Episode Details

E9. Birdwatching, birding, twitching… whatever you call it, it’s got everything: quests, rare finds, elaborate gear, a sprawling universe of characters, and a deeply committed fandom. Sound familiar? In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor is joined by NYT best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ed Yong to explore how modern birding became more accessible than ever (hello, Merlin and eBird), why it can feel like an open-world RPG, and what the Pokémon comparison misses.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How Ed Yong fell into birding after moving to Oakland, and why the “virtuous cycle” of noticing more makes you want to keep looking
• Why Merlin is more than an ID tool, and how eBird functions like “the last good social network” without clout-chasing
• The ethics and culture of birding today, from playback debates to the weird social dynamics of rare sightings, plus why birding is such a powerful way to connect to place, community, and change

All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Bird media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:

• Oak Titmouse audio contributed by Thomas G. Sander, ML110924
• Oak Titmouse video contributed by Timothy Barksdale, ML406704
• Northern Pygmy-Owl (Rocky Mts.) audio contributed by Rob Faucett, ML25653
• Pine Siskin audio contributed by Matthew D. Medler, ML163369
• Northern Shrike (American) audio contributed by Lucas DeCicco, ML515306
• Surf Scoter video contributed by Timothy Barksdale, ML402125