Birding for a Better World with Sydney Golden Anderson & Meghadeepa Maity
The Feminist Bird Club has been one of the more interesting and inspiring movements in the birding world over the last few years. They champion inclusivity, social justice, and an approach that is comfortable for novices and other folks who had perhaps not felt seen in birding before. Some of the leaders of that organization have collaborated on a new book, Birding for a Better World: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Nature. One of its authors, Sydney Golden Anderson, along with FBC co-chair Meghadeepa Maity, joins us to talk about the book and read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 16, 2023
Fall rarity season is starting to get started in Texas, where a Golden-crowned Warbler (4) was seen this week in Cameron Co. This species has been almost annual in recent years with many birds sticking around for quite some time.
Random Birds, Vol. 8, with Ted Floyd
It's a random time for Random Birds, the American Birding Podcast segment with Birding editor Ted Floyd that involves host Nate Swick, a big bird list, and a random number generator. We never know exactly what we're going to get, but you'll always get a lot of great bird facts, stories, and appreciation. This session includes a smorgasbord of birds, with ducks, terns, thrushes, and more all making an appearance. Also, we're excited to announce another ABA webinar featuring author and former podcast guest Rebecca Heisman! ABA members can join us on ABA Community. Subscribe to the podcast read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 9, 2023
At this time last week, Hurricane Idalia had made landfall in Florida's Big Bend, scattering American Flamingos across the state in unprecedented numbers in dozens of unexpected places. Little did we know that this was just the beginning. The following weekend, a pair of American Flamingos (ABA Code 4) were seen in Warren Co, Ohio, not far from Cincinnati, shocking and delighting the birders that were able to enjoy them. This was, by a significant margin, the farthest north record of this species in the ABA Area and a 1st record that no birder in the state would read more >>
Lifer Momos and Monals with Anuj Ghimire
Moving from Nepal to North Dakota offers quite the ornithological whiplash, but birder and recent PhD graduate Anuj Ghimire takes it all in good stride. He joins guest host and Birding magazine editor Frank Izaguirre to talk Himalayan pheasants, North Dakota nemeses, and where to find Nepali food in Fargo. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! The American Birding Podcast brings together staff and friends of the American Birding read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 1, 2023
We begin with news of Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall near the bend of Florida where the peninsula meets the panhandle. While conventional wind-blown birds like Bridled and Sooty Terns are not all that unusual in the state, the real story has been an impressive influx of American Flamingos (4) at several sites around the peninsula. More than 55 individuals have been reported so far at more than a dozen locations.
This Month in Birding – August 2023
It's This Month in Birding for August 2023, our monthly round table discussion featuring voices from around the birding world. This month, we welcome back our friends Jody Allair of Birds Canada, Jordan Rutter of the American Bird Conservancy, and Brodie Cass Talbott of Portland Audubon to talk about American Kestrels, Canada Jay siblings, 50 years of Project Puffin and more.
Rare Bird Alert: August 25, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include both Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and Plain-capped Starthroat (4) in southeastern Arizona, and at least one of the Large-billed Terns (5) present in Florida since June. The major meteorological event of the year so far has been the landfall of Hurricane Hilary just south of San Diego, California, earlier this week. Tropical Storms frequently bring ocean-going birds inland and Hilary, which took a track along the western edge of Baja California before turning north-northeast in southern California, was no different. The full breakdown of windblown birds is still to come read more >>
Secrets of Summer Birding
How would you describe summer birding? Hot? Humid? Buggy? Unbearable? For many birders it has always been the least exciting and most taxing season for getting in the field, but there’s a lot to be excited about for those who make the effort.
Rare Bird Alert: August 18, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include both Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and Plain-capped Starthroat (4) in southeast Arizona, along with the Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida. The on-and-off Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) is on again in Newfoundland For the third consecutive week, a Lesser Sand-Plover (3) leads off the roundup, this time in individual in Barnstable Co, Massachusetts, where it represents a 1st record for that state. It's not unreasonable to believe that this might be the same individual that was seen the previous week in Rhode Island as the distance between the two spots is only 70 miles read more >>
Birding Book Club – Books for Birders that aren’t about Birds
We're joined once again by regular Birding Book Club member Donna Schulman, reviewer for the website 10,000 Birds, and joining us for the 1st time, our ABA Birding magazine Book and Media Review editor, Rebecca Minardi.
Rare Bird Alert: August 11, 2023
Berylline Hummingbird (4) and Plain-capped Starthroat (4) continue in southeast Arizona, as do the Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida. Another Lesser Sand-Plover (3) has graced the east coast of North America - or perhaps it's the same bird, no one is quite sure - this time in Napatree, Rhode Island, representing a 1st for that state. Once again, this is a nominate mongolus bird, called Siberian Sand-Plover by some authorities. Another plover of note this week comes from New Jersey, where a Mountain Plover in Stone Harbor is a 1st record for that state. It comes on the heels read more >>
Birding Rwanda with Winnie Kyamujara
Nestled in the Central Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, is one of the most biodiverse nations on the continent, all the more impressive given its small size. With nearly 700 species of birds and an impressive diversity of large mammals, including Mountain Gorillas, Rwanda is increasingly a popular destination for nature tourists, including the ABA, which is heading there this winter. Winnie Kyamujara is a nature guide with the Umusambi Crane Preserve and she introduces us to this amazing county. Also, Ontario birder and creator of the Winter Finch Report, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: August 4, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include both Plain-capped Starthroat (ABA Code 4) and Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, both Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida, the remarkably long-staying Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) in Newfoundland, and the small flock of Brown Jays (4) in south Texas.
Remembering Tom Johnson
The birding community is collectively mourning the recent loss of Cape May birder Tom Johnson. Tom was a world-renowned birder and a prodigious contributor to the ABA's media, with insightful articles, phenomenal photography, and occasional appearances on the American Birding Podcast.
This Month in Birding – July 2023
This Month in Birding, our monthly panel discussion is about bird news and birds in the news. We’re excited to welcome a panel of Stephanie Beilke, Tim Healy and Purbita Saha to talk rare birds at private residences, hummingbirds and alcohol, the most metal bird nests, and more!
Rare Bird Alert: July 21, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4) in Newfoundland, both Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida, the continuing Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, along with the small flock of Brown Jays (4) in Texas and at least one lingering Siberian Rubythroat (4) in western Alaska. Late summer in the southwest means monsoon season, a time of year that typically sees excellent birding and a good chance of ABA rarities. The extraordinary confluence of four individual Yellow Grosbeaks in southeast Arizona this year suggested that something really amazing was on the horizon. That came read more >>
Indigenous Reconnection through Birds with Alyssa Bardy
Humans have loved birds for as long as there have been humans. And while many of us in the birding world stay a birder for similar reasons, every birder, bird-watcher or bird enthusiasts has their own path to this world, to this interest, and it is one that frequently leads to a greater appreciation of love of the natural world more generally.
Rare Bird Alert: July 14, 2023
Both of the especially exciting rarities in the ABA Area are continuing into this week. The Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4) in Newfoundland is showing well to all who seek it. Also, both Large-billed Terns (5) in Florida are continuing to the delight of birders who seek them. We start in Maine this week, where a pair of marine birds have exciting local birders. A Yellow-nosed Albatross (4) was seen on a whale-watching trip on Boothbay Harbor, but the real prize was Maine's 1st record of Red-footed Booby (3) in Hancock Co. This is the second Red-footed Booby in read more >>
El Niño and Birding with Alvaro Jaramillo
The connections between weather and birds seem both obvious and arcane to many birders. This is especially true in this time of global warming, when weather seems particularly wonky. This summer the globe is experiencing El Niño, a warm phase in the Pacific that causes all sorts of strange things. But what does that mean for birds?
