9: Let's talk about bird sex (because of course we would)

Welcome to another episode of Bird Sh*t! It's currently nesting and fledgling season for adorable shorebirds. As such, we're excited to talk to Chris Allieri, founder of the NYC Plover Project. 

Chris joins us to talk about:

• what it's like on the frontlines of the annual summer showdown: shorebirds vs. the world
• the wacky and wonderful world of starting a wildlife conversation non-profit
• LOTS OF CUTE LITTLE PIPING PLOVERS 
• conversation optimism in a continuously depressing world (or is it just us that feel this way? loooool)

Tune in to hear about the amazing work that Chris and his team of 250+ volunteers do every year to help give piping plovers—an endangered species—a fighting chance on the popular summer beaches of NYC. 

And, as always, keep your eyes to the skies (or the beach)!

Wake up, folks, because our hiatus is over and IT'S MIGRATION SEASON.

In this episode, we're bringing you five incredible bird migrations: the longest, the shortest, and some impressive ones in between. We also cover some fun birds in the news stories, including Zoom parrots.

Plus, find out if we actually know the length of an American football field and hear some terrible British accents. It's all waiting for you on this "welcome back" episode of Bird Sh*t!


BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)

Ruby-crowned kinglet
Snowy plover
Piping plover
Macaw
Arctic tern
Sooty Shearwater
Bar-tailed Godwit
Adélie Penguin
Dusky grouse (blue grouse)

BIRDS IN THE NEWS
SpaceX vs. the shorebirds (guess who’s winning)

Scientists are making terrifying drones from taxidermied birds

Parrots use video chat (and love it)

Knock on wood: we're talking about woodpeckers this episode! These recognizable and unique species of birds have a lot of cool secrets up their sleeves. Tune in as we unpack what makes them so special (and make a few sexual innuendos along the way, of course).

Plus, we discuss birds in the news, including the controversial (possible) rediscovery of the Ivory-billed woodpecker and the benefits of mixing birds with wine.



BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)
American robin
Peregrine falcon
Great horned owl
Prothonotary warbler
American kestrel
Ivory-billed woodpecker
Red-tailed hawk
Bald Eagles
Lesser Scaup
Canada goose
Snow goose
Black vulture
Northern flicker
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Red-bellied woodpecker
Red-headed woodpecker
Golden-fronted woodpecker

BIRDS IN THE NEWS
Ivory-billed woodpecker...is it back?
For our coverage, we used The Guardian's coverage and @alexander_lees for useful commentary

Wine + birds = pretty awesome

Bird flu is bad and might be here to stay

OTHER COOL SH*T

We're flying the coop and pretending to be snowbirds! This month, we're chatting all about birds from Australia and New Zealand (a request from one of our listeners). Not gonna lie: we learned some AMAZING facts about these southern hemisphere birds.
So sit back, enjoy a Vegemite sandwich, and marvel at these birds from Down Under.

Plus, we give some shout-outs to some listeners who recently sent in fan mail. Thanks for the love! If you like what you hear, please leave us a review on iTunes or drop us an email. We'd love to hear from you (unless you're Norton Antivirus Software spam)!

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)
Stellar’s Sea-Eagle
Boat-billed Heron
Hooded Warbler
Satin Bowerbird
Common Raven
Tawny Frogmouth
Superb fairy-wren
Noisy Miner
Mōhua (Yellowhead)
Morepork (Ruru)
Southern Boobook
Southern Cassowary
Night Parrot

OTHER COOL SH*T
Support our show at Ko-Fi! Pretty please and thaaaaaaaanks!

The holiday season is upon us and nothing says "festive" like a warm, cozy, sweatshirt...screenprinted with some birds on snow-covered branches and probably some pinecones or other ambiguous "outdoor" motives. That's right: put away your ugly sweaters because it's GRANDMA SWEATSHIRT SEASON EVERYONE. 

We both have fond memories of our grandmas wearing bird-adorned sweatshirts this time of year. In an homage to both them and this beloved 90s attire,  we are discussing some of the quintessential birds found on "grandma sweatshirts." 

Plus, Sarah introduces her new ~ SCIENCE ZONE ~ segment and brings the latest in bird science to you!

We also briefly discuss what we've been doing (hint: PARENTING NONSTOP) instead of making great podcast episodes for all of you. But we hope to jump back into consistent podcasting in 2022!

BIRDS WE MENTION:
Cedar Waxwing
Northern Cardinal
Black-capped Chickadee
Eastern Bluebird
White-breasted Nuthatch

IT'S SUMMERTIME, BABYYYY! We're coming at you with the hottest facts about some beachin' North American shorebirds, as well as ways you can help keep the shores safe for birds. Cool down with this tall glass of bird banter!

We also share some of our favorite answers to our recent Instagram question: what bird would you want for your neighbor? Tune in to see if we selected yours!

BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Check out the NYC Plover Project for great tips on keeping shorebirds safe!

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)

• Yellow Warbler
• Common Tern
• Piping Plover
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Woodcock
• Black Skimmer
• Sora

We hope you're ready for some tea. The National Audubon Society is front and center of a lot of important conversations regarding race, inclusivity, and equality—both in the workplace and the great outdoors.

