Pishing, mob tapes, and playback are tools that birders use to supplement their birding experience, be it to show other birders a great bird or to bring birds close for photographs. They have typically been seen in the community as benign, but the ease of their use raises questions about how they affect the birds we enjoy. Marty Freeland is a Stanford University undergraduate who has not only been thinking about these questions, but who also has attempted to answer them in a scientific manner. His work helped inform an essay by Peter Pyle that was published both in the March 2026 issue of Birding magazine and on the ABA website. He joins host Nate Swick to talk about his work, his thoughts on the use of “electronic pishing,” and the amazing pishing behavior of lyrebirds.
Also, the ABA is hosting a membership drive this spring! By joining or renewing now, you can help unlock an additional $100 per member for the ABA’s programs!
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The American Birding Podcast brings together staff and friends of the American Birding Association as we talk about birds, birding, travel and conservation in North America and beyond.
Join host Nate Swick every other Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.
