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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.

All Episodes

00:01:45

Spark Bird: A Blackburnian Warbler's Journey

BirdNote ·

2021/11/25

Justine Bowe fell in love with birds when she was a kid, on a hike with her dad when she saw the fiery colors of a Blackburnian Warbler. Justine now manages the Bird Friendly Coffee program at the Smithsonian Institute's Migratory Bird Center, working with coffee farmers to preserve habitat for birds that migrate to Central and South America. In Colombia, she got to see Blackburnian Warblers spending winter on bird-friendly farms.

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00:01:45

Why Birds Eat Snow

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

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.

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00:01:42

Singing Under Streetlights

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

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.

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00:01:37

Seabirds, Trees and Coral

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Palmyra Atoll is a ring-shaped island encircling a lagoon in the South Pacific. The atoll lost many native trees due to U.S. military activity during World War II. Conservationists have worked to restore the ecosystem. Seabirds such as Black Noddies and Red-footed Boobies nest in the island’s rainforest. Their guano enriches the soil, and the soil’s nutrients help support the coral ecosystem that provides fish for the birds.

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00:01:45

Spark Bird: Nick Belardes and the Vermilion Flycatcher

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Author Nick Belardes was walking at a park near his home in San Luis Obispo, California, when he saw a man who seemed in tune with birds. Belardes asked him what the coolest bird around was, and the man replied Vermilion Flycatcher. Belardes and his wife soon went out looking for the ruby-like bird, finally spotting it through rain and mist. He remembers that sighting as a turning point that drew him deeper into the world of birds.

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00:01:45

Catching Insects

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Birds that depend on flies for food have many creative ways of catching their prey. Swallows execute sharp turns and quick changes of speed. Bluebirds watch from a perch, pouncing when the time is right. A Chuck-will’s-widow flies with its scoop-like mouth wide open, engulfing moths and other insects. A Merlin snares dragonflies in its talons. Hummingbirds dart into swarms of midges.

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00:03:03

A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Illustrator and science writer Rosemary Mosco is the author of the new book, A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching. The book explores humanity’s long relationship with pigeons, from domestication thousands of years ago to fancy pigeon breeding in recent centuries. Rosemary's book not only breaks down the variations to look for in feral city pigeons, but also some of the most bizarre fancy breeds.

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00:01:37

How Terns Read the Water

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Like an expert angler, a tern can read the surface of the water to find where to catch its next fish. Scientists piloted a drone to track the flight paths of terns on the hunt. The terns sought out turbulent water. A vortex formed by colliding currents traps fish near the surface, where terns can snap them up. Terns fly toward bubbly upwellings to see if the rising water brings prey animals along with it.

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00:01:45

Bird Brains in a New Light

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Many birds are remarkably clever. New findings help reveal how they can be so smart. In mammals, intelligence is seated in the neocortex, which has neurons arranged in layers and columns. Birds lack a neocortex and were thought to have a forebrain composed of simple clusters of neurons. Recent research indicates that a part of the bird forebrain, the dorsal ventricular ridge, has neurons layed out similarly to those in the mammalian neocortex.

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00:03:34

Spark Bird: Walter and Patch

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Sculptor and musician Walter Kitundu first became enraptured by birds in 2005 when a Red-tailed Hawk flew four feet above his head. He named the bird Patch, after the white patch on the back of her head, and kept returning to the park to see her. Patch became used to Walter, accepting him as part of the landscape. He documented her transition from juvenile to adult, learning her quirks and mannerisms.

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00:01:45

The Heart of a Bird

BirdNote ·

2021/10/19

Birds’ four-chambered hearts run larger than those of mammals, relative to body size, and they are coupled with extremely efficient cardiovascular systems. The energy demands of flight require these adaptations. An exercising human has a heart rate around 150 beats per minute. In contrast, an active hummingbird’s heart pumps at 1200 beats per minute; a flying pigeon’s heart beats at 600.

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91 results