This week we’re diving into a fascinating forest bird—the Varied Thrush. If you’ve ever wandered through the deep, mossy conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest, you might’ve heard their haunting, single-note whistles echoing through the understory. These birds are usually right at home along the West Coast, from Alaska down through northern California… which is why things got very interesting when a Varied Thrush recently showed up all the way in New York.

So today, we’re talking a lot about vagrancy—why some birds wander far outside their typical range.

Along the way, we also drift into some fascinating side conversations about sampling methods —how researchers collect data from poop, what those approaches can tell us.

And stick around, because we’ve got a fun announcement about an upcoming episode that you won’t want to miss.

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What is that sad, haunting "coo" coming from your backyard?

There's a good chance it's a Mourning Dove.

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're exploring one of the most familiar—and frequently heard—birds in North America: the Mourning Dove.

Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore Mourning Dove calls, behavior, nesting, diet, migration, flight, and the adaptations that have helped these birds become so widespread.

Why are they called Mourning Doves? Why do Mourning Doves make that sad cooing sound? Do Mourning Doves mate for life? Why do their wings whistle when they fly? What do they eat? And why do Mourning Dove nests sometimes look so surprisingly flimsy?

We also explore the difference between the Mourning Dove's famous call and another sound people frequently hear—the distinctive whistle produced by its wings during flight.

Mourning Doves are so common that they're easy to overlook, but their biology and behavior are far more interesting than you might expect.

If you've heard a mysterious coo outside your window, watched a pair of doves at your backyard feeder, or wondered why these birds seem to be everywhere, this episode will give you a new appreciation for one of North America's most recognizable backyard birds.

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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re exploring one of the rarest, most extraordinary birds on the planet: the spoon-billed sandpiper—a tiny shorebird with one of nature’s most fascinating evolutionary surprises.

If you caught our recent YouTube video where John compared a Roseate Spoonbill at the Field Museum to the delicate spoon-billed sandpiper specimen, you already know we love a good convergent evolution story. Two completely unrelated birds… both evolving their own version of a spoon-shaped bill. Nature never misses.

In this episode, we go deeper:
 • How the spoon-billed sandpiper lives
 • Why this critically endangered species is so incredibly rare
 • The conservation challenges pushing it to the brink
 • And what makes this small shorebird so endlessly remarkable

Join married couple Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett, curators of birds at Chicago’s world-renowned Field Museum, along with RJ Pole, and his wife Amanda, as we unpack the science, stories, and pure wonder behind the spoon-billed sandpiper.

Whether you’re a birder, nature lover, museum nerd, or curious listener, this episode is packed with insights into one of the most unique birds on Earth.

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How fast can a Golden Eagle fly—and just how powerful are these enormous raptors?

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into the incredible world of the Golden Eagle, one of the largest, fastest, and most powerful birds of prey in North America.

Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore Golden Eagle speed, hunting, eyesight, size, migration, behavior, and the remarkable adaptations that make these birds such effective predators.

We get into some of the biggest questions about Golden Eagles: How fast can a Golden Eagle dive? How big are they? What do Golden Eagles hunt? How good is their eyesight? Are Golden Eagles dangerous to humans? And how can you tell a Golden Eagle from an immature Bald Eagle?

RJ and Amanda also share their experience seeing Golden Eagles in Arizona—an unforgettable encounter with one of North America's most spectacular raptors.

From their enormous wingspan to their incredible hunting abilities, Golden Eagles are built to dominate the skies. This episode explores the science and natural history behind one of the world's most impressive birds of prey.

Whether you're a birder, a raptor fan, or you've ever wondered just how powerful an eagle really is, this episode is for you.

From breathtaking aerial speed to nesting habits and migration routes, we explore what makes this bird one of the most awe-inspiring birds in the world. Plus, we dive into listener feedback on John’s Olive-sided Flycatcher episode — a fan favorite that continues to inspire birders everywhere!

Tune in for stories of love, science, and soaring wings.

🎧 Birds of a Feather Talk Together — where ornithology meets storytelling, every week.

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Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Hosted by ornithologists and curators of birds at the Field Museum John Bates and Shannon Hackett, who are married, and also new birders RJ and Amanda Pole. 

Today we’re focusing on a fascinating species — the palm-nut vulture.

This is a bird John has been eager to highlight, and once you learn more about it, it’s easy to see why. Found in Africa, palm-nut vultures don’t eat carrion, but instead their diet is mostly plant based. 

They’re also striking in appearance — mostly white plumage, a sharp contrast to the darker vultures many of us picture — and they’re truly impressive to observe in the wild.

John has had the opportunity to see palm-nut vultures in the wild, and today he’ll share firsthand insight into their behavior and ecology.

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That echoing, haunting call drifting across a northern lake at dusk — few sounds in nature are as unforgettable as the common loon. In this listener-requested episode, RJ, John, Shannon, and Amanda dive into the world of these striking waterbirds. From their red eyes and black-and-white plumage to their incredible diving and parenting skills, loons are true masters of life on the water.