Rare Bird Alert: July 7, 2023
The two Large-billed Terns (ABA Code 5) in Florida lead off the list of notable continuing rarities in the ABA Area. They're joined by the small flock of Brown Jays (4) in south Texas and the Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) in eastern Newfoundland, rather than western as reported previously. Both Gray-streaked Flycatcher (4) and multiple Hawfinches (4) continue to be seen in Alaska, and the now-annual Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona appears to be sticking out the summer. It has already been quite a summer for White-winged Tern (4) in the ABA Area, as one in New York last read more >>
Hear Birds Again with Lang Elliott
It is an inevitability that as a birder ages, they lose the ability to hear some birds, particularly those with high pitched songs and calls. It is a struggle that nature recordist Lang Elliot has dealt with for decades, but he offers, with the help of modern technology, a solution of sorts called Hear Birds Again.
Rare Bird Alert: June 30, 2023
Both Large-billed Terns (ABA Code 5) are still being seen in Florida, highlighting the continuing rarities for this week. Also still being seen, a Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, the Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) in remote western Newfoundland, and a handful of Hawfinches (5) in western Alaska. Alaska is continuing to produce excellent Asian rarities, and the latest comes from the mainland rather than the Bering Sea and Aleutian islands. The ABA Area's 2nd ever record of Lesser Whitethroat (5) was well-photographed in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on the North Slope. This is also the first spring record of this central Asian read more >>
This Month in Birding – June 2023
It’s the end of June and that means it’s time for This Month in Birding, where we round up a panel of interesting and thoughtful birding friends to round up the latest birding news from around the ABA Area and beyond.
Rare Bird Alert: June 23, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week include both Large-billed Terns (ABA Code 5) in Florida and the small flock of Brown Jays (4) in Texas. The Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) in Newfoundland was refound this week, and the Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona and a handful of Hawfinches (4) in Alaska were also reported. Birding in western Alaska has been incredible in the last couple weeks, highlighted by a 1st Alaska and ABA Area record of Kentish Plover (5) on Shemya Island in the Aleutians. This is the Old World equivalent of the North American Snowy Plover, read more >>
Random Birds, Vol. 7, with Ted Floyd
Birding magazine editor and all-around bird-knower Ted Floyd is back for another bout of Random Birds. He joins host Nate Swick, a big bird list, and a random number generator to create podcast magic. This session includes a smorgasbord of birds, with gulls, warblers, and finches all making an appearance. Also, Nate reports on the latest ABA Community Weekend in California's Bay Area. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! The read more >>
What an Owl Knows with Jennifer Ackerman
Birders and bird enthusiasts are so fortunate that science writer Jennifer Ackerman so frequently turns her mind to birds. This year, she follows the critically acclaimed The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way with the new What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds.
Rare Bird Alert: June 9, 2023
A quick programming note that there will not be a Rare Bird Alert next week, as I will be out of town. We'll catch up with the last two weeks the following Friday. Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the Large-billed Terns (ABA Code 5) in Florida, Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, and multiple Hawfinches (4) scattered across western Alaska. One of the more mind-blowing rarities of the year came this week in North Carolina, where an apparent Plumbeous Vireo in Dare Co is a 1st for the state and one of very few records in the read more >>
2023 Splits and Lumps with Nick Block
It’s split and lump season again, and that means that we turn to our friend Nick Block, professor of Biology at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. He’s the person we talk to when it comes to predicting the decisions of the American Ornithological Society’s North America Classification Committee.
Rare Bird Alert: June 2, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include multiple Hawfinches (ABA Code 4) and Common Pochard (4) in Alaska, the regular Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona that seems likely to stick through the summer, and a La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida. The biggest surprise of the week came from Florida, which has already had an exceptional 2023, in the form of not one, but two different Large-billed Terns (5) at two different spots, one in Collier Co and another in Brevard Co. This is one of the classic birds of Amazonian waterways so its appearance in the ABA Area read more >>
For the Love of Birds
On May 19, 2023, the ABA and the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University hosted the For the Love of Birds panel as part of the Academy's Cheryl Beth Silverman lecture series. If you weren't able to join us in Philadelphia, we're excited to share it with you as a podcast. Panelists Holly Merker, Anwar Abdul-Qawi, and American Birding Podcast host Nate Swick talk about birding and the bird community with moderator Maurice Baynard. Also, join Nate in San Francisco the weekend of June 17 for the next ABA Community Weekend. And don't forget to read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: May 26, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include both Long-toed Stint (ABA Code 4) and multiple Hawfinches (4) in Alaska, the La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida, and the stunning Fan-tailed Warbler (4) in Arizona. We have a good number of 1st records to report this week, starting in Pennsylvania where the state's 1st Mottled Duck was found in Washington Co. The bird was intially identified as an American Black Duck but thankfully stuck around once the correct identification was determined. In what is probably the most predictable 1st of the year, Ontario becomes the latest state or province to read more >>
This Month in Birding – May 2023
It’s the last Thursday of the month of May and that means it is time to bring on a panel of birding friends to talk about bird news and goings on on the American Birding Podcast. And it’s another excellent panel this month featuring Mollee Brown, Nicole Jackson, and Ryan Mandelbaum...
Rare Bird Alert: May 19, 2023
We'll jump straight into the new birds here this week, as we've got two weeks to work through. First stop is Texas, where a Crescent-chested Warbler (ABA Code 4) at Big Bend National Park in Brewster Co represents an official 1st for the state. This species has been on the hypothetical list, or the Texas equivalent, until now, with the only previous account a sight record from the days before every birder carried a camera. That wasn't the only southern surprises to turn up in the state, a Crimson-collared Grosbeak (4) was seen in Cameron Co, and a read more >>
Halcyon Kingfisher Journeys With Marina Richie
Despite being such a charismatic bird, there are very few books about our 2023 Bird of the Year Belted Kingfisher, but this week’s guest Marina Richie has written one. Her 2022 title, Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher documents the seven years she spent watching a pair of kingfishers near her home...
The Big Year that Flew By with Arjan Dwarshuis
In 2016, Arjan Dwarshuis undertook a massive birding year that took him from his home in the Netherlands to 6 continents, 41 countries, and just over 6,800 species of birds. His global big year was a massive feat, breaking the record set, at the time, by Noah Strycker only a year earlier.
