On this episode Dr. David Mann talks about HaikuBOX , a small device that can record and identify bird calls and songs nearby, and send these recordings and IDs to a smart phone app for you to check anytime. It is pretty cool, and yet one more way for birders or researchers to monitor birds in an area. I find especially interesting, besides the device itself, the background story of how it was conceived, produced and marketed. It uses the neural net BirdNet from who else, Cornell, which uses sim...
Jul 15, 2025•36 min•Ep. 209
How do birds fly anyway? Well, in an incredible number of ways, adapted to their needs and circumstances. Birds have evolved from dinosaurs, some have evolved to not fly, others to fly in so many different habitats, circumstances and ways that to understand all of this is beyond human comprehension, but my guest on this episode, Dr. Peter Cavanagh, has set out to help readers understand a lot of what is understood, in a way that a non-PhD scientist can comprehend. Listen, read and learn. Find Dr...
Jul 01, 2025•52 min•Ep. 208
Rick Szabo is a birder, birding guide, and participant on the current NBC series Destination X, a reality TV competition where Rick's superpower is his knowledge of the range and distribution of the birds of most areas of the world. He remains in the competition at the time this episode drops, so watch to see if he can win the competition. Rick and his wife also make birding and travel videos you can watch on his You Tube channel as well as on his Instagram feed . As always there are more links ...
Jun 17, 2025•37 min•Ep. 207
On this episode I Suzy Buttress, the host and creator of The Casual Birder Podcast , talk about her birding story, her podcast, and her community of birders that she has nurtured around her podcast audience. It is a good story of advocacy, ambassadorship, and enthusiasm for birding, and I admire her work. Just prior to recording this episode, Suzy and I talked with me as her guest for her podcast, so that was a different experience too. Check out our episode together at the link above also if yo...
Jun 10, 2025•49 min•Ep. 206
Dr. Erick Masias and I talk about his relatively recent and intense start as a birder, and his involvement in the Chicago birding community, the BIPOC birding community, the local birding scene in Chicago, and about his upcoming move to the central California Bay area for residency. I really enjoyed hearing his story and stories. I hope you do too. Paper on the breeding and migration of high Arctic breeding Sabine's Gulls. The Joy Bird Podcast The Urban Birding Festival Windy City Bird Lab Chica...
May 28, 2025•53 min•Ep. 205
I met Gabriel Willow when his trip and the western Colombian Andes trip I took with Molly Brown and Hillstar Nature Tours overlapped. I learned about common experiences I share with Gabriel, growing up in small towns in Maine, birding in and around NYC (admittedly much less for me) and was excited when Gabriel agreed to talk for the podcast. Check out Gabriel's NYC area and other tours on his website. See more links on the BirdBanter.com blog post associated with this episode. Thanks for listeni...
May 05, 2025•47 min•Ep. 204
The American Birding Association is an organization I as a birder sometimes take for granted. I love getting Birding magazine, and especially North American Birds regularly, but wanted to really learn a lot more about the organization I've been a member of for years, but never really looked at carefully. Wayne helps a lot, by educating me about what the ABA does, and for me, better understanding why I should continue to support the organization. In addition, Wayne is an avid birder with his own ...
Apr 16, 2025•45 min•Ep. 203
In case the masquerade ball thumbnail is not enough, David, the creator of Birdiegame, the very popular daily bird ID photo quiz, chooses to remain anonymous. I had a blast talking with David, and the game is one of my joys each morning. Check it out. Birdie Game We talk about the game, but also about a number of other things. One of David's personal passions is seeing and finding owls. I mention a prior episode with the Urban Birder , David Lindo, where we discuss the Long-eared Owls of Serbia....
Apr 02, 2025•41 min•Ep. 202
On this episode I talk with Jason Zolle, a birder I know from Washington who recently moved to Colorado. Jason and I talk about his birding story and experiences, as well as his work as a non-partisan counsel to the WA legislature, his travels and his art. Enjoy. Jason's Art Website is here . Information about the Rebecca Heisman episode and the book I recommend, Flight Paths is here. Here is an article about Suciasaurus Rex , Washington's Official State Dinosaur A always check out the blog post...
Mar 19, 2025•42 min•Ep. 201
It;s great tio be back. After a long hiatus to attend the birth of my first two grandchildren in Costa Rica, and then a birding trip to Colombia, the podcast is back. On this episode Bruce LaBar (remember episode #3) and I recap our Colombia trip. It was a terrific trip with Hillstar Nature Tours , and leader Mollee Brown and Yessenia Tapasco . Check out my trip report on eBird where lots of photos from many of the participants are on the eBird lists. For more photos and details see the blog pos...
