Bring Birds Back artwork

Bring Birds Back

41 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 153 ratings

A show about the joy of birds and the ways that humans can help them through simple, everyday actions.

Nature Science Education natural sciences ornithology environmental justice environment birding birds conservation outdoor outdoors nature
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Episodes

A Will and a Wildway

February 07, 2024 10:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MB

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...

Stone-Cold Hydrilla

January 31, 2024 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

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 hos...

Your River’s Keeper

January 24, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MB

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 gues...

The Noise Report

January 17, 2024 10:00 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MB

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 infor...

Bring Birds Back Season 5

January 10, 2024 10:00 - 2 minutes - 2.51 MB

A special season of Bring Birds Back launches January 17th! Join our four guest hosts every Wednesday as they tackle a wide range of stories dedicated to habitat loss, pollution and climate change - and, of course, how it all affects our beloved birds. In support of BirdNote’s From Love to Action campaign, we hope this season inspires you to do something - big and small - to better ourselves, our beloved birds and the world we all reside in. Subscribe now to receive weekly updates this seaso...

Time, Age and Climate Change with Bill McKibben

July 05, 2023 07:00 - 39 minutes - 36.4 MB

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...

Reimagining Prison Pt. 2: Rehabilitating Butterflies and Minds

June 28, 2023 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.9 MB

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. ...

Reimagining Prison Pt. 1: Acoustic Birding and Sustainability

June 21, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MB

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 incarce...

Finding Belonging in the Great Outdoors

June 14, 2023 09:45 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB

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...

Let’s All Go to Gullah Geechee Sea Islands with Isaiah Scott

June 07, 2023 09:45 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MB

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. Th...

No Birds Were Harmed in the Making of this Podcast

May 31, 2023 09:45 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

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 con...

A.I. for Birds: A Lesson on Wind Farms

May 24, 2023 09:45 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MB

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 ...

The Zero Sum of it All with Corina Newsome

May 17, 2023 09:45 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MB

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 i...

Bring Birds Back Season 4

May 08, 2023 19:06 - 2 minutes - 2.35 MB

Season 4 of Bring Birds Back is here and it’s all about the relationship between humans and birds-- for better, for worse and the in-between! With conservationists like Bill McKibben and Corina Newsome, you’ll discover the effects of zero sum mentalities on climate change and how Millennials to Gen X can take charge. And not to leave out Gen-Z, bird-influencer Isaiah Scott shares his birding story and his influential connection to the Gullah Geechee people. Lean into the complexities of wind...

Bird Love Language

February 14, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB

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 language...

Mockingbirds from Constant Wonder

January 25, 2023 08:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MB

We’re happy to share a special feature from our friends at Constant Wonder. Hosted by Marcus Smith, their "Mockingbirds" episode takes you through the complexity of mockingbird songs and why these birds mix hundreds of songs together using sophisticated musical techniques. Constant Wonder’s guiding principle is based on the idea that encounters with wonder and awe are real and spark a sense of mystery and surprise, and the show celebrates these experiences. Darwin hated peacocks because he ...

This is Your Brain on Birds

November 23, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

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 resear...

The Birds and the Trees

November 16, 2022 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB

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, an...

The Fascinating World of Bird Behavior

November 09, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MB

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 ...

The Streaming Sanctuary

November 02, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB

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 c...

Spooky Birds That Squawk in the Dark

October 26, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MB

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 BirdNot...

Birding on the Hill

October 19, 2022 09:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MB

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 ...

Bring Birds Back Season 3

October 05, 2022 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.71 MB

Bring Birds Back returns for a third season! In this exciting new chapter, host Tenijah Hamilton explores the many different ways people of all backgrounds are looking out for birds – from online to on Capitol Hill. Follow Tenijah's journey as she continues to explore her relationship with nature and birds and learns how to fully embrace it through humor and curiosity. Stream the Season 3 premiere of Bring Birds Back Wednesday, October 19th on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to...

Bird Heroes

July 06, 2022 07:00 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MB

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 ...

Birding is for Every Body

June 29, 2022 09:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MB

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 ...

How to Be a More Ethical Birder

June 22, 2022 09:00 - 21 minutes - 20 MB

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 ho...

Finding Your Flock

June 15, 2022 07:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MB

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 tra...

The Past, Present, and Future of Purple Martins

June 08, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MB

Purple Martins and people have a long history. Native Americans started a practice of providing homes for the birds, which was copied by European colonizers. But those colonizers released invasive species and cleared habitats to the point that the species is entirely reliant on man-made housing. Tenijah talks to Kelly Applegate, Director of Natural Resources for the Mille-Lacs band of Ojibwe about the history of Purple Martins; Joe Siegrist, president of the Purple Martin Conservation Associ...

What's in a Name?

June 01, 2022 09:00 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MB

Names have power. In North America, more than 100 species of birds have eponymous names, many honoring white colonizers. The “Bird Names for Birds” movement to change these names, or “verbal statues,” can be traced to Ph.D candidate Robert Driver’s 2018 proposal about the Thick-billed Longspur (then called McCown’s Longspur, named for a confederate general). More bird name changes are coming, albeit slowly — and some environmental organizations named after colonizers are following suit. One ...

Lights Out

May 25, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MB

Migratory birds use starlight to find their way on their long journeys — which makes light pollution a serious threat. Drawn off course by bright, artificial lighting, birds can wind up fatally colliding with windows or wasting precious time and energy that they need to survive. “Lights Out” programs get cities and their residents to turn off nonessential lighting during migration seasons which can help make their journeys a little easier (and save energy!). BirdCast, a tool that can forecas...

