Will's Birdbrain Will Valentine

Ready to wind down after a great day of birding? Here's Will's Birdbrain Bedtime Stories Vol. 1 to help you fall asleep and dream about birds!

Inside you'll find the following tales:

The Nightingale (1:08)
The Alkonost and the Siren (19:00)
The Story of the Bluebird (26:25)

Thank you very much for a wonderful season 2! Please accept this Christmas gift to you. Season two was certainly more focused on the conversation portion of the discussion, but I do love telling you stories. I tried to select a fun variety for this collection, they're a bit sad, a lot hopeful, a little creepy. Let me know which is your favorite, and if you'd like a volume 2! See you next year!

Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories!
--> Will's Birdbrain Instagram Page Will's Birdbrain Shop --

Love the show? Consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: WBB Patreon

Huge shout out to Kayta, Catherine, Josh, Shane, Margi,  Karene, and Ricardo for being Patrons and keeping the common critters in mind!
Support the show

Knock knock - who's there? - season - season who? - no, season two finale!
 
Season two has been quite the journey! From learning about migratory butterbutts, to vibin' out to the chill beats of Stressers, every episode has been a fantastic conversation with knowledgeable guests, but at times they got a little heavy. Talking about hard sciences and social issues can be equal parts rewarding and draining. Because of that, sending  off season two is a fun-filled light hearted episode full of jokes and stories!

Fan-favorite guest Kayta joins Will for a goofy conversation about the adorable downy woodpecker! Downy woodpeckers are friendly, fascinating common birds. Where do they live? What do they eat? How do you identify them when they look so similar to other species? Kayta and Will address all of this and more between some pretty silly bird jokes.

Some of the jokes shared in this episode were sent in from WBB Instagram followers! Their handles are:
@birds_of_bean
@missus.blunt
@danature.pnw
@birder_ks

The Story of the Maple Tree
 
Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories!
--> Will's Birdbrain Instagram Page Will's Birdbrain Shop --

Love the show? Consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: WBB Patreon

Huge shout out to Kayta, Catherine, Josh, Shane, Margi,  Karene, and Ricardo for being Patrons and keeping the common critters in mind!
Support the show

Are you afraid of the dark? How about ghosts or zombies? If these spooky terrors don’t send a shiver down your spine tune into this chilling Will’s Birdbrain episode to discover something truly terrifying – the possibility of extinction! 
In true classic horror movie fashion, this is a drive-in double feature episode showcasing two birds of the day and a very special guest, uncle Jared, host of Ghostlore of Hawaii: Paranormal Paradise! The Ghostlore of Hawaii is a paranormal-themed podcast covering Hawaii's ghost stories, folklore, ancient mythology, and true crime. First, Will and Jared learn about the Nene, Hawaii’s state bird. The nene was once abundant on the islands of Hawaii before disaster struck… Next up the common myna swoops in to share the spotlight, bringing with it a trail of destruction. Both birds call Hawaii home today but can they learn to coexist? 
Will and Jared then compare the history of these resident birds to the people of Hawaii, yesterday and today. How has the culture of Hawaii changed over the years? What shocking threats loom over the heads of residents? To close us out Jared shares a terrifying story from his show, Ghostlore of Hawaii, which can be found wherever you get your podcasts (trigger warning: self-harm). 
Happy Halloweeeeeen!!
 
Want to support these two independent podcasters? Consider joining the Ghostlore of Hawaii’s Patreon for bonus episodes, supplemental show updates, and more! 
https://www.patreon.com/ghostloreofhawaii
Ghostlore: https://www.ghostloreofhawaii.com/

Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories! https://www.instagram.com/wills_birdbrain/?hl=en

Got a favorite bird you'd like to hear discussed on the Podcast? Shoot Will an email and let him know what you'd like to hear, share a birding story, or just say what's up! Email inquiries - willsbirdbrain@gmail.com

Will's Birdbrain has merch! Consider grabbing a sticker or two of your favorite common bird! Proceeds will go straight into funding more episodes and spreading the joy of birding!
Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/WillsBirdbrain?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1361667746

Love the show, consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: https://www.patreon.com/willsbirdbrain

Huge shout out to Kayta, Catherine, Josh, Shane, Margi, and Karene for being Patrons and keeping the common critters in mind!
Support the show

Ornithology. Herpetology. Mammalogy. When you hear these words what do you think of? You’re probably aware of the meaning behind the suffix “ology,” meaning “the study of,” which may make you think these words solely refer to rigorous scientific study, test tubes and all. What if I told you an ology such as ornithology, the study of birds, doesn’t have to be so alien. 
Joining Will is Meg, a socioecological researcher and scientist whose work has taken her far and wide exploring the connection between people and nature, and creatures and nature. 

