Advertise on podcast: Your Bird Story

Dudley Edmondson’s writing and photography spotlight Black, Indigenous, and People of Color on the frontlines of conservation. Edmondson is a role model for People the Planet Needs Now, which is also the title of his latest book. He lives the talk by managing his yard as bird habitat. We talk about his favorite birds, influencing his neighbors, and what is was like to be in the room where the America's Great Outdoors Initiative was signed. More information about Dudley Edmondson https://dudleyedmondson.com/ Bird Vocalizations Golden Eagle call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/164698 Peregrine Falcon call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/136378 Tennessee Warbler song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/136170 American Goldfinch song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/230747651 Cerulean Warbler song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/147601691 Rough-legged Hawk call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/137553 Sharp-shinned Hawk call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/4153 About the podcast Your Bird Story is an initiative of Local Nature Lab. The podcast is hosted by Georgia Silvera Seamans and produced by Pod to the People.  Support Our Work It costs $100 to produce each episode. Donate here. We also appreciate follows, likes, and reviews.

Are you ready for it…a new way to court and find love? In 2020, Wenfei Tong released her book, Bird Love, which dives into the fascinating world of avian mating and parenting strategies, was published. Fast forward to 2022 when Bryony Angell picks up Tong’s book for the second time. What happens next is the topic of this podcast. You’ll hear about Tong’s inspiration for writing Bird Love, Angell’s successful attempt at pair bonding (with a human), and more. More information about our guests Bryony Angell’s writing: https://www.bryonyangell.com/portfolio-bryony-angell Wenfei Tong’s books including Bird Love: https://www.wenfeitong.com/work/books Bird Vocalizations Crimson Sunbird https://xeno-canto.org/483932 Osprey https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/106651 Herring Gull (call)  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/186415451 Black-capped Chickadee (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/94959121 About the podcast Your Bird Story is an initiative of Local Nature Lab. The podcast is hosted by Georgia Silvera Seamans, and produced by Pod to the People.  Support Our Work It costs $100 to produce each episode. Donate here. We also appreciate follows, likes, and reviews.

This month we talk with Christine Mott about her new book Free Bird: Flaco the Owl’s Dreams Take Flight, and the rights of animals. Mott was raised in New York City but wrote the book from Southern California. She was the Chair of the Animal Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. CONTENT NOTICE: This episode contains descriptions of violence towards people and animals in a discussion about animal welfare legislation. More Information Learn more about Free Bird at Lantern Publishing.  Bird Vocalizations American Robin (songs)  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/148704811 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/151051571 Pigeon (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/44449551 House Sparrow (song) ​​https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/138707321 Snowy Owl (calls) https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/sounds  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/138288 About Us Your Bird Story is an initiative of Local Nature Lab. The podcast is hosted by Georgia Silvera Seamans, and produced by Pod to the People.  Support Our Work Like and review this episode. Subscribe to the podcast. Or, make a financial donation.

Birds of a feather flock together, and more. Dr. Joan Strassmann studies cooperation and conflict within and between species, mostly social amoebas. In her latest book, The Social Lives of Birds, Strassmann trains her lens on the sociality of birds. The book is a riveting set of profiles of the how and why birds band together to breed, nest, and raise their young. The opportunity to hear from Strassmann directly was even more compelling. More Information Learn more about The Social Lives of Birds at Penguin Random House. Curious about social amoebas? Explore Dr. Strassmann’s research lab at Washington University in St. Louis. Bird Vocalizations Northern Flicker https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/30597061 Sociable Weaver https://xeno-canto.org/793359 Taiwan Yuhina https://xeno-canto.org/976799 Northern Gannet https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/133317 Superb Fairywren https://xeno-canto.org/935812 About Us Your Bird Story is an initiative of Local Nature Lab. The podcast is hosted by Georgia Silvera Seamans, and produced by Pod to the People.  Support Our Work Like and review this episode. Subscribe to the podcast. Or, make a financial donation.

