Bring Birds Back

Avian flu, better known as bird flu, has been in news headlines all summer 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 sit with leading scientists, Director of Molecular Biology Dr. Andy Ramey from the USGS Alaska Science Center, and molecular virologist at Tufts University, Dr. Wendy Puryear. Tune in. Share with a friend. And don’t fret, our only goal is to leave you like an owl– very sharp, very wise.

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Since 1976, Project Feederwatch has been through many changes and iterations. But what has remained is the dedication to collecting data that undeniably improves bird science. In this episode, host Deja Perkins speaks with Emma Greig, U.S. Project Lead for Feederwatch, about what this data has uncovered over the years. Deja also speaks with wildlife researcher Ashley Dayer, and gets into the specifics about all the great things bird feeding does for you – and despite some criticisms, great things it does for the birds, too!

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

In 2023, over 120 contributors published a study in the scientific journal,  Ornithological Applications, about a long history of exclusion Latin American and Caribbean scientists have faced. In the world of ornithology, the Global North is king – but only because they’ve made it that way. Host, Purbita Saha, speaks with two of the study’s leading researchers, Dr. Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza and Dr. Kristina Cockle, about the ways research from the Global South has been undermined, and how regional bias, racial discrimination, and socioeconomic differences have played a role. They discuss how this lack of acknowledgment is harming conservation efforts for birds and – teach us a thing or two about our feathered friends over in the Tropics! 

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

*A previous version of this episode included closing commentary from a Neotropical scientist who was not a contributor to the highlighted scientific journal paper. Their comments have been removed from the episode.

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 deadly night. She’ll also talk with Chicago Bird Alliance’s Judy Pollock about what has transpired in the months since. And co-host Purbita Saha takes us to New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, once known for frequent window strikes but now is a safe haven for all birds – migrating and local.

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy

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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 and brown birders are important to have for both safety and community-building. The group’s dynamic and inclusive approach to birding, as well as their grassroots-based structure is not only impressive but inspiring. 

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

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 Joanna Wu details how the often overlooked and understudied female birds are crucial to bird conservation efforts. And wildlife ecologist, Michael Chamberlain, shares his vast knowledge about turkeys – a species whose survival was greatly impacted by a significant increase in research about turkey hens. 

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

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 landmark Chicago building contributing to a billion bird strikes a year to the ongoing bird flu pandemic – we have a lot to talk about. Subscribe now so you won’t miss it!  

Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Have you ever worried you’d hit a wild animal while driving down a highway or country road? In this special season closer, we learn about  a new and promising future for wildlife and battered cars: wildways. As technology and development continue to expand, infrastructure and fragmentation are threatening the habitats of wildlife. Christine Laporte explains how wildways bridge the gap between the natural world and rapidly growing cities. And then, Dr. Liz Hillard gives us a glimpse into what it all looks like in real time as evidence of its success rolls in. Co-produced by our guest host, Marcus Rosten. Press play!

For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

25 years ago, a mysterious cause of eagle and osprey deaths plagued a small town in Arkansas. And in this special episode, we get to the root of it all: small unassuming weeds, also known as invasive aquatic species. In conversation with aquatic plant experts Stacy Holt Jr. and Greg Bugbee, we share what these invasive plants are, how this happened, what they’re doing in other parts of the world (like Connecticut), and ways we can all prevent them from spreading. Co-produced by our guest host, Adé Ben-Salahuddin. Listen in now!

For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Water is essential for life, but how much do you know about the health of your local water supply? In this special episode, we speak with two Riverkeepers who explain the importance of water quality monitoring for every living organism, from humans to birds. John Lipscomb shares critical history of the Hudson River and how activism has helped the neighborhood thrive. And John Zaktansky introduces us to Doug Fessler and the technology of BirdNET for his hi-tech patrol. Co-produced by our guest host, Trisha Mukherjee. Tune in!

For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.

Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.