The Bird Brief

Welcome back to the Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist. This will be our last episode of the season! We are wrapping up this season with something a little different. Today we’re literally singing with the birds where I’ll teach you mnemonics for four different bird species that, if you live in North America, you probably hear every day (minus the owl, of course). Let’s get started.

Bird Sound: 

Great Horned Owl 01 Song US-CA. William R. Fish, Macaulay Library. The Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: United States and Canada (v2021).

American Robin. Song. Brian Cox, XC938991. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/938991. 

Black-capped Chickadee. Call. Thomas Magarian, XC544964. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/544964.

Black-capped Chickadee. Song. Ted Floyd, XC350304. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/350304. 

Northern Cardinal. Song. Scott Gravette, XC743545. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/743545

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome to The Bird Brief, where we do a quick dive into the latest news and research on birds. I'm Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist, and migration is right around the corner – so, in this episode, we’re going to look at how climate change is reshaping bird migration, from NASA’s new study on global climate patterns influencing migration routes to the challenges birds face as spring arrives earlier each year. We'll also uncover a fascinating nesting trick used by cavity-nesting birds and celebrate the hopeful recovery of the turtle dove after decades of decline. Let’s do this.

Stories:

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3201/climate-patterns-thousands-of-miles-away-affect-us-bird-migration/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-shifts-earlier-many-migrating-birds-are-struggling-keep?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-cavity-birds-cleverly-snake-skin.html#google_vignette

https://www.yahoo.com/news/endangered-bird-makes-incredible-comeback-103050242.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALknpmHm_O0Gqmd3ZF8BfgluXqbeNb_7uOURszgi0FsOKMlcTi8iiyEBvyWZrPQQ1kUQ0gbGnlesk8jOU2mQwNUOGDE1b34XU-nmRb5jGVWhXFOBc3dz2xY-L_AHWshDzEFbBdpLlCqJ5nrWx2hSo8dunB4lDrsK2-6mP7l_dm1P 

Bird Sound:

Great Crested Flycatcher. Peter Boesman, XC880185. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/880185. 

European Turtle Dove. Pere Josa, XC909526. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/909526. 

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Today we are going to learn about Birds of Paradise species that emit bioluminescence, the owl papparazzi creating a frenzy around owls during the recent owl irruption near the Great Lakes, and why you should be protecting your hearing right now. Let’s get started!

Stories:

https://www.startribune.com/how-tech-is-helping-to-protect-minnesota-birds-from-minnesota-birders/601227681 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/12/many-birds-of-paradise-species-emit-light-through-their-plumage-study-finds 

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241905 

Links to Ear Protection:

Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN 

3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU (most comfortable muff (in my opinion), even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid may like them)

3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN 

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 25 or NRR 22, but I’d definitely lean towards more protective if you’re going to be in crazy loud venues. 

Bird Sound:

Magnificent Riflebird. Oscar Campbell, XC941791. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/941791. 

Snowy Owl. Tero Linjama, XC343145. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/343145. 

Boreal Owl. David Tonnessen, XC407879. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/407879 

Great Grey Owl. Logan McLeod, XC610512. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/610512 

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License.

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Today, we are going to talk with Zan Aslett, a remote sensing scientist and geophysicist with deep expertise in analyzing large datasets—like those 18,300 hours of recordings scientists used to uncover why birds call out during their seemingly solitary nighttime migrations. Definitely go back and listen to Episode 9 if you missed it!  With Zan’s help, we’re going to break down how machine learning was applied to this enormous dataset and get a few tips on how to use ChatGPT that are truly gamechangers for our everyday lives. Oh, and Zan is rather importantly my husband — but don’t hold that against him.

Stories:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/migrating-birds-sing-to-team-up-with-other-species/ 

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01701-9 

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome back to the Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist. Today let’s dive into songbird migration and how their seemingly solitary nocturnal travel is more cooperative and social than we thought!

Stories:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/migrating-birds-sing-to-team-up-with-other-species/ 

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01701-9 

Bird Sound:

Swainson’s Thrush, nocturnal flight call. Paul Driver, XC771098. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/771098.

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Keep an eye out for the next episode in two weeks! I will be talking with an expert in the field about a key tool that helps researchers uncover interactions that might be overlooked in enormous, wildly complex datasets (as this nocturnal flight call dataset was). Spoiler alert, it's my geophysicist husband, Zan Aslett, so get ready to laugh about datasets while learning something. 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome back to the Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist. Today let’s dive into what’s driving bird strikes at airports, hummingbirds and their psychic torpor, and black vultures creating literal doomsday for high schoolers. 

Again I want to give a shout out to my preschool son for asking the hard questions on this episode – Thanks man!

Stories:

https://www.noaa.gov/news/2024-was-nations-warmest-year-on-record#:~:text=by%20the%20numbers-,2024,NOAA's%20130%2Dyear%20climate%20record. 

https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-science/2024/12/30/LSH6MUFMCRF7ZI5UBLUVQQ3MPQ/ 

https://phys.org/news/2025-01-hummingbird-torpor-day-survival-uncertain.html 

https://www.fauquier.com/news/vulture-problem-fauquier-high-might-try-effigies/article_dca0467a-d3bb-11ef-8217-1f9b73406415.html 

Bird Sound:

*Tundra Bean Goose. Grzegorz Lorek, XC819951. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/819951

Black Vulture. Call, grunt, wing noise. Brice de la Croix, XC495189. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/495189.

