Image: The Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown Graphic featuring images of David Sibley and H. Jon Benjamin

Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!

Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!

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Shows With Contributions by Jonese Franklin

Marsh Wren stands on tree branch

Hearing From BirdNote Listeners

We know for many listeners, BirdNote is part of your everyday routine. But don’t take our word for it. Let Michael and Mary Ann tell you what BirdNote means to them. And, if you feel the same way, you can support BirdNote's storytelling here.
Female-Booted Racket-tail hovers with beak inside orange flower

Support the Things You Love

At BirdNote, we believe that the more that people learn about birds, the more likely they are to take steps to protect them. Listeners like you have supported BirdNote for 20 years. Support our Spring Fund Drive with a donation of any amount to help us create informative, inspiring stories…
American Crow in flight against a blue background

BirdNoir: The Mystery of Public Media Funding

In this episode of BirdNoir, the Private Eye gets a call from his pal Roy asking to know how BirdNote stays on the air. His wife says the show is funded by listener donations, but Roy can’t believe it. Roy even made a bet that he’d make a donation himself if her story were true. The…
American Robin stands on branch holding red berry in its beak

Short and Sweet!

We know you’ve got a busy schedule, which is why our team at BirdNote produces fun, sound-rich episodes about the natural world in less than two minutes each day. For 20 years, BirdNote has shared the joy and wonder of birds with millions of people. Help us continue this work with a…
A nest in a tree, surrounded by branches

Field Sparrow Nests Climb Higher and Higher

Field Sparrows make use of all the warm months of the year by building multiple nests each breeding season. Females will build their first, cup-shaped nest near the ground in dense grasses. As shrubs and trees grow their leaves throughout the summer, they will pick new spots higher off the…
Red-winged Blackbird perches on a thin branch, with beak open

Spark Bird: Christian Cooper’s Red-Winged Blackbird

Christian Cooper wasn’t always interested in birds. His parents were teachers, his dad a science teacher, so nature was always part of his life. When he was a kid, his parents made him take a woodshop class, where he had to build something. So he decided to build a birdfeeder and hang it…
Amy Tan sits in a chair in her backyard, holding binoculars up to her face while writing in a notebook

How Writer Amy Tan Fell in Love with Birds

Amy Tan is a world-renowned writer of fiction and non-fiction. She’s best-known for her 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, which was later adapted into a movie. Her latest book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, is a collection of essays and illustrations she made about the birds in her own…
A Canda Goose on the left, a Cackling Goose on the right

Birding 101: Don’t Get Discouraged by Lookalikes

If you’re a new birder and find yourself feeling confused by lookalike birds, don’t be too hard on yourself. Some bird species look almost identical, and some of the most advanced birders get stumped. BirdNote is supported by the Tuttleman Foundation and by generous listeners like you.
Common Grackle faces right, perched on branch

Sympathy for the Grackle

Many people become birders by way of backyard feeders, including BirdNote’s Content Director Jonese Franklin. And while she loves to watch Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays pay a visit for some seed, she’s also enchanted by species that some folks would call “nuisance birds,” especially the…
Bring Birds Back Season 6 Episode 6

Let’s Talk About Bird Flu

Avian flu, better known as bird flu, has been in news headlines all of 2024. Still, many questions remain for the general public. What is it? What’s causing it? How is it spreading? And how serious should we be taking this public health matter? Our co-hosts Purbita Saha and Deja Perkins…