Just a few weeks past the solstice, and the real heat of summer is yet to come. Some shorebirds are already on their way south, but most songbirds will be here for a while longer. What's the best time of day to look for them? Many birds are most active in the early morning, taking advantage of the abundance of insects at that hour. Midday heat sends people inside, and birds take a siesta, too. And then, both birds and bugs rev up again in the late afternoon. But hummingbirds and also gulls ? including this Glaucous-winged Gull ? forage all day long!

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Zoos can be great places to see birds, and not just in an aviary ? wild birds sometimes feel right at home in these urban green spaces. For example, Black-crowned Night Herons love nesting near bodies of water where they can catch fish, frogs, and other prey. They may find that the pond within a crocodile exhibit is also the perfect spot for a rookery! Next time you visit a zoo near you, keep an eye out for local species, too.

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Bearded Vultures have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. Though these majestic raptors are mostly found in Asia and Africa today, they were once abundant in Europe, too. While Bearded Vultures have vanished across much of their original range, their nests remain like time capsules of a bygone era. Researchers analyzed historical nests in southern Spain where the birds haven?t been seen in nearly a century. They found thousands of bone fragments, dozens of egg shells ? as well as hundreds of human artifacts that were likely added as nesting material. These hoarded items offer an unexpected glimpse of what life was once like for the people and wildlife that thrived in this region.

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In the black water of a Louisiana bayou, the water ripples where a slender form glides just beneath the surface. It appears to be a snake, but look closer at the long, narrow spike of a beak. It?s a snakebird, a colloquial name for the Anhinga, swimming with just its head and neck above the water. An Anhinga hangs motionless in the water or swims slowly just below the surface, its neck crooked, like that of a cobra. When an unwary fish swims close, the bird?s head darts forward, impaling its prey. Then it flings it in the air and downs it headfirst!

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When a pair of Western Grebes decides it?s time to mate, they call loudly and approach one another. Each bird curves, then straightens, its long neck gracefully. They then face each other, necks on the water?s surface, their bills flipping up drops of water. If attraction prevails, they rush together and off they go across the water, running on the surface side by side. Standing straight up with necks held high and feet churning like propellers, they no longer look much like grebes - more like participants in Tchaikovsky?s ballet, Swan Lake.

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This Osprey looks similar to other birds of prey. But the species is truly unique among raptors. For example, the Osprey is the only raptor with oily feathers. And the Osprey?s long, slender, arched wings help it clear the water as it takes flight after catching a fish. The Osprey we see today ? just one species worldwide ? has changed little since tens of millions of years ago, suggesting that over this period, it has remained particularly well suited to its environment.

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When wildlife conservationist Olya Weekley was a little kid, she noticed something incredible from her grandmother?s kitchen window: a pair of House Martins had built a mud nest in the eaves of their third floor apartment. That experience sparked Olya?s life-long love of birds. Now she leads the nestbox program at Tucson Bird Alliance, which designs nestboxes for desert birds and helps people create nesting opportunities at home.

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One of Hawaii?s rarest forest birds is this ?akiapola?au. Some of the roughly 1,000 'akis left on earth live and breed in kipukas on the lower slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii?s largest active volcano. A kipuka is an island of native forest surrounded not by water but by recent lava flows - a green oasis in a sea of black lava. Kipukas are critical areas of native habitat. And the ?akiapola?au is especially adapted to this habitat and its flora. As the bird forages up and down tree trunks and across the branches, the short half of its bill hammers like that of a woodpecker, and the upper probes for insects under the bark and lichen. In living with a volcano, 'aki and kipuka perform one of nature?s most remarkable balancing acts.

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Billions of pounds of plastic end up in our global oceans every year. Birds ? like this Short-tailed Shearwater ?  that mistake this pollution for food often die from malnutrition, poisoning, or damage to their digestive systems. We can all make the world a safer place for birds and people by keeping plastic out of our waterways. You can replace single-use plastics with reusable items, join a community clean up day in your area, or maybe skip party balloons at your next event.

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Ornithologist J. Drew Lanham's favorite bird is ?the one with feathers.? But here, he shares a few species that have been especially on his mind lately ? ?selected birds of the moment annotated by why.?

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Eagle Cliff in New Hampshire?s Franconia Notch State Park is an important nesting site for Peregrine Falcons. Each year, popular climbing routes in the area close temporarily to give nesting falcons their space. After peregrines disappeared from the northeast due to the pesticide DDT, Eagle Cliff was the first natural rock face to host a successful peregrine nest. Now, state agencies and New Hampshire Audubon work with rock climbing groups to decide when to close cliffs in the summer.

