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PODCAST

The American Birding Podcast

American Birding Association

The American Birding Podcast brings together staff and friends of the American Birding Association as we talk about birds, birding, travel and conservation in North America and beyond. Join host Nate Swick every Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.

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All Episodes

01:07:58

10-12: This Month in Birding - March 2026

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/03/26

They say March comes in like a lion and out like an American Birding Podcast This Month in Birding episode, and this month panel is an exceptional one to end a month with. Host Nate Swick is joined by Stephanie Beilke, Andres Jimenez, and Ryan Mandelbaum for a fun and birdy conversation covering Airtags on birds, the most bouba and kiki species, and Tom Johnson's last piece of amazing bird science. Links to topics covered in this episode: Using Apple AirTags to Document Dispersal and Exploratory

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46:34

10-11: The Feather Wars with James H. McCommons

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/03/19

The early years of bird conservation in North America, is a fascinating period, featuring colorful characters and countless battles fought in the pages of newspapers and magazines regarding the need for conserving the continent's wildlife. It is a history thoroughly recounted in the book The Feather Wars and Great Crusade to Save America's Birds by James H. McCommons. The author joins the American Birding Podcast to talk about the creation of the bird conservation movement that not only saved a

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47:39

10-10: Bird Collections, From the Inside, with Nick...

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/03/12

The state of Louisiana hosts one of the world's largest repositories of ornithological knowledge, the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural History. With nearly 200,000 bird specimens, including important collections from the tropical Americas, this institution informs a lot of what we know about bird taxonomy in this hemisphere. Dr Nick Mason is the curator of that collection, and he joins us to talk about the fascinating work done at this place and what museums are doing to make sure bird

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45:16

10-09: World Without Birds with Nick Lund

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/03/05

The specter of a World Without Birds is certainly a sobering one, but one that could, though, inspire new birders and environmentalists to support the efforts needed to make sure that world is never a reality. In Nick Lund's latest book aimed at younger readers, he tells the stories of birds made extinct by human hands and also those of birds that have been rescued from that fate. Nick and Nate also tell stories of birds seen in unlikely places, and the birding goals of a marathoner in a

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01:08:01

10-08: This Month in Birding - February 2026

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/02/26

February is the shortest month, but thankfully our end of the month roundtable discussion is long on fun and insight. This month's This Month in Birding brings together Jason Hall, Mikko Jimenez, and Sarah Swanson to discuss birds and plants, whether birds can be illegal immigrants, and our favorite avian romantic gestures. Plus, in a TMIB first, Mikko brings his own science to the discussion. Links to articles discussed in this episode: Ancient bird routes mapped via plant diversity Can a bird

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38:07

10-07: The Nature of Nutcrackers with Peri Sasnett

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/02/19

One of the most iconic and beloved birds of the North American west is the Clark's Nutcracker, the highlight of anyone's trip to the high country. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the bird's relationship to the ecosystem goes beyond begging for trail mix from hikers, a fascinating symbiosis that was recently the topic of Glacier National Park's Headwaters podcast, whose host, Peri Sasnett, joins us to talk nutcrackers and conservation. This interview previously ran in August 2022. Also,

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40:02

10-06: How to Make a Meadowlark with Johanna Beam

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/02/12

In 2023, ABA Area birders welcomed Chihuahuan Meadowlark to the official ABA Checklist, and subsequently to many life lists. Previously considered a distinct subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark, the split was the result of work done by Dr. Johanna Beam while she was an undergraduate researcher. Informed by her background as a birder, Johanna used museum specimens, audio recordings, and genetic tools to inform the eventual split. She joins host Nate Swick to talk about how it's done, and what other

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59:15

10-05: Random Birds, February 2026, with Ted Floyd

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/02/05

Birding editor Ted Floyd returns for another episode of random birds. This time around, the random number generator wants passerines, and Ted and host Nate Swick must oblige. We cover the ABA's Bird of the Year for 2026, and a number of other grassland species. Also, the ABA Checklist Committee's recent update suggests a new direction for the ABA Checklist, at least partially. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a

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01:11:28

10-04: This Month in Birding - January 2026

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/01/29

It's the first This Month in Birding panel of the new year, and Nate welcomes a crew of birders featuring Mollee Brown, Frank Izaguirre, and Jordan Rutter to discuss predation of penguins, evolving junco bills, and weird bird stuff in our houses. Plus, is pishing an ethical birding practice? Links to items discussed in this episode: Penguins Become Prey for the Pumas of Patagonia Without campus leftovers to pick through, the beaks of this bird changed shape during the pandemic Bias in density

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01:11:28

10-03: Wildest Vagrants of 2025 with Tim Healy & Alex...