The Bird Journey Continues!

May 18, 2022 09:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MB

Tenijah got hooked on birding at the start of the pandemic, and during the last season of Bring Birds Back she learned a lot about our feathered friends. This season, she’s ready to learn and share more simple ways to help birds — while discovering new birding skills from experts. After going birding with her mom and not seeing much, Tenijah wants to know how to better find and identify birds around her. Conor Gearin, managing producer of BirdNote Daily, joins Tenijah to teach her how to ide...

Bring Birds Back Season 2

May 04, 2022 08:00 - 2 minutes - 1.94 MB

Last year, Tenijah Hamilton discovered her love of birds – and found out that birds are in trouble. On a mission to help bring birds back, Tenijah joined bird enthusiasts from different backgrounds, identities, and communities to learn and share simple, everyday actions people can take to help the birds that bring us all joy. Follow Tenijah's journey as Bring Birds Back returns for a second season on May 18th -  she brings more tips and helpful information about what we can do to make the wo...

How Can We Protect Birds From Plastics?

August 25, 2021 09:00 - 22 minutes - 21 MB

In our season finale, Tenijah to Tybee Island off the Georgia coast for a day at the beach... picking up trash. She joins Tim Arnold, founder of Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers, to see first hand how plastics and trash can pose a threat to migratory shorebirds and marine life. And she speaks with Kelly Martin, Texas Coastal Outreach Coordinator at American Bird Conservancy, about some of the actions we can take to solve our problem with plastics. Learn more: More about the Break Free From Pla...

How Can Coffee Help Birds?

August 11, 2021 09:30 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MB

Host Tenijah Hamilton hears firsthand from coffee grower Oswaldo Acevedo in Colombia how shade-grown coffee farms offer better wildlife habitat and working conditions than most industrial coffee plantations. She speaks to Ruth Bennett and Justine Bowe from the Smithsonian Institute Migratory Bird Center about the science behind the Bird Friendly Coffee certification, how bird friendly coffee growers benefit birds and other wildlife, how to find bird friendly coffee near you, and the goal to ...

How Can Native Plants Help Birds?

July 28, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MB

Host Tenijah Hamilton joins volunteers from Georgia Audubon and Trees Atlanta who are planting wildflowers and grasses along an urban rail trail, where she learns how native plants can provide food and shelter for birds within cities. She talks to ecologist Desiree Narango about why birds depend on plants, and how we can transform our backyards and shared green spaces to serve the needs of both people and birds. Related Resources: Check out the Native Plant Finder Find native plants in your...

For Birds to Win, Do Cats Have to Lose? – Part 2

July 14, 2021 09:15 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MB

The second of this two-part segment pulls apart the issues with cats and birds. Host Tenijah Hamilton gets an overview of how outdoor cats affect bird populations, why it’s such a controversial issue, and what’s to be done about it. She discusses this with producer Mark Bramhill and guests including Karen Krauss, and Joe Liebezeit. BirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and...

For Birds to Win, Do Cats Have to Lose? – Part 1

June 30, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MB

The first of this two-part episode pulls apart the issues with cats and birds. Producer Mark Bramhill gives Tenijah  an overview of how outdoor cats affect bird populations, why it’s such a controversial issue, and what’s to be done about it. Guests including “The Cat Daddy,” Jackson Galaxy, and Dr. Peter Marra. BirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support Bir...

Can We Make Our Cities Safer For Birds?

June 16, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MB

Tenijah talks with NYC Audubon Senior Conservation Biologist Kaitlyn Parkins and Seattle Audubon Urban Conservation Manager Joshua Morris to break down the challenge that glass in our built environment poses to birds, how a local solution is becoming a national policy, and what you can do to support it. If you find a dead or injured bird, you can make an important contribution to bird mortality research by filing a report on dBird Learn about how you can support the Bird-Safe Buildings Act...

Who Is Birding For?

June 02, 2021 15:46 - 23 minutes - 22 MB

In the second installment of Bring Birds Back, host Tenijah Hamilton and Sheridan Alford, co-founder of Black Birders Week, talk about how to celebrate Black people who love birds. Then they get out into the wilds of Georgia in search of, you guessed it, birds. Check out the #ForTheBirds Birding Playlist! Stream the official Sheridan Alford × BirdNote birding playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. Visit BlackAFinSTEM's official schedule for Black Birders Week   BirdNote is an independent ...

How Do We Know that Birds are in Trouble?

May 19, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MB

In the inaugural episode of Bring Birds Back, host Tenijah Hamilton gets to know biostatistician Dr. Adam C. Smith, coauthor of the study that found we’ve lost 3 billion birds in North America in the last fifty years, and helps us wrap our heads around that gigantic number. The good news? There are lots of ways to help. Bring Birds Back is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Resources: Get involved in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count Find your local Audubon Society Get connecte...

Introducing Bring Birds Back

May 05, 2021 16:00 - 2 minutes - 2.02 MB

Like many birders, host Tenijah Hamilton discovered her love of birds during the pandemic. Now she invites listeners to join her in appreciating the beauty and mystery of the birds all around us and taking action on their behalf. Tenijah speaks with bird enthusiasts from many different backgrounds, identities, and communities. Listeners learn with her how to bring birds back.

Twitter Mentions

@birdnoteradio 1 Episode
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