Black Vulture. Call. Paul Marvin, XC451477. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/451477 

Calliope Hummingbird. Bruce Lagerquist, XC764433. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/764433.

Rufous Hummingbird. Ian Cruickshank, XC183578. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/183578.

*Occurs in the immediate vicinity of Muan International Airport. News reports do not include the species involved in the aircraft strike.

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terr

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome back to the Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist. We are starting 2025 off right with stories of a raptor police squad in India, the oldest living bird, and how the Bald Eagle just become the US national bird (what?!).

Before we get started, I wanted to give a shoutout to my preschool son for absolutely rocking the intro on this episode. Thanks man!

 
Stories:

https://indianexpress.com/article/long-reads/telangana-birds-hunt-rogue-drones-garuda-squad-9749501/

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/us/74-years-old-wisdom-albatross-laid-egg-intl-hnk/index.html 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/26/bald-eagle-extinct-official-bird-history/77231324007/ 

Bird Sound:

*Black Kite. Marc Anderson, XC585971. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/585971.

*Bonelli's Eagle. Peter Boesman, XC781530. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/781530.

Layan albatross. Alán Palacios, XC730154. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/730154. 

Bald eagle. Anthony Gliozzo, XC698517. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/698517.

*I do not know if the Garuda squad contains either Black Kites or Bonelli’s Eagles.  Officials purposefully did not release the specific species within their squad. Although the Black Kite and Bonelli’s Eagle do occur in India, my use of their calls are simply for human interest in the story. 

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome back to the Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist. This Pre-Christmas edition is about a viral conspiracy, wildlife research, and the wild crossover between satire and science. Let’s get started.

 
Stories:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/11/12/dead-birds-drones-new-mexico-tech-research/76197212007/ 

https://dot.alaska.gov/faiiap/meet-aurora.shtml 

Bird Sound:

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia); Recorded by Paul Marvin/Macaulay Library; Dec 2017; ML108565061.

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus); Recorded by Dominic Garcia-Hall/Macaulay Library; Jan 2018; ML81397411.

Mallard. Martin Billard, XC881155. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/881155.

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

 

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome back to Season 2, Episode 5 of The Bird Brief! This is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist giving you the rundown on the most recent happenings in birds, both in popular news and published research throughout the world. This Thanksgiving edition will be super brief, just one story about Gus, the emperor penguin that made it to outback…and back. Let’s get started.

Stories:

https://apnews.com/article/australia-emperor-penguin-released-84319f95da162330da3265232c1fcfc1

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/emperor-penguin-found-australia-tourist-beach-malnourished-denmark-rcna179726 

Bird Sound:

Emperor Penguin · Aptenodytes forsteri recorded by steve, XC877994. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/877994. 

Music: The Weeknd from wish by Lundstroem is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/lundstroem/songs-i-regard-terrible/the-weeknd-from-wish/ 

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF

Welcome back to Episode 4 of The Bird Brief, this is Stephanie Jenkins Aslett, avian ecologist giving you the rundown on the most recent happenings in birds, both in popular news and published research throughout the world.

 
Stories:

1. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-commits-64-mln-protect-against-looming-bird-flu-threat-2024-10-13/ AND https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/17/deadly-avian-flu-strain-could-enter-australia-via-thieving-migratory-birds-scientists-warn 
2. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287116
3. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2451606-france-slashed-bird-flu-outbreaks-by-vaccinating-ducks/ 
4. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4y42y5wn4o 
5. https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/birds-climate-change-behavior-north-america/ 
6. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-microplastic-free-carrier-pesticides-potential.html 

Bird Sound:

Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Stanislas Wroza, XC670733. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/670733. 

American robin. Molly Jacobson, XC467818. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/467818 .

Christmas Frigatebird. Frank Lambert, XC68337. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/68337.

Abbotts Booby. Craig Robertson, XC583373. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/583373.

Bar-tailed godwit. Paul Kelly, XC933298. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/933298.

Bar-tailed godwit. Thomas Bergman, XC915090. Accessible at

Hearing Protection Tips:

Okay, as your birder friend, I want you to hear your birds today, but also in five years. Make sure you have the basics, get some inexpensive foam earplugs at your local drugstore and put them in your bag or car for those random times you are heading to a show and its going to be way too loud. Also grab some earmuffs and have them handy for when you use the blender or mow the lawn.

Here's a few that I like that are inexpensive and won't break the bank:

-Mack’s Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 7 Pair + Case – (NRR 33 dB Highest NRR). https://amzn.to/3Xn2xrN .

-3M PELTOR Ear Muffs, X1, (NRR 22) https://amzn.to/41aMcbU. Most comfortable muff in my opinion. Nicely slim for a muff while providing good ear protection. Fantastic to bring to fireworks shows and air shows, so you can take them off to chat with your friends. Bonus -- even comfortable and lightweight enough that your kid will wear them!

-3M PELTOR X3 Earmuffs, (NRR 25-28) https://amzn.to/40XXVZN. Great protection, but can get heavy.

*Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is the number of decibels that the ear pro can reduce ambient noise levels – NRR 33 is the maximum. I’ve found that NRR 33 is pretty bulky/heavy in muffs so I opt for NRR 22 or NRR 25.

@THE.BIRD.BRIEF