Tuning in to birds and the birding world through podcasts
Listening to the American Birding Podcast while being productive indoors. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳
When you’re stuck indoors due to winter’s chill and darkness, satisfying your birding fix can be a challenge. Daylight hours are limited – though ever slowly increasing – and with the new year, catching up on life maintenance after the holidays seems more pressing. The laundry basket is overflowing, your car needs an oil change, and the furnace is long-overdue for routine servicing – all of which are potential obstructions for getting outside with the birds.
For as much time as birders observe and talk about birds, there is almost no room for anything else. Birding can be all-consuming, and the outdoors are inextricably wrapped up in the experiences we stockpile and share online or in passing. If you find yourself restlessly calculating your free time throughout the week, the good news is you have options.
For as little as two minutes or as much as 45 minutes, you can listen to bird-related podcasts while accomplishing nearly everything on your to-do list.
Podcasts are a great way to stay engaged with birds, birding, and conservation because you can tune in whenever and wherever. For instance, a 30-minute commute is enriched with avian stories or entertaining trivia, and folding laundry is suddenly more bearable. I can attest to these claims because, in the last year, I’ve screened numerous bird-related podcasts and can recommend the best four to get you started. Here we go, in no particular order.
American Birding Podcast
Every other Thursday, Nate Swick of the American Birding Association (ABA) gives a brief rundown of recent rarities, like the Golden-crowned Sparrow that was discovered in Marion county last April, as well as ABA news and interviews with all sorts of birding characters – from ornithologists to big year birders. Episodes are previously recorded, edited down for clarity and flow, with a run-time between 25 to 45 minutes. Check out “How Photography Has Changed Birding,” published on Oct. 5, 2017.
BirdNote
Every day, BirdNote releases two-minute stories about birds, nature, and the environment. It’s that comprehensive, covering everything from history to myth, migration to nesting, and plumage to vocalizations. With thirteen years of material, the podcast’s success lies in its thoughtfully scripted yet digestible delivery. Birders of all ages and experience levels can enjoy BirdNote. Check out “What in the World is a Hoopoe?” (Sept. 2017).
This Birding Life
In This Birding Life, Bird Watcher’s Digest editor Bill Thompson, III, highlights a birding topic each podcast such as travel stories, birding festivals, and a visit to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Episodes are created once monthly and are approximately 45 minutes in length. There is also a visually enhanced version of the podcast on their website, which features images corresponding to the audio. Check out “An Interview with ABA President Jeff Gordon,” published on Sept. 25, 2017.
Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds
Headquartered in Massachusetts, Talkin’ Birds first aired in 2006 as a live, interactive radio show and has grown in popularity thanks in part to Talkin’ Birds ambassadors stretching across the country. Each 30-minute episode is broken into segments including a young birder’s report, short interviews, backyard bird feeding tips, and a mystery bird contest where listeners are tested on their identification skills. Most importantly, the whole family can enjoy Talkin’ Birds.
The aforementioned podcasts are some of the best available. To tune in, all you need is a computer or a smartphone to download or stream episodes online. As a bonus, podcast websites often feature links, visuals, and additional information in their show notes if you’re interested in diving deeper into the content. And if you enjoy one podcast in particular, there are smartphone apps such as iTunes or Google Play where you can subscribe to have new episodes delivered straight to your smartphone.
Listening to podcasts not only helps you stay current with what’s happening in the birding world while being productive during the downtime, but can also inspire the next time you lift your binoculars. Just remember: Even if you can’t get outside, there is always time for birds.
Author’s note: This article was originally published in the January/February 2018 issue of LifeLines, a publication of Amos Butler Audubon Society. There are now a plethora of excellent bird-related podcasts to choose from: Hannah and Erik Go Birding, Women Birders Happy Hour, Bird Sh*t, Fowl Mouth’s, Always Be Birdin’, The Birdy Bunch, Calling All Birds, Birding Tools, Wildlife Observer Network’s podcasts, and so much more.