Rare Bird Alert: May 5, 2023
On a quick programming note, there will not be a Rare Bird Alert post next week, as I will be up at the Biggest Week festival. We'll reconvene the week after with what will almost certainly be a full docket of rare birds. Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in Texas, and both Bahama Mockingbird (4) and Red-legged Honeycreeper (5) in Florida. Who would have pegged Wisconsin as the site for one of the best rarities of the year? The state has seen a run of southwestern species of read more >>
The New Pyle Guide is Here with Peter Pyle
2023 ABA Lifetime Achievement Awardee Peter Pyle has probably been one of the most influential American ornithologists of the last few decades. His Identification Guide to North American Birds, informally known as “the Pyle Guides”, are widely known as the banding bible, and remain some of the most informative and intimidating bird books on birders’ shelves. The much anticipated second edition of which came out this year. But the's also the chair of the ABA Checklist Committee, and was central to the effort to shepherd the birds of the Hawaiian Islands, at long last, onto the read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: April 28, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas, Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida, and the long-staying Little Stint (4) in California. It's been a great week for White Wagtails in the ABA Area, and one in Angus, Ontario, represents that province's 3rd record. This looks to be the wide-ranging ocularis subspecies, which breeds across northern Asia into northern Alaska and is the most common subspecies recorded in the ABA Area. Arizona also recorded an ocularis White Wagtail this week, and it also happened to be a 2rd record. The read more >>
This Month in Birding – April 2023
It is the most exciting time of year for birders in the ABA Area so it seems only fitting to celebrate it with an exciting group of panelists for April's This Month in Birding. Host Nate Swick is joined by Jennie Duberstein, Andrés Jimenez, and Jordan Rutter to talk about vulture love, nature TikTok, and Night Parrot skulls. Come for the spring migration talk and stay for the bird personality profiles. Also, don't forget to sign up for our first ABA Community Weekend! Links to articles discussed in this episode: They're Not Pretty, but Turkey Vultures read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: April 21, 2023
Continuing birds in the ABA Area include the small flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas, at least one and probably more Red-legged Honeycreepers (5) in Florida along with a long-staying Bahama Mockingbird (4), and a Little Stint (4) in California. Michigan had a phenomenal 2022 and the state's 2023 is off to a pretty great start with the discovery of a state 1st Pink-footed Goose (4) in Grand Traverse. This species has become regular in the northeast of the continent in the last decade or so, and records farther west have been read more >>
Creating a Kingfisher Mascot with Spencer Wilken
The sporting world is full of bird mascots. While there are countless eagles, hawks, and cardinals there are no, so far as we know, Belted Kingfishers. But that might change thanks to the efforts of students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This flagship university has a mascot vacancy that, according to guest Spencer Wilken, should be filled by our 2023 Bird of the Year. Spencer's story is featured in the April 2023 issue of Birding and she joins us to talk about the peculiar politics of bird mascots. Also, the bird flu pandemic hits read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: April 7, 2023
Here's your roundup of new ABA Area rarities for the week. A quick programming note; there will not be an RBA next week as I am out of town. New York offers the first 1st record of the week in a subadult Glaucous-winged Gull in the Bronx borough of New York City. This is one of the rarest western gulls in the east, and all previous records of this species east of the Mississippi River have been well inland. Notably, Ohio boasted its 1st record earlier this year and this is a species that could very read more >>
Antpittas and Adventure in Colombia
There’s no place on Earth like Colombia. One of the world’s only “megadiverse” nations, Colombia boasts friendly people, stunning landscapes, and absolutely mind-blowing birds. In this encore episode, host Nate Swick and Colombian birders Diego Calderón (The Birders Show) and Eliana Ardila (Birding by Bus) travel through the Colombian Central Andes and explore what makes this place so amazing for birders, and how nature tourism is making a positive impact on the lives of so many people there. Also, a throw back to the very first episode and Nate's very first trip to Colombia. Subscribe to read more >>
How to Identify Flycatchers with Cin-Ty Lee & Andrew Birch
Birders have long considered the tyrant flycatchers, in particular the Empidonax species and Pewees to be one of the most difficult identification concerns in North America. Author Cin-Ty Lee and illustrator Andrew Birch seek to calm the fears of frustrated birders across the ABA Area with their new Field Guide to North American Flycatchers: Empidonax and Pewees, out just in time for spring migration. They join host Nate Swick to talk about what birders need to know about this group of birds. Also, join us for an ABA Community Weekend! Our first one is in Toronto, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: March 31, 2023
The small flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas lead off the list of notable continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week. It has been some time since this species was reliable north of the Rio Grande and birders seem to be taking advantage of this exciting situation. Other continuing birds include at least one Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida and the ongoing Red-flanked Bluetail (4) in California. 2023 in Florida has been one exciting bird after another, and a accommodating Red-legged Honeycreeper (5) in Miami-Dade has been fun for both local and read more >>
This Month in Birding – March 2023
Spring is in the air in March, at least theoretically across much of the ABA Area. And the last Thursday of the month means This Month in Birding, our monthly panel discussion that covers all the important and not-so-important bits of birding news from the month that was. This month's panel features Brodie Cass Talbott and Sarah Swanson from Portland Audubon and aeroecologist Mikko Jimenez talking Audubon's name, Bell Bowl Prairie, and what to do about the famous Flaco the Eagle-Owl. Links to stories discussion in this episode: National Audubon Society Announces Decision to Retain Current read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: March 23, 2023
Continuing rarities of note in the ABA Area include the small flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas, both La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida, and the remarkable Red-flanked Bluetail (4) in California. Mid-March is the peak time for records of Common Crane (3) in Nebraska, as the birds are regularly seen among large flocks of migrating Sandhills along the Platte River. That was the case this year as one was seen in Garden. The strangest rarity news this week was not related to a bird seen in March, read more >>
The Rise of Birding Culture in Colombia with Jose Martinez
Birding is booming in Colombia helped, in part, by bird fairs and festivals held throughout the country for Colombian birders in addition to the increased interest shown by visiting birders from around the world. Last month, host Nate Swick got to visit the Colombia Birdfair in Calí, where he met Jose Manuel Martinez, a Colombian birder, and one of a team of birders putting on the event. He’s had a front row seat to Colombia’s fascinating rise as not only a birding destination, but a birding culture. Interested in traveling to some of the places we read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: March 18, 2023
Continuing birds in the ABA Area include the small flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas, the Bahama Mockingbird (4) and La Sagra’s Flycatcher (4) in Florida, and both a Red-flanked Bluetail (4) and a Little Stint (4) in California.
Flight Paths, and the Wonder of Migration, with Rebecca Heisman
We are in a golden age of bird migration science, and birders can only wonder at the ways in which we learn about bird migration in the 21st Century. Rebecca Heisman's new book, "Flight Paths: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration" tells the story of bird migration research to the present, with all the amazing techniques and entertaining characters involved in figuring so much of it out. Also, the Kowa Scopers are our champions for Champions of the Flyway. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: March 10, 2023
Plenty of high-quality contiuing rare birds in the ABA Area this week, including the somewhat expected this time of year Bahama Mockingbird (ABA Code 4) and La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida. The remarkable Red-flanked Bluetail (4) is still being seen in California, and one is hard-pressed to remember a more accomodating individual of this species on the continent. In Texas, both Blue Bunting (4) and Brown Jay (4) continue in Texas. One of the more bizarre records of the year so far comes from North Carolina, where a Red-footed Booby (3), the state's 2nd record, read more >>
Birding, Annotated, Yet Again with Ted Floyd
