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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.

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When ‘Terror Birds’ Ruled the Earth

BirdNote ·

2025/12/26

A bird known as Titanis walleri made its home in Florida just a few million years ago. Titanis, as its name suggests, was titanic indeed — a flightless predator, 5 feet tall, with a massive hooked bill. Titanis and other birds related to it belong to a group some paleontologists call the "terror

What Makes an Efficient Flying Bird?

BirdNote ·

2025/12/25

Every bird species uses its wings a little differently, and some are specialized for highly efficient flight. But that means going without other abilities. Swallows and hummingbirds (like this Talamanca Hummingbird) capture their food on the wing, but they can’t walk. Swifts, which are acrobatic in

Birds Move from Fresh to Salt Water

BirdNote ·

2025/12/24

To hear a Common Loon in the wild during summer, you’ll need to find a northern, freshwater lake where a pair is nesting. But to find that same Common Loon in winter, you’ll likely need to look on a saltwater bay. This shift from fresh to salt water would kill most animals. But loons — along with

Aves pasan de agua dulce a salada

BirdNote ·

2025/12/23

Para escuchar a un colimbo común ( Gavia immer) en la naturaleza durante el verano, tendrás que buscar un lago de agua dulce en el norte, donde haya una pareja anidando. Pero para encontrar ese mismo colimbo en el invierno, probablemente tendrás que buscarlo en una bahía de agua salada. Este cambio

Letter to a Dark-eyed Junco

BirdNote ·

2025/12/22

In this episode, ornithologist J. Drew Lanham shares a note he has written to a Dark-eyed Junco, which he fondly nicknames “snowbird.”

Why Birds Eat Snow

BirdNote ·

2025/12/21

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

Building Birds with LEGO

BirdNote ·

2025/12/20

Thomas Poulsom is a hobbyist LEGO builder best known for his models of birds. But making birds out of bricks isn't easy. That’s why he uses special pieces to sculpt something entirely different — like when minifigure carrots became a puffin’s legs. A unique piece called a “snot brick” allows him to

Painting Birdsong with Jane Kim

BirdNote ·

2025/12/19

At the visitor center of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, artist and scientific illustrator Jane Kim painted the Wall of Birds to celebrate the evolution and diversity of birds. Completed in December 2015, the massive mural depicts nearly 250 birds — and several of their ancient predecessors — on a

Dining with Sanderlings

BirdNote ·

2025/12/18

While many shorebirds have gone south, tiny sandpipers called Sanderlings are easy to find on winter shores. They follow the waves as they lap in and out, probing the swirling sand for prey. They often eat various small crustaceans such as mole crabs, isopods, and amphipods. But they also enjoy

Hunting Is for the Birds (Too)

BirdNote ·

2025/12/17

Duck hunting may sound like a forbidden sport for most bird lovers but did you know that some of the most dedicated bird conservationists - in the world - are also devout hunters? In this episode of Bring Birds Back, our host Dr. Deja Perkins speaks with Jerad Henson from Ducks Unlimited – one of

Los cóndores andinos navegan el viento

BirdNote ·

2025/12/16

El cóndor andino ( Vultur gryphus) es una de las aves voladoras más grandes del mundo. Con una envergadura que supera los tres metros, el cóndor no aletea tanto como navega el viento, aprovechando las corrientes térmicas para deslizarse durante horas sobre la cordillera de los Andes. Alguna vez

Sandhill Crane Families Stick Together

BirdNote ·

2025/12/15

Sandhill Crane families form a close bond. A pair of adults might travel north with their young from the previous summer, along with grown-up offspring from several years ago. After the breeding season, families will stick together for the journey south and the winter, even in large flocks. The

Seabirds, Trees and Coral

BirdNote ·

2025/12/14

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

Museum Eggs Help Solve Mysteries

BirdNote ·

2025/12/13

There are five million bird eggs stowed away in museums across the world — and the study of eggs, called oology, can give us great insight into birds. The link between DDT and the decline of Peregrine Falcon populations was identified in part using museum and personal egg collections, and this

Kiwikiu

BirdNote ·

2025/12/12

Kiwikiu, also known as Maui Parrotbill, used to be found all over Maui and Molokaʻi. Now, fewer than 150 individuals exist and kiwikiu are currently restricted to a tiny region of high elevation forest on the slopes of Haleakalā. A translocation effort to expand their range was unsuccessful due to

Altitudinal Migration

BirdNote ·

2025/12/11

Yellow-eyed Juncos sometimes make a migration of sorts — not from north to south, but from the high mountains to the lowlands or the other way around. It’s called altitudinal migration. In the warm summer months, some Yellow-eyed Juncos prefer to nest at higher elevations. In winter, however, the

Chicago’s Windy City Bird Lab

BirdNote ·

2025/12/10

Chicago has been in the spotlight quite a lot as of late, but one of its most remarkable attributes can be seen in the night sky: nocturnal bird migration. In this episode, our host Deja Perkins speaks with J’orge Garcia of the Windy City Bird Lab about how he’s integrating technology and birders to

Colibríes atrapados en el oscuro mundo de los amarres

BirdNote ·

2025/12/09

Los colibríes son admirados por su belleza, sus colores brillantes y su forma de volar tan única. Pero en algunos lugares son víctimas de una tradición peligrosa. En ciertas regiones de México, estas aves son capturadas y matadas para usarlas en hechizos de amor conocidos como “amarres de chuparosa”

What Do Woodpeckers Do on Smoky Days?

BirdNote ·

2025/12/08

When the air is thick with wildfire smoke, people are advised to stay home. At Hastings Natural History Preserve in California, Acorn Woodpeckers do the same. These gregarious birds live in family groups and frequently visit their neighbors while foraging. Using tiny radio transmitters, scientists

Paradise-Whydah

BirdNote ·

2025/12/07

A few times each year, the Eastern Paradise-Whydah puts on his party clothes. This small finch is found in East Africa, and males and females generally share the same nondescript appearance. But when it’s time to mate, the male sprouts extravagant, long, black tail feathers two or three times the

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