Grab a cup of coffee, settle in lakeside, and join us for a relaxing, fact-filled conversation about one of North America’s most iconic birds.

🎧 Listen to learn:

• Why loons’ eerie calls are so distinctive
• How their anatomy makes them world-class divers
• What their plumage and red eyes signal
• Where to find loons across the northern U.S. and Canada

Whether you’ve heard their call on a quiet morning or are dreaming of your next lake getaway, this episode will transport you straight to the water’s edge.

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Is that a Downy Woodpecker or a Hairy Woodpecker?

It's one of the most common—and frustrating—bird identification questions in North America. These two black-and-white woodpeckers look remarkably similar, often visit the same habitats and backyard feeders, and can be difficult to tell apart at first glance.

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to break down the differences between Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.

We explore the easiest ways to identify them, including overall size, bill length, plumage, calls, behavior, and habitat.

How can you tell a Downy Woodpecker from a Hairy Woodpecker? Which one is bigger? How important is bill size for identification? Do they sound different? Do Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers visit bird feeders? And why do two different species look so remarkably similar?

We also get into the fascinating evolutionary story behind these look-alike birds and what their similarities can teach us about bird evolution.

If you've ever stared at a black-and-white woodpecker in your backyard and thought, "Downy or Hairy?" this episode is for you.

By the end, you'll know what to look and listen for the next time one of these woodpeckers lands on a tree—or your suet feeder.

Plus, we answer a mailbag question from one of our longtime listeners that led to a surprisingly “spark”-filled discussion — you won’t want to miss it!

🎧 Tune in now for bird identification tips, fun woodpecker facts, and expert insight from some of the best voices in ornithology.

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Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of the bestselling book The Feather Thief, joins Birds of a Feather Talk Together to tell the incredible true story of one of the strangest museum heists ever committed.

In 2009, Edwin Rist broke into the Natural History Museum at Tring in England and stole hundreds of rare and historically significant bird specimens. His target wasn't money or jewels—it was feathers.

The stolen birds included specimens collected generations ago, some representing species whose feathers had become extraordinarily valuable within the world of Victorian salmon fly tying. The crime destroyed irreplaceable scientific material and eventually became the subject of Kirk Wallace Johnson's acclaimed true-crime book, The Feather Thief.

Kirk joins Field Museum ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett, along with RJ and Amanda Pole, to discuss the bizarre crime, the investigation that followed, the underground world of rare feathers and fly tying, and why museum bird collections are so scientifically valuable.

Who was Edwin Rist? Why did he steal hundreds of bird specimens? Why were rare feathers worth so much money? What was lost scientifically when the specimens were destroyed? And what happened to the missing birds?

It's a story involving true crime, obsession, natural history, museums, endangered birds, science, and a mystery that still raises questions today.

If you've read The Feather Thief—or love true crime, museum mysteries, natural history, or unbelievable stories that happen to be true—this conversation with Kirk Wallace Johnson is for you.

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This week we’re revisiting one of our older episodes all about the Kirtland’s warbler. 

If you caught our interview with Peter Kaestner (episode 98), you might remember that he almost went birding on the morning of his wedding just to see this bird—so if Peter was that excited, you know it’s going to be a good one. 

The Kirtland’s warbler has a fascinating story, from populations threatened by the brown-headed cowbird—which we talked about last week—to an unexpected connection with the infamous murderers Leopold and Loeb. 

So whether you’re here for the bird facts or a little true-crime twist, you’re in for a treat.

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Why do Brown-headed Cowbirds lay their eggs in other birds' nests—and why don't they raise their own babies?

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into one of the strangest reproductive strategies in the bird world: brood parasitism.

Brown-headed Cowbirds don't build nests or raise their own young. Instead, female cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species, leaving those birds to incubate the eggs, feed the chicks, and raise the young cowbirds—sometimes even when the cowbird chick becomes much larger than its foster parents.

Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explain how Brown-headed Cowbird brood parasitism works, why this unusual behavior evolved, how cowbirds find other birds' nests, and what happens after a cowbird egg appears.

Why do cowbirds lay eggs in other birds' nests? Do Brown-headed Cowbirds ever build nests? How do they choose which nests to parasitize? Can other birds recognize a cowbird egg? What happens to the host bird's own chicks? And why did cowbirds evolve this remarkable strategy in the first place?

We also explore why Brown-headed Cowbirds are sometimes viewed negatively by birders, how their natural history helped shape their unusual parenting strategy, and why looking at the behavior through the lens of evolution tells a much more interesting story.

Whether you've discovered a strange egg in a backyard nest, seen a tiny songbird feeding an enormous cowbird chick, or simply want to understand one of the most fascinating reproductive strategies in nature, this episode is for you.

Birds of a Feather Talk Together combines the expertise of Field Museum ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett with the curiosity of birders RJ and Amanda Pole to explore bird behavior, evolution, conservation, and the incredible science of birds.

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