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The Mississippi Kite is one of America's most elegant raptors. These dove-gray birds spend the summer hunting over plains and woodlands in the southern United States. They often nest colonially ? unusual for hawks ? with a half-dozen pairs in sight of one another in a grove of tall trees. By nesting in groups, they can work together to mob an approaching predator.

This show is dedicated to the memory of Rusty Rose, a great friend to birds everywhere, including a group of Mississippi Kites he followed, watched, and protected on his ranch in Texas.

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Some bird-lovers have tagged the Marsh Wren the "Heinz 57 variety" bird, because scientists have recorded 57 different variations of its song. And nightfall doesn't faze these birds. A male may sing straight through the night. Marsh Wrens usually forage out of view, hopping up only for brief moments. You're most likely to see only movement among the cattails. It's just one of many species to benefit from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

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Marbled Murrelets are secretive little birds that spend most of their lives at sea ? but they breed in redwood forests! While North America?s remaining redwoods are protected in parks, predators are moving in. Stellar?s Jays and Common Ravens are just two opportunists that thrive on our food that human visitors leave behind. And once they?ve eaten our leftover trail mix, their next meal may be a murrelet egg or chick. The Keep It Crumb Clean campaign is a state park initiative that?s educating people about the importance of leaving no food unattended. That means storing food in secure containers, disposing of waste in animal-proof bins, and cleaning up all food ? even crumbs!

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By moving from the faster high air to slower low air, or vice versa, an albatross can propel itself forward. In a series of sinuous loops, the albatross surfs the wind, up and down, repeating the pattern over and over again as it moves thousands of miles across the ocean.

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Adriaan Dokter is an aerial ecologist who designs tools to study how birds migrate. On the Bring Birds Back podcast, Adriaan traces his fascination with flight back to an early experience with common birds. Listen to the full episode here and on your favorite podcast app.

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Some ducks don't sound like ducks at all. Some ? like the Harlequin ? squeak. Harlequins are unique in other ways, too. Quick and agile in rushing white water, they dive to the bottom of mountain streams for food, and use fast-flowing rivers for breeding. If you're lucky enough to spot a Harlequin Duck, you may guess how it got its name. Dressed in vivid multi-colored patches, "harlequin" is the jester of traditional Italian comedy.

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Hummingbirds use their long tongues to sip nectar from flowers. They?re able to roll their tongues into a tube-like shape. Since the 1800s, scientists thought those tongues worked through capillary action, like how water instantly rises into a straw in a full cup. But when scientists spent years using slow-motion cameras to capture hummingbirds drinking in greater detail, they uncovered a completely different story: the tongues act like a tiny but powerful pump.

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By carrying more people in a single vehicle, mass transit can use less energy than cars. Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help the hundreds of bird species put at risk by climate change. Not to mention, you can do a little birding on the commute ? on the way to the bus or train stop, and on the ride itself.

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Helmeted Guineafowl are known for moving in frantic flocks, often running and squawking about. In their native range ? from Senegal to South Africa ? these chicken-sized birds are favored prey of wild cats and Martial Eagles, so they need to be alert! Because they?re also spooked by unfamiliar people, guineafowl are often employed as burglar alarms on farms.

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When a Northern Saw-whet Owl spreads its wings, many birds can see something our human eyes can?t: the owl?s flight feathers glow with ultraviolet light. It?s invisible to humans without the help of a UV blacklight. While the glowing feathers on parrots might help them attract mates, the reason for the owls? glowing feathers still isn?t clear. However, scientists realized that they could estimate an owl?s age based on the pattern of luminescent color on the wings, which changes predictably as birds grow and replace their feathers.

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Although the American Crow may seem indifferent about pillaging another bird's nest, they regard a threat to their own young as a punishable offense. To protect their nest, adult crows dive-bomb people, cats, other animals, and even other birds. Young crows fledge when they are around five or six weeks old, and their parents continue to care for them for months.

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Rosy-Finches are a family of alpine songbirds. Three species can be found in the US and Canada: Grey-Crowned Rosy-Finch, Black Rosy-Finch and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (shown above). All wear pink on their bellies and wings. But spotting that namesake hue means trekking up some of the most rugged terrain on the continent.

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Author Christian Cooper is never not birding ? even at the movies. For season 8 of the Bring Birds Back, Christian shares the story of a bird out of place in the 2006 film Apocalypto. Listen to the full episode about birds on screen here and in your favorite podcast app.

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Common Swifts in Europe nest in eaves and under roof tiles and gables. But modern construction doesn?t have these nooks and crannies, and populations of swifts have been declining. However, there?s a solution called the ?swift brick,? a small nesting box that fits right into the wall of a house or office building.

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Immature Bald Eagles look so different from mature Bald Eagles that early ornithologists thought they were a different species entirely! Sitting about three feet tall, these majestic birds have wingspans of more than six feet. Stretch your arms as far as you can, and imagine a bird whose reach is even greater!

