The month of April inspires poets, sometimes with contradictory results. Poet TS Eliot describes April as "the cruelest month." Shakespeare strikes an upbeat note, writing, "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." Let April speak for itself. Listen to the birds. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these sho...
Apr 28, 2025•2 min
A Red-tailed Hawk soars on broad, rounded wings, the epitome of effortless flight. Without flapping, it traces a leisurely, rising circle. The hawk is riding a thermal, a column of warm rising air generated near the earth's surface by heat from the sun. The Red-tail periodically circles to stay within the thermal. Riding thermals is an energy-efficient way to search for prey below. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for Bird...
Apr 27, 2025•2 min
A Burrowing Owl is about as big as a can of beans on stilts. Between the long legs, bright yellow eyes, and signature bobbing salute, these little birds are comical members of the western ecosystem. Cowboys riding Western rangelands have a nickname for these little owls. They call them “howdy birds” for the way they bob up and down in front of their nests. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free liste...
Apr 26, 2025•2 min
The Santa Marta Sabrewing is a hummingbird species so rare, they’ve only been documented twice in recent years. Native to the mountains of Colombia, they were officially described in 1946. No one reported another sighting until 2010. They became a “lost” species, eluding every attempt to find them. Then in 2022, Yurgen Vega was studying the birds of a mountain range called the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. He snapped a photo of an unusual, large hummingbird – and the sabrewing was lost no more. ...
Apr 25, 2025•2 min
In the daytime, hot air rises as the sun heats the ground. The rising column of air is called a thermal, and it’s the perfect way for a Turkey Vulture to hitch a ride. Like an elevator to the skies, the thermal gently wafts the vultures upward. They move in a slowly ascending spiral around the thermal, rarely flapping and instead coasting on the breeze. When many vultures ride the same thermal, it’s called a kettle. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our ...
Apr 24, 2025•2 min
You might think the first bird species that humans raised in captivity would be a relatively small one, like a chicken. But evidence suggests that people in New Guinea reared the cassowary, often called the world’s deadliest bird, as much as 18,000 years ago, long before the domestication of chickens. The remains of cassowary eggs and bones at archaeological sites in New Guinea indicate that people gathered the eggs, possibly allowing the more mature eggs to hatch into chicks. More info and tran...
Apr 23, 2025•2 min
For her signature project You Are Here , U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón sought to connect people and nature through poetry. In addition to curating a book of poems by the same name, Limón also partnered with Shauna Potocky at the National Park Service to design poetry installations at seven sites across the country. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprof...
Apr 22, 2025•3 min
Great-tailed Grackles live up to their name. The glossy black males trail their long, V-shaped tails behind them as they fly, almost like a plane towing a banner ad. And while not quite as flashy, the brown-feathered females have impressively long tails, too. Also known as the Mexican Grackle, this species lives in all sorts of habitats from the northern coasts of South America to the western U.S. Their ability to live in both cities and farmland has helped Great-tailed Grackles expand as far no...
Apr 21, 2025•2 min
The ancient Greeks and Egyptians described a mythical bird called the Phoenix, a magnificent creature that was a symbol of renewal and rebirth. According to legend, each Phoenix lived for 500 years, and only one Phoenix lived at a time. Just before its time was up, the Phoenix built a nest and set itself on fire. Then, a new Phoenix would rise from the ashes. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free li...
Apr 20, 2025•2 min
Female birds need to eat calcium to have enough of the mineral to lay their eggs. But it can be hard to find enough of it to eat in nature. We can help our backyard birds by offering them some extra calcium in bird feeders and by recycling our used egg shells. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible...
Apr 19, 2025•2 min
Most of the time, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet is neither ruby nor regal. A tiny songbird washed in faded olive-green, the male shows a hint of crimson atop of his head — hardly a ruby crown. But don’t forsake the kinglet for flashier birds. When courting a female or dueling with another male, the kinglet exposes those ruby feathers, and his crown glows with the feathery fireworks that give the bird its name. Now is the time to look for kinglets, as they migrate north across much of the continent towa...
Apr 18, 2025•2 min
One of the most musical and complex bird songs in the U.S. is that of the Brewer's Sparrow. It's a veritable aria, ringing forth from the sagebrush of Eastern Washington's Columbia Basin. Shrub-steppe is disappearing from the interior west as it is cleared for irrigated crops. The quintessential drylands bird, the Brewer's Sparrow can survive for an extended period of time with no supplemental water, getting all the water it needs from seeds and arthropods. More info and transcript at BirdNote.o...
Apr 17, 2025•2 min
Pablo Neruda is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. Though the Chilean poet is best known for his writings about love, birds were also close to his heart. He composed more than 20 poetic profiles of birds native to Chile including hummingbirds and albatrosses. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift make...
Apr 16, 2025•2 min
Although a field of grass might not seem like valuable habitat at first, many birds have adapted to nest in grassland habitats and nowhere else. In North America, birds such as the Bobolink seek out grasslands to raise their young, deftly hiding their nests within the dense vegetation. Very few grasslands and savannas have been protected compared to the area that’s been lost, making them the most at-risk ecosystem on the planet. That means every acre of grassland remaining is even more precious ...
Apr 15, 2025•2 min
Throughout winter, Northern Bobwhites gather in groups called coveys to search for food during the day and share warmth at night. These small quail arrange themselves in a circle, with their tails in the center and heads outward, huddled up like a wreath of plump birds to survive frost and snow. But as spring arrives, the coveys disband and bobwhites seek out mates. Males whistle from shrubs and tufts of grass, hoping to catch the attention of a female. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org ....