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/01/22

2025 was an exciting year for rare bird sightings in the ABA Area, with two first ABA records and a fascinating array of interesting and unexpected records from all corners of the US and Canada. North American Birds editor Alex Lamoreaux and writer and teacher Tim Healy join host Nate Swick to have some fun remembering the highlights of last year. Check out the 2026 Bird of the Year merch available NOW at aba.org/store Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your

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59:31

10-02: A Post-Pandemic Birding Journey with Ed Yong

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/01/15

Science writer Ed Yong was an invaluable resource for many of us navigating the strange pandemic landscape. His writing about Covid-19 at The Atlantic earned him a Pulitzer Prize, but left him looking for an outlet to recalibrate after that anxiety-ridden period. Inspired by his own writing in his book, An Immense World, he turned to bird-watching despite not expecting to be any good at it. It has turned into a passion, a way to explore both his home and the wider world, and an inspiration for his

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39:18

10-01: 2026 ABA Bird of the Year Artist Kristina Knowski

The American Birding Podcast ·

2026/01/08

2026 is officially the year of the Horned Lark! This dapper little songbird can be found just about everywhere in the ABA Area, and we're excited to put a spotlight on it this year as our Bird of the Year for 2026. As is tradition, the species is featured on the January issue of the ABA's Birding magazine, depicted by Indiana artist Kristina Knowski, who bird art afficianados might know from her work as artist in residence for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. And it's not just the magazine, we

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01:01:49

09-52: This Month in Birding - December 2025

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/12/25

Jody Allair, Martha Harbison, and Rebecca Heisman join host Nate Swick for the last American Birding Podcast episode of the year, with a wide-ranging discussion of some of the latest bird and birding news. The panel talks warbler hybrids, vacant lots, and how to best yell at gulls among other things! Thanks for a great year! Also, don't forget to join the ABA for our 2026 Bird of the Year reveal on January 5, 2026, at 4 PM ET. Links to articles discussed in this episode: Look at those nasty and

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01:10:29

09-51: Random Birds, December 2025, with Ted Floyd

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/12/18

We get one more go-round with the list and the random number generator for 2025 as Ted Floyd joins host Nate Swick to talk about, well, whatever birds we randomly turn up. This Random Birds covers an impressivley random suite of birds with kites, warblers, waders, and flycatchers all on the agenda. Also, ABA membership makes a great holiday gift! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We

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34:34

09-50: The Five Great Forests with Anna Lello-Smith

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/12/11

Central America is home to five great tropical forests, whose presence and protection are critical to the conservation of just about every one of our neotropical migrant birds. It is the subject of a recent study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Wildlife Conservation Society published last month in the journal Biological Conservation. Anna Lello-Smith, bird conservation scientist from the WCS is the lead author and she joins is to talk about what this means for bird conservation. Also,

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01:16:09

09-49: Birding Book Club - Best Books of 2025

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/12/04

The Birding Book Club is back again to do our annual Best Bird Books of the Year episode for 2025. There's no better time to give the gift of bird books to the birder in your life. And why not something for yourself while you're at it? Nate Swick is joined by 10,000 Birds book reviewer Donna Schulman and Birding magazine media and book review editor Rebecca Minardi to talk about what we loved this very unique year of birds in books. Links to all of our choices at the ABA website. Subscribe to the

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01:01:46

09-48: This Month in Birding - November 2025

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/11/27

Happy Thanksgiving! At the ABA, we're thankful for birders - their passion, their deep knowledge base, and the willingness of some to come on the American Birding Podcast to discuss recent bird science and news. This month we welcome Stephanie Beilke, Tim Healy, and Ryan Mandelbaum to talk corvid mimicry, gator loving grebes, and the best birds to assign to all those other holidays. Links to articles discussed in this episode: Humans outperform Merlin Sound ID in field-based point-count surveys

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29:52

09-47: Birds and Board Games with Elizabeth Hargrave

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/11/20

What do birding and board games have in common? More than you'd expect! Birder and game designer Elizabeth Hargrave has made it a mission to bring these two things together and her bird-themed game Wingspan does just that. Wingspan has been covered by the New York Times, Smithsonian, and Science magazine among other places and has managed to elicit interest at a time when enthusiasm among the general public for both birding and board games are at an all-time high. She joined host Nate Swick in 2019

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36:28

09-46: The Feather Detective with Chris Sweeney

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/11/13

Smithsonian researcher Roxie Laybourne may be the most influential ornithologist you've never heard of. Over the more than half a century she was a pioneering figure in the fields of forensics and aviation, all through her work with birds, and, more specifically, their feathers. Her incredible life is documented by journalist Chris Sweeney in the book, The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne, released earlier this year. Chris joins us to talk about

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39:46

09-45: Dating Like a Bird with Bryony Angell & Wenfei...

The American Birding Podcast ·

2025/11/06

Can the various mating rituals, displays, and behaviors of birds apply to the lives of humans in the 21st Century, with our own uniue rituals, displays and behaviors? It's a question that birder and writer Bryony Angell asks as she approached her own renewed dating life in an article The Migratory Suiter, published in the most recent issue of BWD. In doing so, she enlists the help of Dr Wenfei Tong. author of Bird Love: The Family Life of Birds, to compare the respective courtship drama of birds and

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