Birding editor Ted Floyd returns to join host Nate Swick for "Birding, Annotated". In the doldrums of early March, both Ted and Nate each took a birding outing to a local spot and return chat about it. Hear their thoughts on the coming spring, junco diversity, counting birds in eBird, the importance of the regular checklist. Check out Ted's checklist from Lafayette, Colorado, and Nate's from Greensboro, North Carolina. Also, the Dusky Tetraka is back! Or perhaps more accurately, no one was really looking for it. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: March 3, 2023
We sit smack in the doldrums of late winter/early spring in the ABA Area. Birders to the north are still experiencing winter's grip and those to the south are anxiously awaiting more than the early season short-distance migrants. It is typically a slow period for rare birds as this week's report makes clear. Exciting continuing rarities include the Red-flanked Bluetail (ABA Code 4) in California, both Bahama Mockingbird (4) and La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida, and the Gray Heron (5) in Nova Scotia, which is still wandering around looking for open water. An overlooked mystery read more >>
Wildest Vagrants of 2022 with Amy Davis & Tim Healy
2022 was an exceptional year for rare bird sightings in the ABA Area, with no fewer than three first ABA records and an absolute avian smorgasbord of interesting and unexpected records from all corners of the US and Canada. As difficult as it is to choose the best, North American Birds editor Amy Davis and writer and teacher Tim Healy join host Nate Swick to attempt to do so, or at the very least, have some fun remembering the highlights of last year. Also, Nate is back from a fantastic trip to the Colombia Birdfair. Subscribe read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: February 24, 2023
Welcome back to the Rare Bird Alert after an off week in which I was out of the country. We've got two weeks to cover for this period. Bur first, rare bird continuing in this last week of February include both Little Stint (ABA Code 4) and Red-flanked Bluetail (4) in California, Bahama Mockingbird (4) and La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida, and the ever-unbelievable Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) now, once again, in Maine. We start in Florida, which boasts a long-awaited 1st record this month. No, it's not some Carribbean vagrant, but a Great-tailed Grackle at read more >>
This Month in Birding – February 2023
February might be the shortest month, but that doesn’t mean it gets the short shrift when it comes to This Month in Birding. We’ve got a great panel this month that absolutely adores birds as is appropriate for the season. Jody Allair from Birds Canada, Sarah Bloemers of the Bird Sh*t Podcast, and our friend Nick Lund, the Birdist, join us to talk about Steller's Jay splits, Hawaiian Island Restoration, the possible return of the Dodo, and much more! Links to stories discussed in this episode: eBird Exotic Species Update Steller's Jay Might be Multiple Species read more >>
The Avian Rainbow with Whitney Tsai Nakashima
You don’t have to be a birder for a long time to appreciate that birds are capable of producing an astonishing array of colors and patterns, even those beyond what our weak human eyes can discern. Hidden in that avian rainbow are clues to bird taxonomy and evolution, which is the work of our guest Whitney Tsai Nakashima, a researcher at Occidental College’s Moore Lab of Zoology. Also, can hummingbirds inspire robot drones? Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: February 10, 2023
It's back! From Maine comes the report that the Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4), now in eastern North America for its third calendar year, has been seen again on the central coast. Who knows where it will go from here, but farther south isn't out of the realm of possibility. In Florida, both Bahama Mockingbird (4) and La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) continue into this week. California continues to host a Red-flanked Bluetail (4), and the Pennsylvania Common Shelduck (5) is still being seen and debated. The wide-ranging rarity de jour has changed over the last few read more >>
Mindful Birding Ethics with Holly Merker
Young birders who have participated in the ABA’s Camp Avocet Maine’s well known Hog Island Audubon Camp, are no doubt familiar with Holly Merker. But that only scratches the surface of her contributions to the birding world. A former member of the ABA’s Recording Standards and Ethics Committee, and one of the authors of the well-received and timely Ornitherapy, she is the recipient of the ABA’s Award for Conservation and Education, formerly the Betty Peterson Award. She joins The American Birding Podcast to talk about mindful birding and applying ethics. Also, the wild story of the read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: February 3, 2023
Not a lot has changed in continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week, with Common Shelduck (ABA Code 5) persisting in Pennsylvania, along with La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida. The Red-flanked Bluetail (4) and Little Stint (4) are also still being seen in California. It's a relatively light week in the ABA Area, but we still keep our run of 1st records alive. From New Brunswick comes a provincial 1st Brewer's Sparrow in Quispamsis. The consensus seems to be that this is likely the more highly migratory and more northern read more >>
A Whole World of Seabirds with Peter Harrison
When it was first released in 1983, Peter Harrison’s Seabirds: An Identification Guide was immediately hailed as a classic of the birding literature, an accolade it not relinquished in 40 years. And so it was with much excitement that Peter released the New Identification Guide in 2021, practically a different and far more comprehensive book. Peter Harrison is an artist, an author and a conservationist, an MBE, and still perhaps the authority on the birds of the world’s largest biome. Plus, an ignoble end to a first ABA Area record. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: January 27, 2023
Rarities continuing into the last week of January in the ABA Area include the Common Shelduck (ABA Code 5) in Pennsylvania, the Caribbean trio of La Sagra's Flycatcher (4), Bahama Mockingbird (4), and Red-legged Honeycreeper (5) in Florida, and the Red-flanked Bluetail (4) in southern California, This year has been a banner one for wandering finches in North America, with Evening Grosbeaks making another incursion into the south, but no one suspected a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch in Green Bay, Nova Scotia, to be among them. This most widespread of the three North American rosy-finches has a fairly read more >>
This Month in Birding: January 2023
We have reached the end of the first month of 2023 and it is once again time for This Month in Birding on The American Birding Podcast. For this panel we welcome a fascinating group of birders to geek out a little about birds. Martha Harbison, Dexter Patterson, and Jordan Rutter join us to talk about molt terminology, shushers, bright white woodcock tails and more. Links to topics discussed in this podcast: WhatsApp-ened to bird news? Moult terminology. Let’s make it simpler! ‘Astonishing’ snowy owl spotted in Southern California neighborhood Eurasian Woodcock has the brightest feathers read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: January 20, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include both Bahama Mockingbird (ABA Code 4) and LaSagra's Flycatcher (4) in Florida, right on time for what have been, in the past, long-staying Caribbean rarities. The Common Shelduck (5) is still being seen in Pennsylvania, though I have no idea what that means for the ongoing provenance discussion. And in California, a Red-flanked Bluetail (4) and Little Stint (4) continue. For 1st records, we start in West Virginia, where a Townsend's Solitaire in Grant fills in a significant gap on the distribution map for this species. Solitaires are fairly regular read more >>
Random Birds, Vol 6, with Ted Floyd
Birding magazine editor and all-around bird-knower Ted Floyd is back for another bout of Random Birds. He joins host Nate Swick, a big bird list, and a random number generator to create podcast magic. This session includes a number of holarctic species, a pair of warblers and one of Ted’s 10 favorite bird species. Well, maybe… Plus, some thoughts and the most gull rich metro in the ABA Area. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: January 13, 2023
The ABA Area hosts an impressive set of rarities continuing into this week, with the highlight remaining the ABA Area's 3rd record of Eurasian Blackbird (ABA Code 5) in Labrador. California continues to host a Red-flanked Bluetail (4) and a Little Stint (4), and the Common Shelduck (5) is still being seen and discussed in Pennsylvania. The influx of winter wanderers southward into the interior of the continent was not predicted to include many Bohemian Waxwings, but one was seen in Apache, Arizona. The mountain ash crops in the western half of the continent were reported as read more >>
Winter Birding and More with Erik Bruhnke
Much of North America is gripped in the depths of winter. It’s cold. It’s snowy. It’s frequently unpleasant. But for those that push through, the birding can be oh so rewarding. This is especially true in places where the winter hits hardest. Diehard Minnesota birder Erik Bruhnke is guide for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours and a stalwart at birding festivals. He joins Nate to talk about winter birding, leading bird tours and cool bird facts. Also, Nate talks Costa Rica birding and a frustrating anti-feeder law. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: January 6, 2023
