During migration, some birds change orientation, often by a full 180 degrees, and travel almost the same distance — but in the opposite direction — as the rest of their species. The phenomenon is called misorientation. First-year birds are particularly susceptible. Many vagrant birds never…

On October 5, 2023, thousands of migrating songbirds died after crashing into the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and surrounding buildings. Co-host Deja Perkins will speak with Douglas Stotz, a conservation ecologist at the Chicago-based Field Museum about that…

Sculptor and musician Walter Kitundu first became enraptured by birds in 2005 when a Red-tailed Hawk flew four feet above his head. He named the bird Patch, after the white patch on the back of her head, and kept returning to the park to see her. Patch became used to Walter, accepting him…

Historically, birding spaces aren’t known to show diverse faces, races and even genders. But for the Chicago BIPOC Birders group, co-founder Daniela Herrera proves that what has always been isn’t always right. In this episode, Herrera shares with our host Deja Perkins why spaces for Black…

At the end of summer, the once-bright feathers of a male American Goldfinch look ragged. Growing new flight feathers in a process called molting makes him more vulnerable to predators. Before migrating to wintering grounds, many songbirds stop at a secondary location to undergo the…

How much do you know about the lives of female birds? And could you identify, say, a male Scarlet Tanager from a female? This episode’s host (and co-founder of the Galbatross Project), Purbita Saha, is here to explain why studying female birds is important. Joining her, ornithologist…

Each year, adults and children gather in Crosslake, Minnesota to celebrate the incredible sounds of the Common Loon — the state bird of the land of 10,000 lakes — by belting out their best impressions. Some of the most impressive competitors are in the Youth category, like 2023’s second…

Join us every other Wednesday for a new episode of Bring Birds Back! Meet this season’s co-hosts Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha, and learn about a wide range of topics from community activism in BIPOC birding spaces to regional and socioeconomic biases in the field of ornithology. From the…

Twice every day, a rapt audience gathers at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee to see six local celebrities: five ducks and the hotel’s head Duckmaster, Kenon Walker, who leads them in “The Duck March.” With John Philip Sousa music playing, the ducks march across a red carpet through…

The Maui Bird Conservation Center helps care for Hawai‘i’s critically endangered bird species, some of which have gone extinct in the wild. Jennifer Pribble, the center’s Wildlife Care Supervisor, lives onsite. A year ago, several wildfires broke out on Maui island in Hawai‘i, killing over…