In the past few months, the majority of Audubon’s employees have declared that they want to form a union to protect employee’s rights and have a seat at the table. Some Audubon employees have formed Audubon for All, the official name for the union at the National Audubon Society. But, sadly, they have run into some roadblocks with The Audubon Society's executive leadership, who still refuse to recognize the union. Cue the corporate bullsh*t.

We sit down with Tykee James and Sharon Bruce, two Audubon Society employees and backers of Audubon for All. They share more about the union, their goals, their struggles, and the uneven playing field between the Audubon Society's executive leadership and on-the-ground employees.

Plus, some listeners share what bird they would want to be and why! 


BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED

USEFUL RESOURCES

Follow (and support!) the Audubon for All union on Instagram (@audubonforall) and Twitter. Make sure you sign their letter of support! You can also tweet @AudubonSociety and tell them to get it together. 

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)

• Barn Owl
• American White Pelican
• Common Raven
• Chimney Swift
• Carolina Wren
• Emu
• Cassowary
• Black Hawk-Eagle
• Golden Eagle
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Killdeer
• Pigeons (always pigeons)

We're back! After welcoming our own little baby birds into the world, we wanted to share our favorite bird moms for our first episode of 2021. Yes, this episode is coming out after Mother's Day, but we were able to record it on Mother's Day so it feels relevant still. Some of these bird moms are admirable mentors and others make...questionable parenting decisions.

Plus, we share some recent "Birds in the News" (because it turns out you miss a LOT of news when you take 9 months off of recording a podcast).
 
BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED
** Support the show! **

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)
California Condor
Hawfinch
Brambling
European Turtle Dove
Least Tern
Shoebill Stork
Laysan Albatross

BIRDS IN THE NEWS
California Condors Throw House Party While Owner is Away
Italians Feast on Illegally-Hunted, Endangered Songbird

Every joke about "Corvid-19" has already been made, so let's skip to the good stuff: BIRDS! We'll share some fascinating, little-known facts about one of the bird world's smartest families (but let's be honest, ALL birds are smart).

Corvids—aka the crow family—can be found all over the world. Even if you're new to birding, you've likely spotted a member of this family around your neighborhood. While some people might consider them "basic" birds, we think they're anything but basic. These uncommon facts about four common US-based corvids will help you wow your friends the next time you see a crow (or is it a raven...?) out and about.

Still struggling with the difference between an American Crow and a Common Raven? We'll break down the differences and provide you with some hard-to-forget visual cues.

Oh, and we also brought back "Birds in the News," since it's been sooooo looooong.

Hit us up at hellobirdshit@gmail.com with feedback/thoughts on the episode!

BIRD SHIT WE DISCUSSED

USEFUL RESOURCES

• More crow (and corvid) FAQs from Kaeli Swift, Ph.D! (Make sure to follow her on Twitter, too.)

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)

• Cave Swiftlet
• Oilbird
• Forty-spotted Pardalote
• Blue Jay
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Bald Eagle
• Eastern Screech-Owl
• Eastern Bluebird
• Indigo Bunting
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• American Crow
• Common Raven
• Black-billed Magpie

BIRDS IN THE NEWS

• To NOT Kill a Mockingbird
• We’re not the only ones getting fat during quarantine: birds are, too.
• Don’t hate the gulls: we need their expensive poop!
• A win for an endangered Tasmanian bird, thanks to smart-thinking scientists

It's one thing to admire birds in the wild, but it's rare to find people who dedicate their lives to helping injured birds return to the wild. Suzie Gilbert is one of these impassioned birders. Luckily for the world, she picked up a pen to start sharing her wildlife rehabilitation stories. In this episode, we sit down with Suzie to learn the behind-the-scenes stories that inspire her writing—including her newest novel—and hear some of her wildest bird rehab stories. 

After years of working as a wild bird rehabilitator, Suzie submitted a collection of short stories about bird rehabbing to a few editors and ended up writing a memoir (Flyaway: How a Wild Bird Rehabber Sought Adventure and Found Her Wings). She's also written a children's book (Hawk Hill) and now her first novel: Unflappable.

Unflappable blends the real-life challenges of wildlife rehabbing with a high-energy fictional thriller. Luna Burke is on the run with a homicidal Bald Eagle in the back seat. Licensed to take care of injured and orphaned wildlife, she is determined to smuggle the bird from her husband’s private zoo in Florida to an eagle sanctuary in Canada. Hot on her trail are her husband, his bodyguards, the police, state conservation officials, and an expert tracker from the federal Fish & Wildlife Service. Whew!



USEFUL RESOURCES

Visit Suzie’s website to purchase her books (including her latest novel, Unflappable)!

BIRDS WE MENTION (in order)

• Red-Tailed Hawk
• Peregrine Falcon
• Rock Pigeon
• American Robin
• Brown Thrasher
• Sharp-shinned Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Southern Cassowary
• Eastern Bluebird
• Bald Eagle
• Roseate Spoonbill
• Great Blue Heron
• Northern Flicker