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include the Common Shelduck (ABA Code 5) in Pennsylvania, a Northern Lapwing (4) in Massachusetts, and the Social Flycatcher (5), now in its third calendar year, in Texas 2023 starts off with a bang in Florida with the release of photos showing an apparent Gundlach's Hawk in Lee. This uncommon Cuban endemic would be a 1st record for the ABA Area, and the 1st record away from Cuba. Discussion about this individual has been extensive, with most of it focusing on the bird's behavior. Gundlach's Hawk is notoriously one of read more >>
2023 Bird of the Year Artist Liz Clayton Fuller
Happy New Year List! It's finally time to celebrate our 2023 Bird of the Year, the Belted Kingfisher! And to help jumpstart a year of kingfisher content, we're excited to welcome this year's artist, Liz Clayton Fuller. Host Nate Swick chatted with Liz about kingfishers, her 2023 cover art "Queenfisher", and her work streaming art on Twitch. I think you'll agree that she is a delight. Also, Nate shares his first Belted Kingfisher experience and invites listeners to send theirs to podcast@aba.org. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: December 30, 2022
As we head in to the belly of Christmas Bird Count season, we watchers of rarities get to enjoy the bounty that comes from intensive coverage of normally underbirded parts of the ABA Area and the goodies that result from that effort. Plus, there's the occasional rarity continuing long enough to be included on the local count, as is the case with the long-staying Southern Lapwing (ABA Code 5) of mysterious origin in Michigan. The rarest of the Eurasian vagrant thrushes made an appearance in Newfoundland this week, when a Eurasian Blackbird (5) was photographed at read more >>
This Month in Birding – December 2022
Thanks to all our listeners and supporters for another exceptional year. To wrap up 2022, we welcome back some insightful and entertaining birder friends to the last This Month in Birding for the year. We're joined by Popular Science's Purbita Saha, science writer Ryan Mandelbaum, and The Birdist, Nick Lund to talk about the biggest birding trends of 2022 and our best birding experiences of the year. Links to article discussed in this episode: New Shazam for Birds will Identify that Chipping For You Female Blue Tits Sing Frequently Old Bones Suggest Presence of Thick-billed Parrots read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: December 16, 2022
After more than a year, the south Texas Social Flycatcher (5) is still being seen, a rare bird pillar at this point. Even when no other rare birds are continuing, it hangs on. Hot Limpkin Summer has, against all odds, turned into bonkers Limpkin winter, as Kentucky finally gets on their board with their 1st record of Limpkin seen this week in Todd. Kentucky was completely surrounded by states that had previously recorded Limpkins, sometimes multiple birds, and finally fills in a big gap in the map. Now, I suppose, we look to outliers like Pennsylvania, read more >>
Tales from the Southern Ocean with Katinka Domen & Ted Floyd
ABA staffers Katinka Domen and Ted Floyd recently accompanied an ABA excursion to the land of penguins and albatrosses. They join host Nate Swick to talk about what it's like to visit the southernmost continent on Earth, and what ecotourism looks like in this unique place. Also, the ABA Bird of the Year 2023 is Belted Kingfisher! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! The American Birding Podcast brings together staff read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: December 9, 2022
One notable rare bird of Code 4 or higher is continuing in the ABA Area, the extraordinarily long-staying Social Flycatcher (ABA Code 5) in Texas, now in its 13th month. It's been pretty great year for vagrant waterfowl, and Newfoundland comes to the fore in the last week with a Graylag Goose (5) in Harricott on the Avalon Peninsula, the 3rd for the province. This species was only added to the ABA Checklist in the last decade largely due to questions of provenance. But for a Greylag Goose in this part of the continent at this read more >>
Birding Book Club – Best of 2022
It is time once more for the most anticipated Birding Book Club of the year, our annual Best Bird Books of the Year episode for 2022. With the holiday gift-giving season is right around the corner there's no better time to give the gift of bird books to the birder in your life. Or yourself, we don't judge. We are joined by 10,000 Birds book reviewer Donna Schulman and Birding magazine media and book review editor Frank Izaguirre to talk about what we loved this year in bird books. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: December 2, 2022
The Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4), having spent more than a year now in North America, is on the move again. After several weeks in Newfoundland, it seems to be getting restless, now seen this week in New Brunswick. Birders in parts south should definitely keep their eyes open as the sky seems to be the limit for this individual bird. Also continuing, a Little Stint (4) that may end up overwintering in California. Is this going to be a big year for vagrant waterfowl? Geese seem to be one group of birds that is flourishing in read more >>
Birding While Black with J. Drew Lanham
One of the issues that the birding community has been reckoning with for the last several years is how we can encourage a broader coalition of nature enthusiasts to join us and to share the joy of birding. It’s an issue that Dr. Drew Lanham has given a great deal of thought. Lanham is a distinguished professor of wildlife ecology at Clemson University, a recent MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and his memoir, The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair With Nature was published in 2017. In this encore episode from 2018, he joins host read more >>
This Month in Birding – November 2022
Happy Thanksgiving to those celebrating! How about a fun bird discussion to go along with our one and only bird-related holiday? Nate Swick is joined by Bird Sh*t's Mo Stych, aeroecologist Mikko Jimenez, and the ABA's own Greg Neise to talk about eBird status and trends, hybrid chickadees, bird rediscoveries, and our avian zodiac signs. Links to topics discussed in this episode: Smartphone-based Study Reveals Mental Health Benefits of Birding Evaluating crowdsourced data to Quantify Inequitable Access to Urban Biodiversity. Hybrid Birds in Human-altered Landscapes Researchers Rediscover the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon What is Your Birth Month Bird? read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: November 18, 2022
I was in Texas last week for the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and thus, not able to put together a roundup. I appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy this week's edition, full to bursting with two weeks worth of notable birds. The number of state and provincial 1sts to document today is quite long, but none are as unlikely as the ABA Area's 2nd record of Eurasian Marsh-Harrier (5) in Morris, New Jersey. One might be justifiably inclined to think that this bird is the same individual as the bird seen in Maine earlier this year, read more >>
Burrowing Owls of San Diego with Colleen Wisiniski & Susanne Marczak
The ABA is gearing up to announce its 2023 Bird of the Year but we’re not ready to say good-bye to the year of the Burrowing Owl just yet. With that in mind, we welcome Colleen Wisinski and Susanne Marczak of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Burrowing Owl Recovery Program to talk about their efforts to protect the local population of Burrowing Owls and what they’ve learned about the species in doing so. Also, Nate is back from a great Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google read more >>
Birds, Wildfires, and Smoke with Olivia Sanderfoot
A warmer and drier world means, unfortunately, a world in which wildfire becomes a greater risk. We know, all too well, the risk these fires pose to wild places, but there is surprisingly little we know about the risk to wildlife. That is the work of Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot, a researcher at UCLA looking at the impacts of wildfire smoke on wild birds and trying to answer a few of those increasingly relevant questions. Also, a new bird endurance record! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: November 4, 2022
Another great week for 1st records across the ABA Area. November is typically the best month of the year for interesting vagrants, but it will have to be exceptional to best what was a pretty phenomenal October. We'll start in Minnesota, where a Phainopepla in Duluth represents a 1st record for that state. One might expect a desert southwest species to be unheard of in the middle of the continent, but there are a handful of Phainopepla records nearby, in Ontario, Illinois, and Saskatchewan. In Kentucky, not one, but two individual American Oystercatchers were found in read more >>
A New Book about Bird Names with Susan Myers
If the English language is an amalgamation of words from thousands of other languages and cultures, then English common bird names are that writ small. They're a hodgepodge of from every possible source and an endless supply of amazing bird history and trivia. WINGS guide Susan Myers's new work, called The Bird Name Book, is a fascinating combination of etymology and ornithology, and she joins us to talk about it. Also, a really cool new study about convergent evolution. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: October 28, 2022
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area into this last week of October include a continuation of the ongoing Red-legged Honeycreeper (ABA Code 5) invasion, with the Texas bird continuing and more individuals showing up in multiple Florida counties. The Variegated Flycatcher (5) in Michigan is also continuing though increasingly cold weather. The Texas Social Flycatcher (5), present in the Valley for most of the year, was discovered again this week, and California is still hosting both Willow Warbler (4) and Wood Warbler (5), as well as a Little Stint (4). We have one 1st record to report read more >>
