Avian flu, better known as bird flu, has been in news headlines all summer of 2024. Still, many questions remain for the general public. What is it? What’s causing it? How is it spreading? And how serious should we be taking this public health matter? Our co-hosts Purbita Saha and Deja Perkins sit with leading scientists, Director of Molecular Biology Dr. Andy Ramey from the USGS Alaska Science Center, and molecular virologist at Tufts University, Dr. Wendy Puryear. Tune in. Share with a friend....
Nov 06, 2024•45 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Since 1976, Project Feederwatch has been through many changes and iterations. But what has remained is the dedication to collecting data that undeniably improves bird science. In this episode, host Deja Perkins speaks with Emma Greig, U.S. Project Lead for Feederwatch, about what this data has uncovered over the years. Deja also speaks with wildlife researcher Ashley Dayer, and gets into the specifics about all the great things bird feeding does for you – and despite some criticisms, great thing...
Oct 16, 2024•41 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast In 2023, over 120 contributors published a study in the scientific journal, Ornithological Applications, about a long history of exclusion Latin American and Caribbean scientists have faced. In the world of ornithology, the Global North is king – but only because they’ve made it that way. Host, Purbita Saha, speaks with two of the study’s leading researchers, Dr. Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza and Dr. Kristina Cockle, about the ways research from the Global South has been undermined, and how regional bi...
Oct 02, 2024•38 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast On October 5, 2023, thousands of migrating songbirds died after crashing into the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and surrounding buildings. Co-host Deja Perkins will speak with Douglas Stotz, a conservation ecologist at the Chicago-based Field Museum about that deadly night. She’ll also talk with Chicago Bird Alliance’s Judy Pollock about what has transpired in the months since. And co-host Purbita Saha takes us to New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, once known for ...
Sep 18, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Historically, birding spaces aren’t known to show diverse faces, races and even genders. But for the Chicago BIPOC Birders group, co-founder Daniela Herrera proves that what has always been isn’t always right. In this episode, Herrera shares with our host Deja Perkins why spaces for Black and brown birders are important to have for both safety and community-building. The group’s dynamic and inclusive approach to birding, as well as their grassroots-based structure is not only impressive but insp...
Sep 04, 2024•34 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast How much do you know about the lives of female birds? And could you identify, say, a male Scarlet Tanager from a female? This episode’s host and co-founder of the Galbatross Project, Purbita Saha, is here to explain why studying female birds is important. Joining her, ornithologist Joanna Wu details how the often overlooked and understudied female birds are crucial to bird conservation efforts. And wildlife ecologist, Michael Chamberlain, shares his vast knowledge about turkeys – a species whose...
Aug 21, 2024•37 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Join us every other Wednesday for a new episode of Bring Birds Back ! Meet this season’s co-hosts Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha, and learn about a wide range of topics from community activism in BIPOC birding spaces to regional and socioeconomic biases in the field of ornithology. From the landmark Chicago building contributing to a billion bird strikes a year to the ongoing bird flu pandemic – we have a lot to talk about. Subscribe now so you won’t miss it! Want more Bring Birds Back ? Follow u...
Aug 14, 2024•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever worried you’d hit a wild animal while driving down a highway or country road? In this special season closer, we learn about a new and promising future for wildlife and battered cars: wildways. As technology and development continue to expand, infrastructure and fragmentation are threatening the habitats of wildlife. Christine Laporte explains how wildways bridge the gap between the natural world and rapidly growing cities. And then, Dr. Liz Hillard gives us a glimpse into what it a...
Feb 07, 2024•32 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 25 years ago, a mysterious cause of eagle and osprey deaths plagued a small town in Arkansas. And in this special episode, we get to the root of it all: small unassuming weeds, also known as invasive aquatic species. In conversation with aquatic plant experts Stacy Holt Jr. and Greg Bugbee, we share what these invasive plants are, how this happened, what they’re doing in other parts of the world (like Connecticut), and ways we can all prevent them from spreading. Co-produced by our guest host, A...
Jan 31, 2024•33 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Water is essential for life, but how much do you know about the health of your local water supply? In this special episode, we speak with two Riverkeepers who explain the importance of water quality monitoring for every living organism, from humans to birds. John Lipscomb shares critical history of the Hudson River and how activism has helped the neighborhood thrive. And John Zaktansky introduces us to Doug Fessler and the technology of BirdNET for his hi-tech patrol. Co-produced by our guest ho...