Apr 14, 2025•2 min
Ever heard the term “eagle eye?” An eagle’s vision is incredibly sharp, and its eyes can weigh more than its brain. The secret to the bird’s exceptional vision is the density of visual cells – the rods and cones – of its retina. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible....
Apr 13, 2025•2 min
Want to try building a nest? Consider this... an average American Robin weighs less than three ounces. An average person weighs 170 pounds, or 1,000 times as much as a robin. A robin's nest, made of grass and mud, weighs about seven ounces, so yours will weigh 450 pounds. You'll need to collect about 350 strands of grass, each about four feet long. And don't forget the mud: 150 pounds of it. You have five days to complete the job. That's 300 mouthfuls of mud. More info and transcript at BirdNote...
Apr 12, 2025•2 min
One of Jessica Rugh Frantz’s favorite things about being the director of development at BirdNote is getting to hear from listeners about how much they love our programs. Listener support is what makes this show possible. Just like how we love our backyard birds and take steps to help them thrive, we hope you’ll do the same for BirdNote by making a donation today. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-fre...
Apr 11, 2025•2 min
We know for many listeners, BirdNote is part of your everyday routine. But don’t take our word for it. Let Michael and Mary Ann tell you what BirdNote means to them. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible....
Apr 10, 2025•2 min
At BirdNote, we believe that the more that people learn about birds, the more likely they are to take steps to protect them. Listeners like you have supported BirdNote for 20 years. Support our Spring Fund Drive with a donation of any amount to help us create informative, inspiring stories for years to come. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Yo...
Apr 09, 2025•2 min
In this episode of BirdNoir , the Private Eye gets a call from his pal Roy asking to know how BirdNote stays on the air. His wife says the show is funded by listener donations, but Roy can’t believe it. Roy even made a bet that he’d make a donation himself if her story were true. The private eye gives him an answer that has Roy grabbing his pocket book. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listenin...
Apr 08, 2025•2 min
We know you’ve got a busy schedule, which is why our team at BirdNote produces fun, sound-rich episodes about the natural world in less than two minutes each day. For 20 years, BirdNote has shared the joy and wonder of birds with millions of people. Help us continue this work with a donation of any amount. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your...
Apr 07, 2025•2 min
Many birds depend on caterpillars often found on trees lining city sidewalks. But few insects spend their whole lives on the tree: the next stage is in the leaves and soil under the tree. In cities, that habitat is often compacted and leafless. By adopting a tree and creating a “soft landing” for caterpillars, anyone can help keep birds supplied with the insects they need to survive. Homegrown National Park® is a grassroots call-to-action to regenerate diversity and ecosystem function by plantin...
Apr 06, 2025•2 min
A typical songbird belts out its song between 1,000 and 2,500 times per day. Even though most bird songs last only a few seconds, that's a lot of warbling! A Yellowhammer, a European bunting, may sing over 3,000 times a day. But the Yellowhammer doesn't even come close to the North American record-holder, this Red-eyed Vireo. One such vireo delivered its song over 22,000 times in 10 hours! More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up ...
Apr 05, 2025•2 min
Poet Holly J. Hughes’ book Passings is a collection of poems about 15 species of birds that we have lost, or presume to be extinct. For National Poetry Month, Hughes shares the inspiration behind her work and three poems: Passenger Pigeon, Northern Curlew, and Ivory-Billed Woodpecker . More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift ...
Apr 04, 2025•11 min
The Arctic is still wintry when male Snow Buntings return to nesting areas in April. There's a big benefit to arriving early enough to claim a prime nest cavity in a rock face or under boulders, where it will be safer from predators. Nesting in chilly rock cavities means extra care must be taken to keep eggs and nestlings warm. That’s why, unlike many other bird species, female Snow Buntings never come off the nest. The males bring them food, giving them more continuous time on the eggs. More in...
Apr 03, 2025•2 min
The White-crowned Sparrow pours out its song over and over on spring and summer days-and even on moonlit nights-often up to 15 times a minute. Now here's a curious thing: Just as people in different regions may have different dialects, White-crowns have different songs, according to where they live. Find more at the Macaulay Library. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. B...
Apr 02, 2025•2 min
Birds convey many types of messages through their songs and calls, but some may have ulterior motives. It may seem a bit foolish, but when BirdNote’s senior producer Mark Bramhill listened to familiar birdsongs in reverse, he heard… More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible....
Apr 01, 2025•2 min
Glenn Albrecht grew up in a “bird lover’s paradise” in western Australia. But when he saw how coal mining displaced communities, polluted the air and water, and decimated bird populations, Glenn lacked the words for his emotions. He created the concept of ‘solastalgia’ to describe the pain of witnessing environmental harm where you live. He imagines a possible future era, called the ‘Symbiocene,’ when human activity will, once again, be fully interconnected with the ebb and flow of the rest of n...
Mar 31, 2025•2 min
When glaciers pushed south into what is now the U.S. around 20,000 years ago, they scraped off the soil layer and spelled the end of native earthworms except in the southern states. So the earthworm plucked by the robin in the park or on your lawn is probably a relatively new arrival, most likely a species Europeans conveyed to the Americas in plant soil or the ballast of ships. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org . Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNot...
Mar 30, 2025•2 min
