Life List: A Birding Podcast

It’s bird taxonomy season! Splits and lumps with Marshall Iliff

We're back with a perennial favorite episode: Digging into some of the most noteworthy changes in species with this year's AviList taxonomy update! Listen in to

Galapagos in an El Niño year, Colombia birding, and snorkeling for birders

We're catching up on tales from the field as we return home between birding tours.  Donate to #BirdersTogether to support Colombians in the aftermath of the recent

Pollinators for birds: Tips and traps with Doug Tallamy

We're excited to be joined by Douglas Tallamy, author of many bestsellers including Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope, and the founder of Homegrown Na

Advanced birding: How to study birds you've already identified

George and Alvaro are catching up on their recent birding, and new things they've discovered along the way. We hope this inspires you to take a closer look (or liste

What bird conservation successes can teach us with Scott Weidensaul

As is the case with many beautiful things in this world, some of the biggest successes in conservation result from the toughest challenges that birds and wildlife face. P

Interpreting migration data, cataloging our backyards, and El Niño predictions

Mollee, Alvaro, and George are catching up in a classic hangout episode. Join us in conversations about why we call this podcast Life List, the birds and other wildlife i

How we became bird guides: Alex Harper interviews George, Mollee, and Alvaro

This week, we’re turning the tables. Instead of interviewing a guest, Alex Harper takes over hosting duties and puts the Life List Podcast hosts in the hot seats to chat

Our biggest spring migration birding surprises

Birds - crabs - fish - mammals...oh my! Spring birding gets us out there and finding all sorts of things. Alvaro, Mollee, and George are catching up on stories from their

The expanding science of avian perception with Ed Yong

If you've read anything by Ed Yong, you know that he tackles the challenge of explaining some of the most difficult-to-grasp concepts in the animal world in ways tha

Birding the Eastern Himalayas, a backyard Long-eared Owl, and safari adventures with Jason Hall

Jason Hall is back on the podcast to talk about mid-April spring migration, backyard adventures, and time on the other side of the world in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, I

An evolutionary biology perspective on pair bonding - in birds and humans - with Bryony Angell and Wenfei Tong

Another classic Life List episode: a recipe of biological and ecological facts, rabbit holes, and a healthy dose of talk about life! Bryony Angell wrote The Migratory Sui

Middle East birding, missiles, and Mollee's long way home

Mollee sat down with Alvaro to recount her visit to the UAE that was cut short when the US/Iran war broke out. From here, she talks about the journey to get out of the Mi

Tour mishaps, life bird tales, and combining concerts and birding with Bonner Black

Bonner Black is back! If you need a little quality hang with your birding friends, we've got you covered.  A few links:  Check out all of Bonner's music and m

Ship-assisted birds, South American travel, and watching winter shift

George and Alvaro are chatting about recent birds in their backyards, ABA rarities, sparrow speciation, recent South American travels, and more! At the end of this episo

Why visible migration matters: migration counts and seawatch tales with Allison Vilag

Allison has worked coast to (Great Lakes) coast for years, and today, we're chatting about tales from the field and lessons learned from endless days of visible migr

Winter birding, subsistence hunting, and a backyard bird feeding debate

New this episode: Check out our chapters in Apple Podcasts to preview our conversation! The gang's all here to chat about winter birding, from backyard feeders to c

Blending science, art, and humor to celebrate nature with Rosemary Mosco

We are delighted to be joined by Rosemary Mosco, acclaimed science writer and naturalist, to chat about obscure bird facts, a love of pigeons, and yes, whale poop.  Chec

Our favorite birding experiences of 2025

It's our first-ever year end special! We recount our favorite birds, moments, wildlife, and even sounds of the year. And we get a little sidetracked with other tidbi

How birds shape our lives and landscapes with Stephen Moss

This episode, we're joined by Stephen Moss, who shares his delightful insights into why birds around the world and in our backyards are equally important to us.  Ch

Hawkwatch experiences and birding parallel landscapes with Joshua Covill

This episode, we’re joined by Joshua Covill: birding guide, hawkwatcher, and all-around mountain wanderer. Josh is sharing stories from Montana's Jewel Basin and bey