Your Bird Story

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 InformationLearn 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 VocalizationsNorthern Flicker https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/30597061Sociable Weaver https://xeno-canto.org/793359Taiwan Yuhina https://xeno-canto.org/976799Northern Gannet https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/133317Superb Fairywren https://xeno-canto.org/935812About UsYour 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 WorkLike 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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: American Robin (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/151051571Blue Jay (call) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107289291Pigeon (song) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/108565061Eurasian 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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: Atlantic Puffin call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62361Atlantic Puffin bill rattle https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216892Barred Owl (duet) https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/28839251 Screech Owl https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/107446Atlantic 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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: American Goldfinch song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/230747651Montezuma Oropendola https://xeno-canto.org/522867Red-winged Blackbird song https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/223686181Hooded Merganser call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/229281Wood 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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: Downy Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62766Hairy Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/211304391Laughing Gull flock call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/97299221Great Black-backed Gull long call https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/171253471Pileated Woodpecker drumming https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/63086Northern 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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: Scrub Jay: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/225405191Mockingbird song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/213457711Prothonotary Warbler song: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/99435531Dark-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 SeamansProducer and Editor: Pod for the PeopleVocalizations: Sandhill Crane juvenile callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/42404971Great-tailed Grackle callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/210599Sandhill Crane callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/28803581Yellow-billed Magpie callhttps://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/199531981American 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

This month's guest, Jeffrey Train, and a group of Hoboken residents are doing great work for birds. ⁠Our Tern⁠ advocated for the Common Tern to be designed the city's official bird. The City Council of Hoboken settled on "honorary bird" on July 10, 2024. In this conversation, Jeffrey, also known as Mr. Train on social media, talks about his entry into birding, his birder/birding typology, turns the table on Georgia (the host), and previews his hopes for the bird scene in Hoboken. - Follow Jeffrey on Instagram @mrtrain_. Our Tern is @ourternhoboken. - Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations: Common Tern https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/236009821 Red-tailed Hawk ⁠https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/150733861⁠ Black and White Warbler https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/164542

This joyful and introspective episode with Tammah Watts is the capstone to Season 4! Watching birds from her home helped her deal with the emotional wearing of a physical disability. She guides us through her discovery of birds in her yard and writing her book, Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching. You can engage with birds where you are--your yard, your neighborhood, and if you are fortunate, in far flung places. For the Black community, Watts also talks about the importance of taking up space in nature to redress "ancestral and historical" trauma in the outdoors. - Learn more about Tammah Watts. Follow her on Instagram @tammahwatts. - Season 4 of Your Bird Story is made possible in part by a Voice for Nature Foundation grant. - Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations: Yellow Warbler https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/57524601 Bald Eagle https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/89000921 Black Phoebe https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/126464

Pamela Lowell is a passionate spokesperson for Osprey and bird conservation writ large. She gorgeously captures the lives and habitats of Pandion haliaetus in watercolor which illustrate her new book, My Summer with Ospreys. Throughout Lowell's book, and our conversation, you experience her warmth and caring approach to healing both birds and people. Also, Pamela Lowell is very funny! Learn more about Pamela Lowell at her website: https://www.pamelalowell.com. Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a Voice for Nature Foundation grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Vocalizations: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/200948 (Bald Eagle), https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/100770 (Belted Kingfisher), https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/135383 (Great Blue Heron), https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/105731 (Osprey, display), https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/217862641 (Osprey), https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/255296771 (juvenile Osprey)

Kellie Quiñones is a Brooklyn born Afro-Boricua woman now living in Queens. She has a special place in Georgia's heart, welcoming her into the NYC bird world. Listen to this lively and laugh out loud conversation about birding from home, favorite bird memories, community, and more. Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a  grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People American Crow https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/135405 Bald Eagle https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/92022701 American Woodcock https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/62745 Black-crowned Night Heron https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/134129

"I can't think about plants without thinking about birds and I can't think about birds without thinking about plants," says Natasza Fontaine in our conversation about her life as an avian ecologist, natural science illustrator, bioacoustician, and a birder. Fontaine is a founding member of Black Botanists Week. She was selected as the Bird of the Year Artist 2024 by the American Birding Association. Fontaine illustrated the Golden-Winged Warbler for the ABA Birding magazine. Listen to her story and hear her recordings of one of her favorite birds, the Caspian Tern. Read about Fontaine and the Golden-winged Warbler at ⁠https://www.aba.org/2024-bird-of-the-year-artist-natasza-fontaine/⁠. Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a  grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: Pod for the People Caspian Term vocalizations: Natasza Fontaine Golden-winged Warbler: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/157972131

Birds sing to "defend and impress" (All About Birds). Bird songs are good for soul, though this depends on the person listening, the species of bird, and the type of sound they are making (Dr. Eleanor Ratcliffe via Natural History Museum UK). New Yorker Elijah Shiffer composes jazz pieces to celebrate the birds he observes in the city. Shiffer is a saxophonist, a composer, a music critic, and a bird guide. Excerpts from several of the songs on Shiffer's new album, City Of Birds, Volume I, are included in this episode. You can find Elijah Schiffer online at https://www.elijahshiffer.com/ and @elijahshiffer. Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice for Nature Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pod to the People⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music courtesy of Elijah Shiffer.

One way to communicate the violence of window strikes is through art. Emmett White entered Wunderkammer 2023, a taxidermy competition, with a sculpture of seven pigeons colliding with windows. In this episode, we talk with Emmett about the piece, his other less woeful taxidermy projects, and a healthy dose of live birds. You can follow Emmett White on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/get.stuffed.taxidermy/ Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a ⁠⁠⁠⁠Voice for Nature Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠ grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pod to the People⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bird vocalizations: Xeno-Canto (1, 2) and Pixabay.

How do we recognize and commemorate the life and death of wild creatures among us? Gyotaku is a Japanese ink printing method conventional used by fishermen to print their fish to verify species and size. NYC-based artist Molly Tenzer uses gyotaku to print the dead bodies of birds and mammals she encounters in the city. Tenzer expresses gratitude to Tape Hernandez for introducing her to the art of gyotaku. We saw Tenzer's work first hand at the 2023 Wunderkammer taxidermy competition. You can follow Molly Tenzer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manymoonspress https://www.instagram.com/abandonhopeproject Season 4 of Your Bird Story aka CHIRP is funded with a ⁠⁠⁠Voice for Nature Foundation⁠⁠⁠ grant. Creator and Host: Georgia Silvera Seamans Producer and Editor: ⁠⁠⁠Pod to the People⁠⁠⁠ Bird vocalizations: ⁠⁠Macaulay Library