Podcast Episodes

Birds that Sound Like Cats

Named after their distinctive cat-like “mew” call, Gray Catbirds are mimic thrushes, related to mockingbirds and thrashers. They can imitate a wide variety of noises, from songbirds to mammals to fro…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Brooklyn's Blue Jays

Brooklyn’s Prospect Park covers more than 500 acres — many of them covered in trees. One bird species that calls the park home is the strikingly beautiful Blue Jay, which nests, forages, and roosts i…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Bee Hummingbird

The Bee Hummingbird, found only in Cuba, is the smallest bird in the world. An absolute miniature, even among hummingbirds, it measures only two and a quarter inches long. Often mistaken for bees, th…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

The Eyes of an Owl

Peer into an owl's face – there is something almost human about its large, forward-facing eyes. The Great Gray Owl, which stands two feet tall and weighs 2 and 1/2 pounds, has eyes larger than those …

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Chickadees Clean Up After the Youngsters

Imagine this Black-capped Chickadee flying toward its nest, carrying fresh insects for its chicks. A moment later, it emerges with a tiny white pouch in its bill. The chickadee drops the object into …

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Working to Protect the Capercaillie

The native pinewood forests of the Scottish Highlands are home to many species, but among the most striking is the Western Capercaillie – the largest living grouse species. Their future in the highla…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Parakeets Underground

Burrowing Parakeets excavate deep nest tunnels in sandstone and limestone cliffs in Argentina and Chile. The colony’s many tunnels zigzag and interconnect, creating an intricate labyrinth. Their nest…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Spring Birdsong in the Arctic

Spring has reached the Arctic. Low-growing wildflowers carpet slopes of tundra, and arriving migratory birds begin to sing: Lapland Longspurs, Hoary Redpolls, Snow Buntings, Bluethroats, and more.

Mor…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

Learning to Listen - Patterns in Songs of the Song Sparrow

Heidi Hoelting, a musician, listens carefully to the songs of birds. In her piano studio at her home in the woods, she wrote down several variations of the different sounds a Song Sparrow makes. In t…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago

What Are Birds Saying

A bird’s crest is made up of a slender array of feathers on top of its head. These feathers are a bit longer and can be spiked up or slicked back, depending on what the bird is trying to communicate.…

Published on 2 years, 7 months ago