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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

00:01:42

Nest Boxes for All Sorts of Birds

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/10

Birds that historically nested in the cavities of dead trees are finding natural nest holes harder to come by — but people can help. Many of these species will make use of a nest box in parks or near people’s homes. Learn how to build nest boxes tailored to a species of your choice at NestWatch. 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

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00:01:37

eBird: Contribute to Science While Birding

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/09

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 detailed picture of bird populations. Data from eBird has helped guide many conservation efforts, from planning new wind farms away from where eagles fly to guiding habitat protection for declining

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00:01:45

One Million People Taking Action for Birds

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/08

Climate change, habitat destruction, and invasive species have taken a toll on bird populations. It’s a difficult reality to face — but it’s not the end of the story. There are many things people can do to protect birds. Some actions may start small, like planting a native wildflower or taking a trip without a car. But when you combine the efforts of many people working to help birds, the effects are multiplied. BirdNote is launching a three-year campaign to inspire a million people to take action

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00:01:42

Common Murre, Underwater Flyer

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/07

The Common Murre is among the few species of birds that can "fly" under water. When above the water, the 18"-long murre must flap frantically to stay aloft. But beneath the waves, with its flipper-like wings partly extended, it is a streamlined, masterful swimmer. Common Murres, black and white torpedoes with feathers, chase down fish even several hundred feet below the surface. Cornell's Macaulay Library offers audio and video of Common Murres.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more

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00:01:33

Kinglets in Winter

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/06

The Golden-crowned Kinglet weighs six grams, about the same as two pennies, yet winters as far north as Alaska and Nova Scotia. The birds move through the forest in small flocks and feed constantly, taking in enough tiny caterpillars to maintain their internal furnace at 110°F. And their insulation keeps them warm. Their feathers make up 8% of their body weight, equivalent to the weight of the clothing of an arctic explorer.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to

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00:01:45

Frigatebirds' Kleptoparasitism

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/05

In the warmer regions of the world’s oceans, large seabirds called boobies plunge headfirst into the water, snatching up fish. But as a booby flies up from the waves with a fish now in its gullet, there may be another big seabird — a frigatebird — with its eye on the booby’s fresh catch. Now begins one of nature’s great chase scenes. Fortunately for boobies, frigatebirds don’t steal all their meals. Most of the time, they hunt their own seafood — perhaps a squid snapped from the ocean surface or a

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00:01:37

The Secret Stash of Eggshells

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/04

Developing eggshells requires a key ingredient — calcium — in larger quantities than the female typically has in her bloodstream. Just how different bird species supply or store calcium for egg-laying isn’t fully known. While some species seek out extra calcium from their environment, many species simply "borrow" calcium directly from their leg bones! The eggs seen here are those of an Anna's Hummingbird.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly

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00:01:40

Day Scott on Recovering with Help from Birds

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/03

Day Scott’s interest in birds grew following a car accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. As she recovered, she would sit in the kitchen and watch birds at the feeder through the window. She began noticing bird behavior, like how members of the same species competed for space at the feeder. Watching the birds became a source of joy for her. Day eventually began writing stories about the birds and shared them with people along with her photos on Instagram.More info and transcript at

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00:01:45

A Hummingbird Hospital in a Mexico City Apartment

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/02

Catia Lattouf cares for dozens of hummingbirds from her home!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 terminal. She received her first injured hummingbird, and named him Gucci.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to

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00:01:42

Winter Romance - Common Goldeneyes

BirdNote Daily ·

2024/01/01

Most duck species court and form pair bonds in winter. In the icy waters of Vermont’s Lake Champlain, Common Goldeneyes are getting hot! This male is displaying his signature move, the “head-throw-kick,” to attract a mate. Goldeneye pairs now bonding throughout the US will migrate in early spring toward breeding waters across Canada and Alaska. But the males are ramblers. After the female lays her eggs, the goldeneye male abandons his mate and parental duties. It’s common conduct among ducks!More

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00:01:40

Ptarmigan in Winter

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/31

Both the Willow Ptarmigan and these White-tailed Ptarmigan, feathered mostly brown in summer, are utterly transfigured by an autumn molt. As snow begins to mantle their world, both species, now all white, blend in superbly. But the ptarmigan pulls another trick. It adds dense white feathering on both the tops and bottoms of its feet. And its claws grow longer. The bird grows snowshoes!More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for

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00:01:42

Dove or Pigeon?