This Month in Birding – October 2022
It's the end of October and time for our monthly This Month in Birding panel. This week features a fun crew with MD/DC Bird Atlas coordinator Gabriel Foley, Birding magazine editor Frank Izaguirre, and Sarah Swanson, author of the new Best Little Book of Birds: Oregon Coast. The panel geeks out over woodpecker brains, commiserates over the sobering State of the Birds, and suggests exciting bird costume ideas for Halloween, among other things. Links to topics discussed in this episode: 2022 State of the Birds Reveals Widespread Losses of Birds in all Habitats Never Before Seen Colorful Bird Hybrid Surprises read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: October 21, 2022
It was a sensational week for rarities in the ABA Area, with greta quality and quantity of rare birds across the continent and more 1st records than many can remember in a very long time. Let's jump right into it. We start in California, which had a wild few days with two different Phylloscopus warblers turning up at opposite ends of the state, both representing 1st records. What was originally identified as an odd Tennessee Warbler in Los Angeles, itself a good bird for California, was shortly identified as the ABA's 11th record of Wood Warbler (5). This read more >>
Trouble for Red Knots at Delaware Bay with Tim Preso
Every spring, thousands of Red Knots congregate on the Delaware Bay to take advantage of the horseshoe crab spawn. Fueled by crab eggs they finish a migration that spans from the southern tip of South America to the northern reaches of North America. That essential link in this migratory chain is, once again, under threat, which concerns the environmental law group Earthjustice and partners. Tim Preso of the Biodiversity Defense Program is here to talk about what birders need to know about this new threat. Also, check out the new ABA Community! Subscribe to the podcast read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: October 14, 2022
The long-staying Social Flycatcher (ABA Code 5) in south Texas was seen again this week, and the ABA's 10th Wood Warbler (5) continued on St. Paul Island in Alaska. We begin our tour of this week's rarities in eastern Canada, where the ABA's 3rd record of Common Scoter was found at Val d'Or. This is a Canada and Quebec 1st record, and the first for the eastern side of the ABA Area. Previous ABA records of this relatively recent split from our more familiar Black Scoter have come from California and Oregon. It is not, however, read more >>
A Guide to Baby Birds with Linda Tuttle-Adams
Baby birds are arguably one of the great identification frontiers of birding. Try to identify a gangly, fluffy mess of a bird and you immediately recognize the need for a real resource to help you out. Artist and bird rehabilitator Linda Tuttle-Adams is the author of a new book, Baby Bird Iidentification: A North American Guide, to set us right. She joins the American Birding Podcast to talk about identification of baby birds and why bird rehabilitation matters. Also, the winter finch report is out! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: October 7, 2022
There are a handful of continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week, including Nazca Booby (4) and Little Stint (4) in California, Eurasian Bullfinch (4), Taiga Flycatcher (4), and Marsh Sandpiper (4) in Alaska, and the return of the very long-staying Social Flycatcher (5) in south Texas. The passage of Hurricane Fiona is still scattering seabirds across the northeast, the latest in Massachusetts, where a Red-footed Booby (4) photographed off Essex represents a 1st record of the pantropical sulid for the state, and one of very few north of Florida in the western Atlantic. Vagrant flycatcher read more >>
Exploring Bird Migration with Melanie Smith & Chad Witko
We’re certainly in the golden age of bird science, with more birders, more researchers, and more tools available to both of them to solve many of the great ornithological mysteries and to marvel at the capabilities of birds. National Audubon and a few bird science partners have put a lot of this modern science in a sleek simple package called the Bird Migration Explorer, a guide to the annual journeys of 450 birds in the Americas. Audubon scientists Melanie Smith and Chad Witko join us to talk the explorer and the wonders of bird migration. Plus, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 30, 2022
The rare bird center of the ABA Area continues to be in Alaska where Taiga Flycatcher (ABA Code 4), Eurasian Bullfinch (4), Tree Pipit (4), and Little Stint (4) all continue in to this week. As we watch Hurricane Ian make its way up the Atlantic coast, having passed over Florida, this week saw some interesting birds in the wake of Hurricane Fiona's landfall in eastern Canada. Nova Scotia took the brunt of the storm, and birders in the wake of its landfall had a number of exceptional sightings, highlighted by Nova Scotia's 1st record of read more >>
This Month in Birding: September 2022
It's time for This Month in Birding with Jody Allair, Jennie Duberstein, and Sean Milnes. The panel joins host Nate Swick to talk about the biggest bird news of the month with a wide-ranging discussion that covers a last gasp for the 'Akikiki, how vultures reduce carbon emissions, the state of the exotic bird trade and the answer to the question birders know all too well, "What's your favorite bird?" Links to topics discussed in this episode: Important Changes to Exotic Birds in eBird 'Akikiki Rescued Amidst Extinction Crisis Vultures Prevent Tens of Millions of Carbon read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 23, 2022
A Thick-billed Vireo (ABA Code 4) leads off the continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week, most of which come from Alaska in the form of Little Stint (4), Baikal Teal (4), and Eurasian Bullfinch (4). That focus on Alaska will turn out to be a theme this week. What a monster week for the Last Frontier! Birders in Alaska has experienced one of the best periods on record in terms of both duration and quality of vagrants. It's not clear whether this had anything to do with the passage of the remnants of Typhoon read more >>
eBird, Annotated, in the Tropics with Ted Floyd
There is nothing like birding the American tropics, among iconic families like toucans, motmots, antbirds, tanagers, and more! Both Birding editor Ted Floyd and podcast host Nate Swick were fortunate enough to take part in this birding splendor in recent weeks, Ted in Colombia and Nate in Panama, and they share their experiences through their eBird checklists in another edition of the “eBird Annotated” series. Links to the checklists discussed: Valle Bonito, Panama Finca Candalaria, Panama Playa Rico, Colombia Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 16, 2022
Sorry for the lack of an RBA last week. I was away in Panama with an ABA travel group and unable to make time amongst the toucans and trogons to put it together. However, readers get a bonus extra week for this current period. Continuing rare birds in the ABA Area include the return of the Gray Heron (ABA Code 4) on Prince Edward Island, a Little Stint (4) in California, and the long-staying Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona. It's always a big deal when California adds a new bird to its state list, in part because read more >>
Birding without Tears: Birding with Kids with Bryony Angell
Several years ago, birding dads Ted Floyd and Nate Swick recorded their first Birding Without Tears episode, but they told only half the story. What about birding moms?? To help tell the rest of the story, I’m joined by Seattle-based writer Bryony Angell, who draws on her experience as a birding mom and her past as a birding kid to offer insight into a topic that many birders deal with at some point–“how do I get my kids to go birding and all of us have a good experience?” Also, Nate talks Panama. Wanna travel with read more >>
Mexican Birding Adventures with “Chucho” Moo Yam
ABA Birders overlook Mexican birding at their own peril. The nation just to the south of the ABA Area hosts amazing culture, friendly people, and fantastic birds. Guest host Frank Izaguirre welcomes Mexican birder, artist, and photographer Jesús Antonio "Chucho" Moo Yam, who brings tales of birding adventure and community involvement, and reports on the the growth of ecotourism in Mexico. Also, check out the new Codebreakers feature in Birding magazine! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: September 2, 2022
New Jersey's first record of Bermuda Petrel was photographed off Cape May August 27 on the Cape Sea Excursions pelagic trip. Alaska had a few rarities this week (when doesn't it?). A Fork-tailed (Pacific) Swift was found by birders almost immediately upon their arrival at Gambell September 1. A Common House-Martin was at St. Paul Island on August 27, and a Western Meadowlark was photographed in Anchorage on the 28th. In Ohio, a Ruff was discovered in Wayne on August 27. Ontario is hosting a group of 7-10 Wood Storks at Point Pelee, marking the 7th read more >>
Facts of Fall Birding with Amy Davis & Greg Neise
The first week of September is the official start of fall, meteorologically at least, though ornithologically it’s been on for weeks. It’s a wonderful season for birding and general naturing, but it does require a certain mindset and certain strategies. Who better, then, to talk about it than two legends of the fall, Greg Neise and Amy Davis. They join host Nate Swick to talk about what to expect as birds start moving south. Also, we're hosting our 2023 Bird of the Year party in Nashville, Tennessee! More information to come. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: August 26, 2022