Matthias Garff is an artist based in Germany. His sculpture practice is 80% focused on birds. His passion for birds developed through his relationship with his grandfather, who sent poems about the birds in his garden in Buenos Aires. We spoke with Garff about his year-long International Studio & Curatorial Program Residency in New York City, where he used discarded materials to create life-sized birds of the city. Garff’s goal is to "show biodiversity or...this variety of life around us.” *Leave a review. Share the episode with a friend.* — Follow Matthias Garff on his website and on Instagram. ⁠Click here⁠ to learn more about the International Studio & Curatorial Program. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  American Robin (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/151051571 Blue Jay (call) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107289291 Pigeon (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/108565061 Eurasian Jay (call) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/254553511

Jenn Lodi-Smith is a PhD psychologist and founder of The Spark Bird Project. The initiative flickered into life at the Hog Island Audubon Family Camp where Lodi-Smith was introduced to the concept of "spark birds." Lodi-Smith and her colleagues record and analyze contributed stories to better understand how people become birders and why they continue to bird. The Spark Bird Project shares its research findings with community partners to help organizations engage with established and new birders. — The Spark Bird Project website — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Atlantic Puffin call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62361 Atlantic Puffin bill rattle https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216892 Barred Owl (duet) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/28839251 Screech Owl https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107446 Atlantic Puffin bill rattle https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216892

In this episode, we talk with Amy Berkov, a research scientist specializing in beetles and plant chemistry. Dr. Berkov shares her journey from artist to scientist, and her strong expertise in insect ecology, and the relationships among plants and birds. — Read Amy Berkov’s research. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  American Goldfinch song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/230747651 Montezuma Oropendola https://xeno-canto.org/522867 Red-winged Blackbird song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/223686181 Hooded Merganser call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/229281 Wood Duck call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/136505 

Edmundo Martinez’s patches are Starlight and Concrete Parks in the Bronx. He has seen inland birds including warblers and woodpeckers as well as aquatic birds like herons and egrets. The Bronx River, New York City’s only fresh water river, flows through these parks. Martinez birds big parks like Pelham Bay Park (2,722 acres) and small parks like Hunts Point Riverside Park (1.4 acres). He purposefully birds smaller parks in Black and brown communities to show that you don’t have to leave your neighborhood to observe the species of birds typically associated with Central Park. Martinez found his way to birding while cycling; “I’m a big cycling guy,” he said. Observing birds has become a form of meditation for him, bringing him peace and joy.  — Follow Edmundo Martinez @bxmundo. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Downy Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62766 Hairy Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/211304391 Laughing Gull flock call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/97299221 Great Black-backed Gull long call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/171253471 Pileated Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/63086 Northern Flicker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/534422

Kelli Hata founded the Haecceity Project to chronicle the birds who die by colliding with glass structures on the Yale University campus. The word haecceity was coined by John Duns Scotus, a Medieval scholar. Wikipedia defines haecceity as meaning “each individual entity has a unique, unrepeatable quality that makes it different from every other entity.” The bird care work which Hata has been involved with for years in California and in New Haven embodies the sacredness and innate value of each and every bird. We also discuss practicalities--(1) the preventability of glass collisions and (2) the responsibility of universities to conserve birds as they migrate through their campuses. — Follow the Haecceity Project, Yale @yale_haecceity. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Scrub Jay: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/225405191 Mockingbird song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/213457711 Prothonotary Warbler song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/99435531 Dark-eyed Junco song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/85243

What do you do when there isn’t a bird guide for neck of the woods? You write one. Aaron N.K. Haiman is the author of the new book,Birds of the California Delta. Haiman talks about Delta habitats and shares his insights into the lives of a few of the 25 bird species profiled inBirds of the California Delta. Web search “Yellow-billed Magpie” now! Haiman is also a mentor, paying forward his passion and expertise by supporting young people in birding including a bird-a-thon team. — You can findBirds of the California Deltaathttps://www.heydaybooks.com/catalog/birds-of-the-california-delta/ or your local bookseller. Haiman is on Instagram as@ abirdingnaturalist andYouTube. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Sandhill Crane juvenile callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/42404971 Great-tailed Grackle callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/210599 Sandhill Crane callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/28803581 Yellow-billed Magpie callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/199531981 American Kestrel callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/133146

