The American Birding Podcast

American Birding Association
  • 4.7 (598)
  • NATURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The American Birding Podcast

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 Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.

  1. 5D AGO

    09-11: Random Birds XIV with Ted Floyd

    Birding editor Ted Floyd is back for another edition of Random Birds. Ted and Nate talk about avocets, sparrows, and more with the help of a random number generator and a big list of birds. Plus, some talk about the brand-new National Geographic guides written by Ted Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    1h 2m

  2. MAR 6

    09-10: The Power of Bird Data with Jer Thorp

    Birders know about Big Data. We’re all familiar with eBird and the Avian Knowledge Network, but the Christmas Bird Count or the Breeding Bird Survey are giant pools of data that inform everything from conservation decisions to where to spend time tomorrow morning. But how can we use that data to encourage new birders or convince policy-makers to care about birds. It's something data artist Jer Thorp likes to think about. He is among other things, the New York Time’s first Data Artist in residence, and the creator of Bincoulars and Binomials and the author of the upcoming We Were Out Counting Birds. Also, a new discovery about bird brains could have huge impacts about what we can learn about bird intelligence. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    39 min

  3. FEB 27

    09-09: This Month in Birding - February 2025

    February brings an all-star lineup to This Month in Birding, with long-time friends Jody Allair, Nick Lund, and Jordan Rutter joining us to talk about all manner of birdy topics. The panel discuss the latest birding news including bird communication, low-impact journals, snakeskin in bird nests, and our favorite signs of spring, even if the season itself seems far off.  Also, our 2025 slate of ABA Community Weekends is up. Come join us this year! LInks to items discussed this month: Evaluating biotic and abiotic drivers of avian community mobbing responses along urban gradients in Southern California Snakeskin Isn’t Just a Fashion Statement for Birds Want to get a species protected? Publish in a small, niche journal Songbirds socialize on the wing during migration, study suggests Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    1h 3m

  4. FEB 20

    09-08: Urban Owls and More with Christian Cooper

    The broader birding community was first introduced to Christian Cooper though the documentary The Central Park Effect, where he featured as one of eclectic crew of Central Park birders. Since then, his memoir, Better Living Through Birding and his Emmy-winning NatGeo program Extraordinary Birder, have seen his star only rise. His most recent project is a children’s book, once again focusing on Central Park called The Urban Owls: How Flaco and Friends Made the City Their Home, written by Cooper and illustrated by Kristen Adam. He joins me today to talk books, television, and what Central Park means to him.  Also, recent federal funding freezes and firings will likely have large impacts on birds and birders.  Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    49 min

  5. FEB 13

    09-07: 2024 ABA Rare Bird Draft with Amy Davis & Tim Healy

    It's time to talk 2024 ABA Area Rarities! This episode is our annual attempt to look back on all the exciting rare bird observations and trends of the previous year. It ended up being a very good year for rarities and North American Birds editor Amy Davis and educator and writer at The Nemesis Bird Tim Healy are here to share their favorites.  Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    1h 1m

  6. FEB 6

    09-06: Habitats for Birders with Iain Campbell and Phil Chaon

    We love a good field guide around these parts. The more unique, the better.  Phil Chaon and Iain Campbell have certainly done that with their new book, Habitats of North America; A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists. It's a spin-off of sorts, from their 2021 book Habitats of the World and is a deep and detailed look at some of the place that we love to bird and experience nature. They join us to talk about why birders should pay attention to habitats, but also why birds are the perfect proxy for learning about habitats.  Also, USAID is one of the most effective conservation agencies in the US government, and its loss would be tragic for birders, birders, and biodiversity.  Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    52 min

  7. JAN 30

    09-05: This Month in Birding - January 2025

    Welcome to the new year! For this month's This Month in Birding, we welcome an all star panel of naturalists and writers to talk about the month's bird news. Rebecca Heisman, Dexter Patterson, and Sarah Swanson join host Nate Swick to talk about loons, mosquito killing birds, cold weather birding tips, and much more! Links to items discussed in this episode: A focus on females can improve science and conservation Coated seeds turn birds into mosquito-killing machines  Drivers of agricultural producers' tolerance towards less-charismatic avian species Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    1 hr

  8. JAN 23

    09-04: From Dinos to Birds with Christopher DiPiazza

    For many of us, an interest in birds and nature started with an interest in dinosaurs. Which is approriate since that's the path modern birds took when they became birds. We still don't know a lot about how dinosaurs looked and lived, but it stands to reason that if one were looking to recreate things that came before and are no longer with us that you would want to look at their closest living relatives. That is, in fact what my guest Christopher DiPiazza, of Prehistoric Beast of the Week, is all about. He is a middle school teacher and a dinosaur educator, but also a birder and paleoartist. We talk about the overlap between bird science and dino science and how he creates prehistoric art based on the birds he watches.  Also, are you getting burnt out on social media? Perhaps give ABA Community a try! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!

    54 min
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4.7
out of 5
598 Ratings

About

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 Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.

Information

  • Creator
    American Birding Association
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2025
  • Episodes
    335
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © American Birding Association
  • Show Website
    The American Birding Podcast

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