Continuing ABA Area rarities include the Gray Heron (ABA Code 5) on Prince Edward Island, Berylline Hummingbird (4) still regular at a feeder in Arizona, and the Steller's Sea-Eagle (4), now somewhat regular in Newfoundland. We start up in Maine, where unbelievable vagrant raptors have become something of a cottage industry, with the discovery of a female-type Eurasian Marsh-Harrier at North Haven Island, in Knox. This is a potential 1st confirmed record for this widespread Eurasian bird of prey, long considered a good candidate for vagrancy to the ABA Area. Notably, there is also a previous sight record read more >>
This Month in Birding – August 2022
At the end of every month, we host a roundup of recent bird news on the American Birding Podcast. For August we’re thrilled to welcome Stephanie Beilke, Jordan Rutter, and Brodie Cass Talbott to the panel to talk about homogenization of bird species, bird habitats in urban landscapes, wild Rock Pigeons, and how birding has changed in our lifetimes. Link to articles discussed in this episode: As more bird species go extinct, those left may be more alike The strange reason migrating birds are flocking to cities Rare wild ancestors of domestic pigeon found on Scottish read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: August 19, 2022
Continuing rarities in the ABA Area into the third week of August include Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) in Arizona, the Gray Heron (5) seen last week in Prince Edward Island, and the long-staying Steller's Sea-Eagle (4) still being seen in Newfoundland. An exciting first record from Massachusetts, where a pelagic out of Chatham discovered and acquired excellent documentary photos of a Cape Verde Shearwater (5), a 1st for Massachusetts and only the ABA's 2nd record, the 1st coming from North Carolina about almost 20 years ago. This bird is a difficult ID, presenting as a smaller, darker read more >>
The Nature of Nutcrackers with Peri Sasnett
One of the most iconic and beloved birds of the North American west is the Clark’s Nutcracker, the highlight of anyone’s trip to the high country. It will come as no surprise to anyone that the bird’s relationship to the ecosystem goes beyond begging for trail mix from hikers, a fascinating symbiosis that was recently the topic of Glacier National Park’s Headwaters podcast, whose host, Peri Sasnett, joins us to talk nutcrackers and conservation. Also, changes to the ABA Checklist are here, with more potentially on the way. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: August 12, 2022
Continuing ABA Area rarities include Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4) in Newfoundland, Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida. There are few 1sts to note this week, and we start with one that is an ABA Area rarity as well. A Gray Heron (5) was seen in Covehead Harbour, Prince Edward Island, representing not only a 1st for the province but also the first record of this Old World equivalent of Great Blue Heron away from Alaska or Newfoundland. Edit: I inadvertently forgot a bird seen a few years ago between Nova Scotia read more >>
A Lifetime of Birding Achievement with JB Brumfield & J. Drew Lanham
Earlier this year the ABA was delighted to award our Lifetime Achievement Award to a pair of birders who have made a very big impact not only on the places where they live, but on the birding community across the continent. J. Drew Lanham is a birder, poet, academic, award-winning memoirist, and JB Brunfield is an environmental educator, artist, and the undefeated Big Year champion of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. We welcome them both to talk about the state of birding, mentorship, and whether Ohio or South Carolina are better for birds. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: August 5, 2022
Both Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and Pine Flycatcher (5) continue in southeast Arizona, and the potential ABA 1st Southern Lapwing (5) is still wowing observers in northern Michigan. In Florida, both a Thick-billed Vireo and a Bahama Mockingbird continue into this week. Late summer is stint season! And New Hampshire joins the party with the state's 2nd record of Little Stint (4) in Rockingham. This widespread Eurasian shorebird is more commonly seen in the west of the continent, so any record on the Atlantic coast is a noteworthy one. Over to Quebec, where a male Rufous read more >>
The Fledgling for Young Birders with Hannes Leonard & Adrianna Nelson
Close observers of the ABA might remember when we launched a new publication completely produced by a team of teen birders from all over the ABA Area. It's called The Fledgling, and after two issues it is well on its way to being something special. Hannes Leonard and Adrianna Nelson and members of The Fledgling team and they join Nate Swick to talk about this publication and the needs of young birder more generally. Also, why do field guides to the US and Canada call themselves field guides to "North America"? Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: July 29, 2022
Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and Pine Flycatcher (5) continue in Arizona into this week, as does a Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida, and a Little Stint (4) in California. Alaska has been on a roll lately, but the birds involved haven't been coming from the direction that exciting finds in the state typically do. The Last Fronteir boasted an extraordinary 3 potential state 1sts this week, all birds from southern climes making their way north. Perhaps most amazing was an apparent Lucy's Warbler in Fairbanks in the middle of the state. The species has a read more >>
This Month in Birding: July 2022
July is awfully hot across most of the ABA Area, and we’ve got a panel with no shortage of hot takes for the July 2022 This Month in Birding. Martha Harbison, Nicole Jackson, and Nick Lund join host Nate Swick to talk about national birds, woodpecker myths, ravens, macaws, and how your brain works when you bird. Don't forget to join the ABA for FREE coffee or join Nate in Panama in September! Links to topics discussed: Study Upends Theory that Woodpeckers have Shock-absorbant heads Common Ravens Repopulating the Eastern US Spix's Macaws Return to the read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: July 22, 2022
A good number of conituing rarities in the ABA Area into this week, including the triumphant return of the Steller's Sea-Eagle (ABA Code 4) in Newfoundland where it seems content to tool around the island. The potential ABA Area 1st Southern Lapwing is still being seen in Michigan, as is a Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida. Both Berylline Hummingbird (4) and Pine Flycatcher (5) are staying put in Arizona, where they ought to hang in through the summer. And the White-winged Tern (4) in Delaware and Little Stint (4) in California are also still present. Shorebird read more >>
Meet the New ABA Executive Director, Nikki Belmonte
Back in May of this year, the American Birding Association announced the hiring of Nikki Belmonte as the organization’s newest Executive Director. She comes to us with a background in non-profit management, environmental education, and as a hobby birder. We’re excited to welcome her to the podcast to talk about birding community, CBCs, and the best flannel to cover up your nerdy bird shirt. Also, hoat is the deal with the Hoatzin? Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: July 15, 2022
Rare birds in the ABA Area continuing into the middle of July include Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code3) and Pine Flycatcher (5) inArizona, and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida. We start in California this week, where a Gray-tailed Tattler in San Diego represents the 2nd record of the east Asian shorebird for the state. This species is regular in Alaska, but there are fewer than 10 records for the Lower 48 in total. There is one 1st record for the week, in Wyoming where a Neotropic Cormorant in Goshen adds, at long last, the species to the state's list. read more >>
Random Birds, Vol 5, with Ted Floyd
Birding magazine editor and all-around bird-knower Ted Floyd is back for another bout of Random Birds. He joins host Nate Swick, a big bird list, and a random number generator to create podcast magic. They talk Eared Grebes, Black Vultures, and whatever other birds the magic number tells them to talk about. Also, the Duck Stamp is back and you can get yours at the ABA! Join the ABA and get a FREE bag of Song Bird Coffee! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: July 8, 2022
Michigan continues its incredible run with 1st records of Red-cockaded Woodpecker and Common Redshank, the latter possibly from east Asia. Also, Yukon is back on the board with a 1st territorial record of American Bittern.
Birding Book Club – Best Birding References
Birders love bird books, and we at the American Birding Podcast love to get together to discuss bird books in the Birding Book Club segment. Donna Schulman from the website 10,000 Birds and Birding magazine’s Frank Izaguirre join Nate Swick to talk about our favorite Bird and Birding Reference guides. It’s a broad topic, but if you’re looking for books to fill out your bird library, we’re here to help. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it! Nate's read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: July 1, 2022
An airfield in Michigan is a surprising place for what might be the ABA Area's 1st record of Southern Lapwing. And in the Yukon territory, a Mississippi Kite is a similarly far flung vagrant 1st.