Mar 03, 2025•58 min•Ep. 200
As I mention in the introduction, some of my best times recording episodes for the podcast is when I just talk birding with another birder, like myself who just loves to talk birding with a fellow birder. No other agenda, just having fun. Keith Corliss is my guest on this episode, a North Carolina birder who perfectly exemplifies a fellow birder enjoying taking an hour to chat about birding and meeting a new friend. Enjoy See Keith's eBird profile here Keith's email is on his ebird profile. I me...
Oct 14, 2024•44 min•Ep. 199
On this episode Alex and I talk about how he has enjoyed birding in Eastern Washington as a Washington State University student, after birding in the Seattle area for most of his early birding days. We also talk about his mammal WA big year in 2022, his birding story, and more. Enjoy. Reach Alex by text, his phone number is on his eBird profile , or by email sowersalexander1- at- gmail- dot - com On the Birdbanter.com blog post about this episode you can find links to many of the ebird hotspots ...
Oct 01, 2024•42 min•Ep. 198
On this episode we talk about slow birding, as Joan Strassmann writes about in her book. Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying Birds in Your Own Backyard. Joan also talks about her work at Washington University in St. Louis, and how her teaching there has led to using birding in the area as a means of teaching students observation skills. In her book she goes into beautiful detail about places and birds she sees and visits regularly. You can find her book anywhere books are sold. Here is...
Sep 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 197
On this episode Melissa and I talk about her new book, Dare to Bird: Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds as well as her recent travels. Melissa was a guest on Episode #105 in July 2021 where you can hear more about her background and birding story. Find her new book whereever books are sold. Here you can find it on Buteo Books . You can read more about Melissa's experiences and the book in an article in Audubon Magazine. As always check out the related blog post on BirdBanter.com Until ...
Sep 02, 2024•29 min•Ep. 196
I don't know many birders who may be better known by a reputational moniker than by their real name, but The Urban Birder, David Lindo, may be my first. I had certainly heard of someone called The Urban Birder, but only looked up who this was after Diane Yorgensen-Quinn put out notice of a trip David is planning to take Diand, Faye and likely other members of our ABC Birding Club on to see the Short-eared Owls of Kikinda, Serbia this winter. On the episode we talk about the planned trip, how he ...
Aug 19, 2024•39 min•Ep. 195
On this episode I talk with Ezekiel Dobson, the young birder who just became the youngest Lower-48 ABA birder to see 700 species in a year on his 2024 big year. Ezekiel talks about his big year, his birding story, the birders and birds he has seen this year, and on what's yet to come, both in the big year and the years ahead for him. Read more on the blog post on Bird Banter . Support Ezekiel on his Go Fund Me page . Follow Ezekiel on Instagram Until next time, good birding and good day!...
Aug 05, 2024•27 min•Ep. 194
On this episode Abby and I talk about the conservation efforts she is working on with Audubon Delta and the conservation of Black Skimmers and Least Terns, as well as her doctoral studies with mixed flocks in the American tropics, her birding story and stories. You can contact Abby through Audubon Delta. Read more about topics on this episode on the blog post on BirdBanter.com Until next time, good birding and good day!...
Jul 22, 2024•36 min•Ep. 193
Matthew Bell, a Connecticut birder and travel specialist with the Connecticut Aud ubon Society is my guest on this episode. Matt got passionate about birding while at Ohio State University after a trip to Costa Rica, and on getting back to Ohio helped revive the Ornighology Club there. We talk about his work at Connecticut Audubon, his birding experiences, and birding in Connecticut. If you have suggestions for guests you'd like to hear from, contact me here and I'll be grateful. As always the b...
Jul 08, 2024•34 min•Ep. 192
On this episode Diane Yorgason-Quinn (see Episode #20 ) and Larry Schwitters talk about their work with Vaux's Swifts and the Vaux Happening Project . Larry got his start in swift research hiking to and looking for Black Swifts at over 100 waterfalls (thing very remote) in Washington State (and Oregon and CA). From there he helped preserve the Wagner Schoolhouse in Monroe, WA. From there he continued to start the Vaux Happening Project which documents roosting Vaux's Swifts at many old chimney r...
Jun 22, 2024•41 min•Ep. 191
On this episode I talk with Jacob Miller, a young Washington birding friend who has just completed his freshman year at Washington State University. Jacob shares his experiences as a first year university student, talks about birding in a new county and part of the state, big days and developing new birding friends, as well as starting a birding club at WSU. Enjoy. We talk about Liam Hutcheson's WA big year, hear about it on episode #168. To hear more about nocturnal bird calls in Washington, ch...