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At this time of year, a very young male Bewick's Wren is beginning to learn how to sing. His father sings a crisp well-defined song, separated by pauses, but the young bird's song is fuzzy, unfocused, a little rambling. Each adult male Bewick's Wren has his own set of unique songs. A young wren grows up learning his father's songs. But when young bird matures and moves to its own new territory, it will leave behind the song of its father to create a song that sounds more like its new neighbors. The better to compete for a mate!

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Bird voices can vary tremendously. Learning to describe how a bird sounds will make it easier to figure out who?s singing. This episode shares a few common terms to start birding by ear.

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Not all blackbirds are mostly black. This Baltimore Oriole is orange! The bird's common name is a nod to Sir George Calvert, First Lord of Baltimore, whose coat-of-arms carried a gold and black design. In spring and summer, you may see these orioles in the Midwest and eastern U.S., lighting up the trees where they nest. If you're lucky enough to live near Baltimore Orioles, entice them to your feeder with half an orange.

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When waterfowl are in decline, hunters are some of the first people to sound the alarm ? and fund their recovery. On the Bring Birds Back podcast, Ducks Unlimited project manager Jared Henson discusses the many ways that waterfowl hunters contribute both money and data towards wetland conservation.

Learn more in season 8 of Bring Birds Back, available in your favorite podcast app!

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After David Shephard moved to Hawai?i to study botany, he realized that the ?main character? of the islands is birds ? many plants have co-evolved with birds due to their central role in Hawaiian ecosystems. He now designs Aloha Shirts that feature the native plants and wildlife of Hawai?i, including the ?i?iwi, a bird that has cultural significance for Hawaiians.

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Noticeably smaller than Mallards, Blue-winged Teal wings have large patches of powder blue edged in emerald. Blue-winged Teal are long-distance migrants, traveling from nesting areas in Canada and the U.S. to South America for the winter. They feed in shallow water with a preference for snails and fly larvae. In fall and winter they seek out plant matter, especially seeds.

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The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was set aside to protect the fabled Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia and Florida. Tall cypress trees and Spanish moss give the swamp a prehistoric appearance. The Prothonotary Warbler is one of the most striking of the swamp?s denizens. Having wintered in the West Indies, a male might return to the Okefenokee and establish a breeding territory. Because it lives down in the realm of trunks and branches rather than up in the leaves, the Prothonotary has adopted an unusual nesting habit for a warbler: it nests in natural crevices or old Downy Woodpecker holes!

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While many songbirds are accomplished soloists, some of the bird world?s most impressive performances are actually duets. In North America, breeding pairs of Carolina Wrens sing duets to strengthen their bond and defend territory. 

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Tree Swallows glisten in the June sunlight, as they swoop and glide, their arcs interlacing in the air. When a white feather flutters down among them, one swallow snatches the feather in its bill and flies upward, as another gives chase. After a moment, the lead bird lets loose the feather, which drifts lazily, until the second bird swoops to catch it in midair. Loose feathers are important for Tree Swallows. They line their nests thickly with them.

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Yellow-billed Magpies are clever, colorful birds ? and they?re only found in central California. Their hefty bodies are boldly patterned in black, white, and iridescent blue. Like their crow and jay cousins, these corvids are adventurous eaters that often forage on the ground in noisy groups. In California?s oak-dominated woods and grasslands, you?ll find them feasting on acorns, insects, grains, and anything else they can get their beaks on. Sadly, Yellow-billed Magpie populations have declined drastically in recent years. Now it?s up to us to step up and protect the remaining woodlands and savannas they need to thrive.

BirdNote is supported by Purgatory Auto Works and Dinosaur Farm, a small ranch in California transformed from a barren landscape to a vibrant oasis for wildlife. Learn more at Purgatory.org.

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Golden-cheeked Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Townsend?s Warblers, and Hermit Warblers share similar songs and plumage. Though they all breed in different areas of North America, they can often be found flocking together on wintering grounds in Central America. Genetic studies have confirmed what their family resemblance suggests: these four warblers are closely related and likely shared a common ancestor before the last Ice Age. And as sister species often do, they all put a unique twist on that bright, buzzy song.

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Tropical rainforests are stunning places. Despite covering a small part of the Earth?s surface, they support half of the world?s biodiversity. The variety of lifeforms stands out visually in stunning color, and in sound through the strange and beautiful calls of birds. Today is World Rainforest Day, which recognizes the importance of safeguarding rainforests for future generations.

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In marshes across the country, birds awaken on a summer morning. Tall dense grasses and reeds often make marsh birds hard to see, but their voices carry easily across the lush, green landscape. You can hear birds like the Redhead, the Sora, the American Bittern, the Ruddy Duck, this Yellow-headed Blackbird, and many more.