Jan 24, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special episode, we explore the critical effects of noise pollution on both humans and birds. Dr. Erica Walker offers an insightful view of how people are negatively impacted by loud disturbances, from everyday life to health complications. And Dr. Clinton Francis shares his discoveries about the impact of noise on bird health and reproduction, from abandoning their habitats to doubling their fertilization rate. Co-produced by our guest host, Tasha Lawson. Press play! For more informatio...
Jan 17, 2024•40 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast This season has been all about the mutual impact birds, humans and nature have on each other. To close it out, Bill McKibben joins Tenijah for an honest chat about the future, nearly 35 years after his book debut, “The End of Nature” first sounded the alarm about climate change. He also talks about his organization, Third Act, that encourages fellow Baby Boomers to be leaders and allies to younger generations, as well as the most vocal in the fight for change — all while knowing they may not be ...
Jul 05, 2023•40 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast This is part two of our series on the Sustainability in Prisons Project. If you haven’t heard part one already, we encourage you to listen to that first. Tenijah learns all about Sustainability in Prisons Project’s most successful program to date: rehabilitating the federally endangered Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. Find out how the incarcerated participants at Mission Creek Corrections Center are saving the endangered species and changing the ecology of the evergreen state year by year. Then,...
Jun 28, 2023•47 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast The American prison system is complex and there are so many reasons as to why and how it could be improved. For nearly two decades, the Sustainability in Prisons Project (a collaboration between Evergreen State College and Washington state’s Department of Corrections) has been doing just that — and with visible results. In this two-part episode, we venture into Cedar Creek and Mission Creek Correctional Centers to learn all about the ways in which they’re impacting the lives of their incarcerate...
Jun 21, 2023•34 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Nature author, photographer and self-taught birder Dudley Edmondson shares how embracing the great outdoors as a child changed his life for the better. With over 30 years of experience, Dudley has dedicated much of his career encouraging Black and Brown people, especially, to venture into nature as refuge from daily societal pressures and microaggressions. Dudley shares why he’s so adamant about advocating for more representation in the field, and he talks about improving mental health with more...
Jun 14, 2023•32 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This episode’s guest may be too young to remember the 90’s children’s show, Gullah Gullah Island , but he’s certainly influencing the next generation the same! Isaiah Scott, a rising Gen-Z bird-influencer and ornithologist, reconnects with Tenijah to dish all about his journey into birding while young, Black and curious. He also shares how his Gullah Geechee heritage continues to inspire his work, including a forthcoming field guide that seeks to preserve his ancestral connection to birds. There...
Jun 07, 2023•28 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Childhood nostalgia, anyone? Tenijah reminisces about her favorite bird moment in a film and learns all about how it came to be! Our guest this episode is Tony Suffredini, a bird trainer and master falconer, but the real stars are all Hollywood trained professionals – his birds! Tony shares how he got into bird training, how he prioritizes the health and safety of his feathered family on set and how he gives back with his super niche skills as a bird abatement specialist and Golden Eagle conserv...
May 31, 2023•36 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Artificial intelligence is all the rage these days – for better or for worse. Luckily, in the case of our feathered friends, it’s good news! In this episode, Tenijah speaks with three experts (starting with Garry George and Katie Umekubo) about the great environmental gains of wind energy – and their unfortunate contribution to the decline of birds. But all hope is not lost – in fact, there’s an exciting solution already underway! Susan Downey introduces us to Identiflight, an A.I.-assisted tech...
May 24, 2023•29 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast In the season 4 premiere, we’re joined by wildlife advocate, ornithologist and (social media star) birder, Corina Newsome! Tenijah speaks with Corina about the latest findings in the State of the Birds report, the impact of environmental racism on urban communities and birds, and the uber important 2023 Farm Bill. Plus, they get into the weeds about why a zero-sum mentality could be to blame for a lack of progress on addressing climate change (hats off to Heather McGhee). Press play! More info a...
May 17, 2023•37 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Love is in the air and we’re not talking about your $4.99 Valentine’s Day balloon! For this special episode of Bring Birds Back, we dive into all things bird love! Doves may be the universal bird symbol for love, but romance in the bird world is happening all around. Our guest Wenfei Tong shares various ways birds are wooing each other by song, dance, gifts, and more. From choosy lovers like the Laysan Albatross to opposites-attract lovers like the White-throated Sparrows, bird love languages ar...