This episode explores a common yet awe-inspiring, giant bird- the great blue heron! GBH are adored throughout North America for their ability to transport people back to the prehistoric era and experience what it may have been like to witness dinosaurs. Will and Meg discuss some quirky facts about heron nesting, confusingly similar subspecies, and a whole lot of other cool, herony facts! After learning about the GBH it's easy to see how a tiny spark of interest in the scientific world, or birds, can ignite a lifelong passion for learning! Great blue herons are key indicator species- species with a lot of data on them which can be used to gauge the health of an ecosystem. What kind of DIY research can you conduct relating to this important bird? 

Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories! https://www.instagram.com/wills_birdbrain/?hl=en

Got a favorite bird you'd like to hear discussed on the Podcast? Shoot Will an email and let him know what you'd like to hear, share a birding story, or just say what's up! Email inquiries - willsbirdbrain@gmail.com

Will's Birdbrain has merch! Consider grabbing a sticker or two of your favorite common bird! Proceeds will go straight into funding more episodes and spreading the joy of birding!
Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/WillsBirdbrain?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1361667746

Love the show, consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: https://www.patreon.com/willsbirdbrain

Huge shout out to Kayta, Catherine, Josh, Shane, Margi, and Karene for being Patrons and keeping the common critters in mind!
Support the show

Owls are possibly the most mysterious of all birds. They have captivated the minds of man for thousands of years, resulting in countless myths and legends about their peculiar behavior. Perhaps the most mysterious of all owls is also the most common owl and the most widespread landbird in the world, the barn owl!

Join Will and Leslie, a budding birder, as they discuss why you should give a "hoot" about the barn owl. These curious critters are deadly killing machines, but that doesn't mean they aren't facing their own challenges of human making. Come learn about the barn owl's almost supernature senses, social behaviors, threats they face, and more!

Leslie adds to the spookiness with stories from her Tejano/Mesoamerican background, including the story of the infamous lechuza, the shapeshifting owl-witch. Turn on your nightlight and hug the comforter extra tight this episode as owl's more bizarre and eerie cultural legends are discussed.


Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories! https://www.instagram.com/wills_birdbrain/?hl=en

Got a favorite bird you'd like to hear discussed on the Podcast? Shoot Will an email and let him know what you'd like to hear, share a birding story, or just say what's up! Email inquiries - willsbirdbrain@gmail.com

Will's Birdbrain has merch! Consider grabbing a sticker or two of your favorite common bird! Proceeds will go straight into funding more episodes and spreading the joy of birding!
Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/WillsBirdbrain?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1361667746

Love the show, consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: https://www.patreon.com/willsbirdbrain

Huge shout out to Kayta, Catherine, Josh, Shane, Margi, and Karene for being Patrons and keeping the common critters in mind! 
Support the show

Did you know? Will’s Birdbrain not only celebrates the common birds you may see every day but the common people you see everyday as well! Over the course of the podcast my guests and I have highlighted specific ways you can live and breathe birding simply by existing. From making movies featuring birds to studying them professionally, everyone can use their experience to uplift the voice of the voiceless. This sentiment can be applied to the supplemental theme of Will’s Birdbrain as well- birding is for everyone! This episode is about making noise, something today’s bird of the day is very good at doing!

Joining me is Dara Wilson, a conservation communications specialist who has used her voice to make the world of birding a better place for marginalized people in her community. Dara  is a naturalist, science educator, and co-chair of the Black Birders Week Advisory Group. Together Will and Dara discuss a bird you hear would likely hear before you see- the blue jay! These chatty rabble-rousers are much more than meets the eye, and can teach us a thing or two about helping the friends around us.


Want to watch Will's discussion with black podcasters during Black Birders' Week as mentioned in this episode? Check the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBl3hBftA3Y&list=PL3NlhCdvgOprn4XbEKO8EEu4ob-ZdpqUB&index=7

Be sure to check out the Will's Birdbrain Instagram account for complementary episode photos and videos, plus many other awesome bird photos/stories! https://www.instagram.com/wills_birdbrain/?hl=en

Got a favorite bird you'd like to hear discussed on the Podcast? Shoot Will an email and let him know what you'd like to hear, share a birding story, or just say what's up! Email inquiries - willsbirdbrain@gmail.com

Will's Birdbrain has merch! Consider grabbing a sticker or two of your favorite common bird! Proceeds will go straight into funding more episodes and spreading the joy of birding!
Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/WillsBirdbrain?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1361667746

Love the show, consider supporting me on Patreon! Your support and interest is extremely helpful and encouraging! The goal of the Podcast is to share the love of birds, so be sure to share with your friends and family too. Together let's show some love to these common critters that so often get overlooked. I cannot do it without you.
Click the link to sign up: https://www.patreon.com/willsbirdbrain

Don't forget to keep up with the common critters!
Support the show