Bryony Angell writes about birding culture and lifestyle. Her latest exploration into our relationship with birds is bird-friendly comestibles. In this episode, we talk about cocoa grown by Zorzal in the Dominican Republic, a bird reserve and farm certified as 100% bird-friendly by the Smithsonian Institute. Three chocolatiers based in the U.S. use Zorzal's cocoa in their bars and other chocolate products: Raaka Chocolate, Dandelion Chocolate , and Fruition Chocolate. Georgia has eaten bars by Raaka and Fruition--two thumbs up.  Eat sweetly for bird conservation!! — You can find Bryony Angell on the web at https://www.bryonyangell.com and on Instagram as @ bryonyangell.   — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Bicknell’s Thrush song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/195711 Bicknell’s Thrush in Independencia, Dominican Republic  https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/96097 Bicknell’s Thrush call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/197068

In this episode, I talk with Melissa Hafting about her birding routines and rituals. Hafting’s life is about “giving back to the birds for all they have done for us.” She is the keeper of the BC Rare Bird Alert and founder of the BC Young Birders Program. Entering birding, Hafting—a Black woman—experienced gatekeeping. This challenging experience motivated her to establish the BC Young Birders Program, a welcoming space in nature for BIPOC and the LGBTQ community. She is a biologist and has worked with the City of Richmond to install nest boxes for Tree Swallows and Purple Martins. She is also the author of Dare to Bird which she dedicated to her parents both of whom passed away before the publication of the book. — You can find Melissa Hafting on Instagram as @ bcbirdergirl, on the web at https://daretobird.blogspot.com/ and https://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com/ and https://www.bcyoungbirders.ca/. Her book is Dare to Bird: Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Western Bluebird song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/111074 Western Bluebird https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/111074 Snow Goose https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/142622161 Tree Swallow song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/49588 Siberian Accentor https://xeno-canto.org/424294 Rough-legged Hawk call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/133387

Are you the bird swiftie? Can you tell the different swifts apart? Do you know the connection between hummingbirds and swifts? Have you watched swifts come home to roost? Can you hold your house together with your saliva? Longtime friend and supporter of the pod, and conservationist, Loyan Beausoleil joins Your Bird Story to talk about Chimney and Vaux's Swifts. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Chimney Swift https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/57780721 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107413 Crested Treeswift https://xeno-canto.org/439763 Vaux’s Swift https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/72057131

SamSam Graves is a NYC-based artist, zine maker, and birder. In our conversation we touched on these aspects of her life. SamSam spoke passionately about Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) conservation. You might be surprised to learn that Piping Plovers nest annually on Rockaway Beach in NYC!! However, subspecies C. m. melodus are listed an endangered species in New York State and classified as threatened by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. SamSam also shares her stance on birding ethics and a fascination with mousebirds. — Information about New York City’s Piping Plovers is available at NYC Plover Project, NYC.gov, NYC Parks, NYS DEC, and U.S. FWS. — Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations:  Piping Plover call: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/27747281 Northern Cardinal: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/225370771 Piping Plover song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/64002271 Speckled Mousebird https://ebird.org/species/spemou2

A conversation with Eric Archer about the film he and his collaborator Jesse Brown are making about John Burroughs, "the literary naturalist," and the ecology of the Hudson Valley. Birds included! - Information about The Burroughs Rambles film can be found ⁠here⁠. - Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations: Indigo Bunting ⁠https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/166626⁠ Brown Thrasher ⁠https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/236707141⁠,  Winter Wren ⁠https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/43989871⁠ Indigo Bunting (flight calls) ⁠https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/30735901⁠