Feb 14, 2023•25 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast In order for us to show up for birds, we must first show up for ourselves. Our show is all about ways we can help our bird friends, but today we’re looking at how birds and nature can help restore us. Over the past few decades, researchers have found strong links between our connection to the outdoors and our mental and physical health. Deja Perkins , an urban ecologist, science communicator, and friend of the show, joins Tenijah to talk about her nature and wellness practices and some research ...
Nov 23, 2022•31 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Clark’s Nutcracker and the whitebark pine have a strong mutualistic relationship: the tree is the bird’s best source of food, and the bird is the tree’s most dependable seed disperser. But several factors are putting the tree at risk — and the decline in whitebark pines is making that partnership less stable. Peri Sasnett, a ranger at Glacier National Park and co-host of the park’s podcast Headwaters , joins Tenijah to talk all about the birds, their intricately interconnected ecosystems, and wa...
Nov 16, 2022•32 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Since Tenijah began birding, a lot of questions have come up about why birds do some of the strange things that they do. Writer and biologist Wenfei Tong joins Tenijah to answer some burning questions about what’s going on with our bird friends – questions about different parenting styles to reasons why we noticed birds more during the pandemic, and of course, the question plaguing all of us, are birds tiny dinosaurs? More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our...
Nov 09, 2022•29 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Maya Higa is a 24 year old streamer, falconer, and sole founder of Alveus Sanctuary , a wildlife reserve outside of Austin, TX. What's unusual about Alveus is its digital footprint — it's "a virtual conservation education center facility" primarily found on Twitch where Maya streams to teach viewers about the animals and conservation challenges they face. This novel approach to conservation and science communication is not only reaching and engaging newer and wider audiences, but helping to chan...
Nov 02, 2022•27 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast For Halloween, corvid researcher Kaeli Swift joins Tenijah for a show-and-tell of spooky birds. Corvids, vultures, and owls all have reputations as ominous and foreboding — and today, we’re digging into those ideas. Kaeli unpacks why the birds are seen as scary, shares cool facts beyond their mysterious façade, and explores conservation opportunities to help these birds. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get...
Oct 26, 2022•27 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast So many of the challenges facing birds are systemic, bigger than what any one person can fix — so how do we get governments to step in and do something? Tykee James , a Sr. Government Relations Representative for The Wilderness Society, has approached this issue in a creative way: by organizing bird walks around the U.S. Capitol. These walks bring in staffers and legislators from across the country and across the aisle, creating a rare space in politics for people to come together and kindle a l...
Oct 19, 2022•25 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Tenijah has been on a birding journey since she was drawn into bird watching at the start of the pandemic — and now, she’s inspiring new birders with Bring Birds Back . For our season finale, Tenijah talks to two of the heroes who inspired her : Tracy Clayton and Ashley C. Ford . They’re podcasters and writers, and they love birds and talk about them on social media or in their work. Tenijah wants to learn how they think about their role in science communication and inspiring new birders — and t...
Jul 06, 2022•28 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast People with disabilities often face barriers to birding. These can be infrastructural and cultural. The organization Birdability is addressing those barriers by raising awareness, crowdsourcing information on what trails and birding spots are already accessible (or what other locations need to do to improve), advocating for these changes, and building community for disabled people in birding. Tenijah travels to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama to go birding and learns how to make natu...
Jun 29, 2022•20 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Since her bird journey began, Tenijah’s been learning how to be a better birder —but not just with new birding skills. There’s also the important lesson of how to be an “ethical birder” or treating the birds with respect. Tenijah talks to writer Martha Harbison about “the rules” of birding and how we can be more thoughtful to our feathered friends. But these rules can also be twisted and weaponized against birders from marginalized backgrounds, so she talks to photographer David Lei about how to...
Jun 22, 2022•22 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast If we want as many people caring for birds as possible, we need people to not only become interested, but to have mentorship and community available for them. Tenijah speaks with Jeana Fucello and Kasia Chmielinski from the Feminist Bird Club , a birding group centered around being an inclusive, thoughtful home for birders who oth erwise wouldn’t have community. The organization has chapters across the country and is continuing to grow and bring more people into its flock. More info and transcri...
Jun 15, 2022•19 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast 