This Month in Birding – June 2022
It's the last episode of the month and that means it's time for This Month in Birding, featuring a fun panel of ABA friends discussing the biggest birding news of the month and more. On our panel this month, Sarah Bloemers from the hilarious Bird Sh*t podcast, Frank Izaguirre of the ABA's Birding magazine, and aeroecologist and birder Mikko Jimenez. They join host Nate Swick to talk Grasshopper Sparrow success, a new invasive bird in the UK, and the features you'd want in your ultimate birding vehicle. Links to articles discussed: Recovery of one of North America's Most read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: June 24, 2022
There are a handful of rarities continuing in the ABA Area this week, including Berylline Hummingbird (ABA Code 4) and the ABA Area's 2nd Pine Flycatcher in Arizona. In Florida, both a La Sagra's Flycatcher (4) and a Bahama Mockingbird (4) are being seen, along with the Texas Social Flycatcher (5) that made its reappearance last week. And the Garganey (4) in New Jersey is still being seen into the week, though by all reports its quite difficult. It has been a somewhat slower year than usual for birders in western Alaska, but a stunning Common read more >>
Canopy Tower Stories with Carlos Bethancourt
Mention Panama to a bunch of birders and typically only one place comes to mind - beautiful Canopy Tower. A former radar station and military installation west of Panama Cit, Canopy Tower has, over the last couple decades, transformed into one of the most well-regarded ecolodges in the Americas. And when you talk about Canopy Tower you cannot help but talk about Carlos Betancourt, whose work as a guide and mentor has helped to put Canopy Tower on the map and help establish a community of guides throughout Latin America. He joins us to talk about read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: June 17, 2022
It's another very flycatchery list of continuing rarities in the ABA Area this week, which makes the Garganey (ABA Code 4) still being seen in New Jersey all the more exceptional. Both LaSagra's Flycatcher (4) and Bahama Mockingbird (4) are still present in Florida, as is the Pine Flycatcher (5) in Arizona. And after a few week's absence, the Social Flycatcher (5) in Brownsville, Texas, turned up again. The theme for the summer so far has been southern birds moving north, likely in response to exceptional heat in the middle of the continent. And for the read more >>
2022 Splits and Lumps with Nick Block
In early summer eager birders turn to bird taxonomy, and we at the podcast turn once again to our friend Nick Block, professor of Biology at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts to read the tea leaves for American Ornithological Society’s North America Classification Committee and explain the latest in bird taxonomy. He joins Nate Swick to talk about new meadowlarks, Mew Gulls, and the House Wren MEGASPLIT. Also, some thoughts from Nate about using Merlin on Breeding Bird Surveys. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts, and please leave a rating or a review if read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: June 10, 2022
There are lots of continuing rarities this week in the ABA Area, including additional sightings of Garganey (ABA Code 4) in Montana and New Jersey. The ABA's 2nd Pine Flycatcher (5) is still being seen in Arizona, as are both LaSagra's Flycatcher (4) and Bahama Mockingbird (4) in Florida. The most exciting find of the week comes from Arizona, where a Yellow Grosbeak (4) was photographed in Santa Cruz. This species has always been one that prompts quite a bit of excitement in the ABA Area as they historically don't stick around long. This one made read more >>
Black Birders: Embracing the Beauty Within
As part of its celebration of the third Black Birders Week, please enjoy highlights from the ABA’s two-part panel “Black Birders: Embracing the Beauty Within.” The panel session co-hosts are Sheridan Alford and Chelsea Connor. They are joined in the first session by Alex Troutman, Sharon Scott, and Scott Edwards, and in the second session by Alex Troutman and Danielle Belleny. Panelists explores such topics as childhood experiences with birds, how to pass on generational knowledge of birds, and whether things have changed since the first Black Birders Week. For the panels in their entirety as read more >>
A Reference for All the Birds of the World with Brian Sullivan
Maybe more than anyone in North America in the last 20 years, Brian Sullivan has been deeply involved in things that birders do. He was one of the original developers of eBird, which hardly needs an introduction to listeners, and is now project lead of Cornell’s Birds of the World. In the last couple years Birds of the World has absolutely become an essential collection of bird knowledge which is all the more amazing considering the scope of the project. Also, Merlin's Sound ID is better than you think. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: May 13, 2022
It's been another good week for rare birds in the ABA Area, highlighted by the discovery, or perhaps the re-discovery, of the ABA's 2nd record of Pine Flycatcher (ABA Code 5) in Pima, Arizona. The bird was originally reported in the first half of April as a Cordilleran Flycatcher, but Chris Benesh thought something was up with that recording and headed to the spot about a month later and to re-find the bird and confirm the identification. The last Pine Flycatcher to be seen in the ABA Area was also in Arizona, and stuck around for read more >>
Gardening for Birds in Ohio with Julie Zickefoose
Julie Zickefoose scarcely needs an introduction. A prolific artist and an award-winning writer, much of her work is inspired by her home in southeast Ohio. It's the topic of a piece she has written for the May special issue of Birding magazine, Wildlife Gardening in Appalachian Ohio. She joins us talk about the satisfactions and frustrations that come from building a wildlife sanctuary and a little bit about the return of BWD. Also, we've got a new Executive Director! And some thoughts on the Biggest Week American Birding has seen in 3 years. Subscribe to the read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: May 20, 2022
Lots of interesting birds still hanging out in the ABA rea into this week, starting with Arizona's flycatcher bonanza. Both Tufted Flycatcher (ABA Code 5) and Pine Flycatcher (5) near Tucson. The Bananaquit (4) is still being seen, as was the White-winged Tern (4) in Virginia through the beginning of the week. The Garganey in New Brunswick is also hanging around. The 1sts continue to roll in, and the most exciting one of the week comes from Ontario, where a Hepatic Tanager in Shell Park is not only an Ontario 1st but the 3rd record of this read more >>
This Month in Birding – May 2022
It is the end of the month, and with it, comes the This Month in Birding panel. Because May is arguably the best month of the year for birding in the US and Canada we have a panel this month that attempts to meet those expectations. Mollee Brown of the Life List Podcast, Gabriel Foley of the Maryland/DC Bird Atlas, and Purbita Saha of Popular Science. Also, wanna travel to Panama with Nate? Topics discussed in this episode include: Language Barriers in Local Bird Conservation Broken Wing Tactic More Widespread Than Thought Songbirds More Colorful the read more >>
Rare Bird Alert: May 27, 2022
There's a very heavy tyrannid representation among the returning ABA rarities this week, which is appropriate given some of our new birds. The Social Flycatcher (ABA Code 5) in Texas was rediscovered this week after a couple months away. The dynamic duo of Tufted Flycatcher (5) and the ABA's 2nd Pine Flycatcher (5) are also in Arizona, and at least one and maybe two LaSagra's Flycatchers (4) are continuing in Florida. And it is to Florida we go first this week with the fantastic discovery of a very well-documented Cuban Pewee (5) in Monroe. This represents about read more >>
Unraveling the Mysteries of Bird Vagrancy with Alex Lees
Finding birds in places where you shouldn’t expect to find them if certainly one of the more exciting aspects of birding. In fact, it might well be the reason for the American Birding Association’s very existence. The unpredictability, the excitement, the community that builds around these sorts of birds are certainly appealing even the mechanisms that bring them to these places are not always known. Alex Lees is a senior researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University and, along with James Gilroy, the author of Vagrancy in Birds, which attempts to answer some of those questions of how read more >>