tucuchillo. And a Chuck-will’s-widow like this one calls from a woodland.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote

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00:01:45

BirdNoir: The Catbird That Wasn't

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/22

In this episode of BirdNoir, Private Eye Michael Stein gives a word of advice to Ollie, an up-and-coming gumshoe. Ollie thinks he has heard his first Gray Catbird, a species that yowls like a cat, but he didn’t lay eyes on the bird making the noise. Things aren’t always what they seem when you’re a bird detective, so the private eye advises Ollie to hang tough, be patient, and see if the bird making the noise might reappear later in the day.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more

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00:01:45

From Egg-laying to Hatching and Beyond

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/21

Waterfowl like this Muscovy duckling spend up to 30 days in the egg, so they’re able to walk, swim, and feed themselves as soon as they hatch. We call these chicks precocial. By contrast, the chicks of most songbirds spend less time maturing in the egg. They must continue to develop in the nest before heading out on their own. We call these hatchlings altricial since they depend on their parents to care for them.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly

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00:01:42

Singing Under Streetlights

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/20

Some birds have always called nocturnally, but other species are relative newcomers to the nighttime music scene, specifically in urban areas. Birds such as American Robins often sing well into the night. Scientists are studying what environmental cues might lead to this behavior. While artificial light could be a factor, recent studies suggest that some birds may be avoiding daytime city noise by singing nocturnally.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our

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00:01:36

Seabirds Drink Salt Water

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/19

Seabirds have no problem drinking sea water. The salt they take in is absorbed and moves through their blood stream into a pair of salt glands above their eyes. The densely salty fluid is excreted from the nostrils and runs down grooves in the bill. As the drop gets larger, the bird shakes its head to send the salt back to the ocean. A seabird's skull has a pair of grooves for the salt glands right over the eyes.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly

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00:01:45

Habitat Defined

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/18

When you think of habitat, think of home. For a jay that lives in the forest, the forest is its habitat – where it finds food, water, shelter, and the company of other jays. Or it might live in your back yard or the bank parking lot down the street. Some birds live in different habitats at different times of year. Many sandpipers summer on the Arctic tundra, but during the rest of the year, they live on coastal tide flats.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our

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00:01:31

The Noisy Willet

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/17

Unlike many shorebirds, Willets breed inland. When nesting is done, they migrate south to both Atlantic and Pacific coastlines in the U.S. and Central and South America. What they all have in common, wherever they have bred and wherever they spend the winters, is an unmistakable voice, combining the insistent petulance of a hungry chipmunk with the lyrical rhythms of a whip-poor-will.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for

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00:01:41

Toddlers – Fledgling Chickadees

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/16

Sometimes in spring or summer, you might see a fledgling songbird. Like a toddler, it’s unsteady, awkward, and learning the ropes. And you might wonder if the young bird has left the nest too soon. (In the case of this Black-capped Chickadee, just 16 days after hatching) But a nest full of begging young can be a target for a predator. So there’s an adaptive advantage for nestlings to exit the nest as soon as they are able, even if they’re not quite ready to fend for themselves.More info and

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00:01:45

Preventing Birds from Striking Windows

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/15

When migratory birds fly through populated areas at night, buildings with lights on can cause them to become disoriented. And birds don’t see clear glass windows as an obstacle. Instead, they often see the reflection of trees and shrubs and think they’re flying to safety. Every year, up to a billion birds die when they collide with buildings, including many low-rise buildings and houses. Fortunately, there’s a lot that can be done to prevent birds from striking windows.More info and transcript at

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00:01:35

The Link Between Whales, Seabirds, and a Tiny Fish

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/05/14

In shallow waters off the coast of Massachusetts, ocean predators come from far and wide to hunt. Humpback whales join Great Shearwaters and many other seabirds in pursuing sand lance, a tiny fish that these top predators rely on for sustenance. But sand lance are vulnerable to climate change — putting the rest of the ecosystem, including seabirds, at risk.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening

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1,657 results

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