May 30, 2024•50 min•Ep. 190
On this episode I talk with the authors of the new identification field guide to Empidonax flycatchers and Pewees as well as the book on Myarchus flycatchers and Kingbirds, Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch. We talk about their longtime birding friendship, their birding stories, and the new books. Check out the books at your favorite book resource. Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees and Kingbirds and Myiarchus . Read more and see a book review on the BirdBanter.com blog ....
May 13, 2024•33 min•Ep. 189
Mollee Brown is my guest on this episode and we talk about her Nighthawk Agency, which provides business solutions for the birding industry. We also talk about her work as a bird guide, her birding story, and the trip she is leading for Hillstar Nature to the the Chocó region of Colombia that I'll be taking next winter. Check out Nighthawk Agency here . The trip to Chocó here , and The Birding Coop here . The learn more about the topics discussed see the blog post on BirdBanter.com ....
Apr 29, 2024•47 min•Ep. 188
On this episode I talk with Josh Covill, a Montana birder who leads birding tours in Montana as well as in Central and South America. Josh was the guide on my recent trip to the Santa Marta area of Colombia, and is a fabulous birder and really nice guy. Enjoy. Find Josh for a Montana Tour at Glacier Birding. Joshua's page at Hillstar Nature Tours . See the blog post on BirdBanter.com for lots more related info and links. Thanks for listening. Until next time, good birding and good day!...
Apr 15, 2024•42 min•Ep. 187
On this episode I talk with a relative newcomer to birding, Courtney Ellis. Courtney began birding during the pandemic, and has become a birding enthusiast and ambassador. Check out her podcast The Thing with Feathers , as well as her soon to be released book Looking Up: A Birders Guide to Hope Through Grief . We talked about my episode #148 with Holly Merker where you can hear about Ornitherapy and the Mindful Birding Network . To read more about the things we talked about check out the blog po...
Apr 01, 2024•32 min•Ep. 186
On this episode I talk with Holly Garrod, an accomplished birder, bird bander and conservationist about her work on bird banding networks with Birds Caribbean, and about the MOTUS network progress in the Caribbean. Her energy is fabulous, and her knowledge and expertise wonderful. I think you'll enjoy hearing her story. Check out Birds Caribbean here . See the Caribbean Birding Trail information here . Learn about the MOTUS network and the Caribbean MOTUS systems at these links. Here is info on ...
Mar 17, 2024•44 min•Ep. 185
Well, after a long break for a fabulous winter trip, the podcast is back with Ed talking about his trip to Florida, Colombia and Costa Rica. The Colombia trip was run by Hillstar Nature Tours and led by Joshus Covill. The Proaves Organization is worth checking out, and here is their article about the possible new species of antpita . To see photos, more detailed narrative, and other cool stuff about the trip check out the Bird Banter blog post about the trip....
Mar 03, 2024•36 min•Ep. 184
On this episode I talk with Liam Hutcheson, sho just finished his record breaking Washington State big year. We talk about his big year, highlights, misses and people. Also about his birding story. While talking with Liam I marveled at how interconnected our birding community is, and how helpful birders are to each other. Pervious guests on the show who helped in one way or another with Liam's birding and his big year include: Bill Tweit episode #8 Shep Thorpe episode #9 Ryan Rodriguez episode #...
Jan 10, 2024•37 min•Ep. 183
Birding is not the first thing many think about when considering a trip to Italy, but as birders, it is always a consideration. On this episode I talk with Marco Valtriani, a guide with the Birding In Italy group of bird guides. As you can inagine a lot of their business is taking visitors from the U.S. and other far away countries out for a birding break from their other tourist activities in Italy. We talk about where and when to find birds in Italy, how to best use the services of his birding...
Dec 26, 2023•33 min•Ep. 182
On this episode I talk with Steve Hampton about his experience on the AOU Ad Hoc Committee on English names for birds, about climate change and the research on how it is affecting birds, about gulls in the Port Townsend area, his trip to Antarctica and more. You can find more about Steve and contact him on his professional website Stephen-Carr-Hampton.com His blogs are The Cottonwood Post about birding and Memories of the People about issues related to indigenous peoples of the U.S. Here is a li...
Dec 11, 2023•55 min•Ep. 181
My guest on this episode is Rachel Hudson, a Lewis County, Washington birder who is also a photographer, artist and recent college graduate. We talk about her interest in birding as a very young child, reading and nurturing her interest in birds from age 3, through her childhood birding in Texas and to her move to Washington for college. She has a genuine love for birds and birding that comes through clearly, and was really fun to talk with and get to know better. She talks about the Vaux Happen...
Nov 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 180