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Organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and by Birds Canada, volunteers for Project NestWatch observe local nesting birds and track whether they?re successful in raising their young. Because the nest-watching volunteers monitor birds over a huge area, they cover way more ground than a small team of scientists ever could. Data from Project NestWatch helped scientists reveal that cold snaps and heat waves make many bird parents less successful in raising their young.

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Waved Albatrosses produce such slow-growing, needy offspring that females lay only a single egg every two years. And both parents need to share the load until youngsters can hunt on their own. Albatrosses tend to pair for life, and reunited pairs go through an elaborate, synchronized ritual of braying, wing spreading, and bill tapping to reaffirm their bonds.

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In the spring, Rufous Hummingbirds journey from Mexico to the northwest U.S., some as far north as Alaska! That?s almost 1,000 miles one way for a bird measuring just under four inches beak to tail, making this the longest migration of any bird relative to body length. Not long after arriving, they bulk up on nectar and bugs for the scenic return trip over the Rocky Mountains.

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White-tailed Kites are distinctive birds of prey. They only live in a few states in the U.S., but they?re common in grasslands throughout much of Central and South America where they hunt for rodents and small prey. Though White-tailed Kites are globally abundant, they still face threats from habitat loss across the Americas. We can support these graceful raptors by preserving the grasslands they call home.

This episode is dedicated in memory of Alice Ashbaugh, a lifelong birdwatcher and amateur ornithologist.

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When Juan Pablo Culasso spends time outside, he often encounters people thinking he doesn?t belong out there as a blind person ? despite the fact that he?s a renowned nature recordist. He helped design nature trails in Colombia with features that make them more accessible for people who are visually impaired, including guide ropes with textures that signal points of interest and QR codes that provide info. But Juan Pablo says these are not simply trails solely for blind people to enjoy ? ?we need to share the same places in society,? he says.

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American Oystercatchers are crow-sized shorebirds that can be found foraging in intertidal zones along the U.S. Atlantic shoreline and both coasts of Central and South America. Their bodies are mostly black and white, except for bright yellow eyes and a long, orange bill. Sadly, researchers estimate that between 1970 and 2023, American Oystercatchers lost roughly half their population to habitat degradation, human disturbance, and predation by mammals. We can protect shorebirds by giving them space on shared beaches, keeping domestic pets indoors or on leash, and cutting fossil fuel emissions that drive climate change.

This episode is dedicated to Bob Goodale whose lifelong love for birds and nature continues to inspire.

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Rock Pigeons are one of the most common urban birds. But why do we never see baby pigeons? Some baby birds ? like down-covered ducks, geese, and chickens ? leave their nest shortly after hatching and do a lot of growing up while following their parents around. Others, like pigeons, depend on their parents to feed and protect them, well into their youth. They stay in the nest ? under bridges and awnings, for instance ? until they're nearly as big as the adult birds.

Support for BirdNote is provided by Mary Pigott of Seattle, Washington ? and generous listeners around the world.

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Despite their modern reputation, pigeons were once beloved by royalty. Akbar the Great, ruler of the Mughal Empire in the 16th Century, kept over 20,000 pigeons. Owning pigeons in parts of Europe was a privilege restricted to the nobility. Pigeon ownership became a flashpoint during the French Revolution, when commoners finally gained the right to raise pigeons. Learn more in Rosemary Mosco?s book, A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching.

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The Juan Fernandez Firecrown is a critically endangered hummingbird that is only found on Robinson Crusoe Island, near Chile. Measuring more than 4 inches long from beak to tail, the firecrown is hefty for a hummingbird. To conserve energy while feeding, the birds often hang upside down on flowers rather than hovering in place! As they feed, the hummingbirds transport pollen between forest flowers. Deforestation and invasive species have driven this bird close to extinction, but conservation organizations are actively working to save it and restore its natural habitat.

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In American democracy, elected officials work for the people. That means you can be a voice for birds by reaching out to your representatives at every level of government. On the Bring Birds Back podcast, Hardy Kern explains how the American Bird Conservancy is taking legislative action for birds. Listen to the full episode in season 8 of Bring Birds Back.

Support for BirdNote is provided by Sarah Merner and Craig McKibben from Seattle, Washington, and generous listeners around the world.

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What a comfort it would be if every bird song were as easy to recognize ? and remember ? as that of this Olive-sided Flycatcher. Some people think it sounds like "quick-THREE-beers" or "what PEEVES you." Do you drink coffee? Then you can help Olive-sided Flycatchers, when you choose to drink shade-grown coffee. It encourages coffee growers to keep the trees that migratory songbirds need to survive on their wintering grounds.

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