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/30

The word “dove” might make you think of an elegant bird symbolizing peace, while the word “pigeon” might bring up images of rowdy flocks of city birds. But there’s no formal distinction between doves and pigeons, only a linguistic one. In many languages, the birds are one and the same. The dove and pigeon family includes some of the most beautiful birds in the world.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free

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00:01:45

Treeswifts: Exquisite Minimalists

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/29

The treeswifts of India, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and beyond make their nests out of bits of plants and feathers and hold it all together with some very sticky saliva. A treeswift’s whole nest is but a tiny cup — just large enough to hold a single egg — stuck to a bare upright branch. The adult on the nest appears simply to be perching, not sitting on a nest. Ingenious!More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get

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00:01:45

Pinpointing a Bird in a Forest by Ear

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/28

Juan Pablo Culasso is a nature recordist based in Colombia. Here, he describes how he uses a parabolic microphone to record a singing bird. Juan Pablo is blind, so he uses his hearing to pinpoint a small bird in dense vegetation. 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

Why Some Birds Sing in the Winter

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/27

By late January, some resident birds, such as the Northern Mockingbird, are beginning their spring singing. When you step outside on a particularly sunny day this winter, a Fox Sparrow like the one pictured here may be warming up for the coming spring. And as far north as British Columbia, Pacific Wrens are singing in earnest by mid-February. So the singing season never entirely stops.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for

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00:01:38

How Did Bobwhites Get to Cuba?

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/26

Cuba is home to a unique population of Northern Bobwhites, with plumage patterns and short bills that set them apart from bobwhites on mainland North America. But where these quail came from has been a mystery. Did humans introduce them from the mainland? If so, when, and why do they look so different? Recent scientific detective work may have uncovered the answer.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free

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00:01:39

Why Birds Eat Snow

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/25

In the depths of winter, when open water is frozen over, it can be challenging for birds to stay hydrated. Some birds eat the frozen water all around them. Cedar Waxwings catch snowflakes in mid-air. Black-capped Chickadees drink from dripping icicles. Plenty of other birds scoop up fresh, powdery snow and eat it. It could be worth the calories to melt the snow when searching for liquid water could expose them to predators.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to

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00:01:45

Graylag Goose

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/24

The goose of today’s farmyards was domesticated about 3,000 years ago from the Graylag Goose, the wild species found today throughout much of Europe and Asia. To ancient Egyptians, the goose symbolized the sun god Ra. Greeks linked the goose with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. And geese are prominently featured in the Shijing, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to

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00:01:33

How Feathers Insulate

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/23

A single Canada Goose has between 20 and 25 thousand feathers. Some are designed to help the bird fly or shed water. Many are the short, fluffy kind, the down that insulates the bird from the cold. Birds survive in sub-zero weather by fluffing their feathers, creating layers of air and feathers. Just a fraction of an inch of this insulation can keep a bird's body temperature at 104 degrees, even in freezing weather. Seen here are the feathers of a Brown Pelican.More info and transcript at

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00:01:30

Birding 101: The Fear of Getting Started

BirdNote Daily ·

2023/12/22

For folks looking to try birding for the first time, getting started can be daunting. Should you learn every species’ call, every subtle feather pattern before you head out to look for birds? While it’s good to prepare, there’s a risk of scaring yourself out of starting, and preventing the kind of hands-on experiential learning that’s one of the best parts of birding. So when you have the time and energy, just go for it! Learning about birds is the work of a lifetime — that’s why it’s so

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1,673 results

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