BirdNote Daily

Letter to an Olive-sided Flycatcher

In this episode, ornithologist J. Drew Lanham reads a letter he has written to an Olive-sided Flycatcher, a beloved bird that he pleads with to visit the dead pine tree o

Arctic Dispatch: Sandpipers Sing at Teshekpuk Lake

In the summer of 2026, conservation photographer Gerrit Vyn visited a remote wilderness called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. He spent much of June at Teshekpu

Wilson’s Warbler near Summer’s End

By early August, the rich yellow of the feathers of the Wilson's Warbler seems to flash in every forest thicket. Despite predators and weather, many pairs of adults have

Migration: Long, Short, and In-Between

In September, this Arctic Tern flies from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Rufous Hummingbirds follow pathways of mountain wildflowers, from as far north as Alaska south

Arctic Dispatch: Long-tailed Ducks at Teshekpuk Lake

In the summer of 2026, conservation photographer Gerrit Vyn visited a remote wilderness called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. He spent much of June at Teshekpu

Jaegers Give Chase in September

A tern or gull plunges headfirst into the water, then bounces aloft grasping a small fish in its bill. But before the bird can swallow its catch, a Parasitic Jaeger swoop

Truffle-Hunting Birds

With their excellent sense of smell, pigs are renowned for sniffing out truffles, a fungus that grows underground and is prized for its taste. But it turns out that some

Birding 101: Birding Without Leaving Home

You don’t need fancy binoculars or lavish trips abroad to look for birds. In fact, you don’t even have to leave home — you can enjoy the birds out the window every day. A

Spark Bird: Em De Blas and the Vermilion Flycatcher

Em De Blas has years of experience leading bird outings with Chicago BIPOC Birders, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and the Urban Birding Festival. But their birding

Hearing Birdsong Can Help Decrease Anxiety

Many people would tell you that hearing birdsong puts them in a good mood. Recently, scientists have tried to put numbers to this effect that many of us have noticed. One

Nighttime Flights of Songbirds

Some cloudless night in September, when the air is clear, you may see birds flying across the yellow face of the moon! September is peak migration time for millions of so

BirdNoir: Who’s Soaring Overhead?

In this episode of BirdNoir, Private Eye Michael Stein helps a lakefront resident get to know the avian neighbor that’s been flying by each day. More info and transcript

The Crafty Carolina Wren

Though half the size of a robin, the Carolina Wren has a powerful singing voice that seems to come from a much bigger bird. Many people remember their song with the phras

Lyrebirds Shift the Earth

Beavers are well known as ecosystem engineers in North America. In Australia, lyrebirds play a big role in shaping their environment when they use their toes to dig in th

Nictitating Membranes — Nature's Goggles

For most birds, keen eyesight is critical for survival. But many birds lead lives that can be very hard on the eyes — like flying at breakneck speed, racing for cover int

Share The Shore With Birds

Nothing says summer like a day at the beach. Whether you’re lounging by a lake or enjoying a seaside vacation, listen to this episode to learn five things you can do to s

Stowaway Birds

When they migrate, tiny songbirds that spend most of their lives on land fly hundreds of miles over the ocean at a stretch – and they get tired. Research suggests that bi

Spark Bird: Jay Inslee and the Western Meadowlark

Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee has been around birds his entire life. But he says it wasn’t until his early 30s that a bird really caught his attention. In this ep

Why Do Dippers Dip?

Why does the American Dipper dip? One possibility is that the dipper's repetitive bobbing, against a background of turbulent water, helps conceal the bird's image from pr

Puffling Patrol

Just off the southern coast of Iceland, the Westman Islands are home to many of the country’s several million Atlantic Puffins. When puffin hatchlings, known as pufflings