Threatened

In Puerto Rico, there is an area of saline lagoons, salt flats and mangrove swamps where humans have extracted salt for over 500 years. We often describe the effects of human activity on the environment as negative. But the migratory birds that eat and rest in one of the most visited places by locals and tourists probably see things differently.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Birds have their common English name and a name in the languages of all the places they might fly through. And then they have their Latin name, which is their taxonomic name, the one scientists use. In this episode, we learn about a decades-long effort in Puerto Rico to change San Pedrito's scientific name, why it matters and the journeys of two people seeking to make it happen.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

How do you organize a group of people to protect a bird from powerful forces? The Julián Chiví, or Black-whiskered Vireo, reveals a story of a community banding together to save a species, its environment, and ultimately, the people themselves. The organizers in Puerto Rico decided to go beyond just presenting alarming facts—and their strategy worked.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

In the season premiere, we travel to Puerto Rico to meet a bird that has survived deforestation, hurricanes and the exotic pet trade. The Puerto Rican parrot saw its numbers drop to almost zero at one point. But today, its population is growing and stabilizing. To achieve this, the people involved had to make some difficult tradeoffs.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

We end our season with a little seabird that’s making a comeback. The Hawaiian Petrel, or ‘Ua’u, was once written off as going or gone from the islands. But after recent discoveries of remnant colonies, we see how some human intervention with the right tools can make a huge difference for birds and protect a population on the brink.  Some brief swearing at 6:22More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Hawai‘i has its own species of crow, the clever and charismatic ʻAlalā. But the species hasn’t been able to survive in its shrinking native habitat. The only reason the ʻAlalā still exists is because of captive breeding programs. Reintroducing them to the wild is fraught with challenges, but it’s needed for the continuation of the species and for the health of the forest itself.  More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

In 1823, a young princess was presented with an incredible gift, and a choice: protect the Native Hawaiian way of life, or embrace the teachings of newcomers. Today, the gift resides in a museum, and its story tells of tragedy and hope, the duality of life, and maybe a different understanding of our current extinction crisis. More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

How do you fight a disease carried by mosquitoes as climate change helps them spread? Avian malaria could wipe out whole species of birds, and people are going to great lengths to stop it. There’s hope on the horizon. Scientists believe they have a way to wipe out the mosquitos first. But will it come in time for the honeycreepers? More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

In the season premiere, we travel to Hawai‘i to meet a unique group of birds called honeycreepers. Over 55 species of honeycreepers once existed, but over half of them have gone extinct. One of them, the Palila, is still holding on. What do we need to do to protect it? More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Threatened returns with Season 3 on Tuesday, July 12th. These five new episodes explore the unique ecology and conservation of the Hawaiian Islands. Of the 44 endemic bird species in Hawai‘i, 33 are endangered. The good news: people are helping these birds fight for survival. Take a deep dive with host Ari Daniel to see how humans are answering the call to protect the birds of Hawai‘i, and how the lives of these birds are connected with the lives of the Hawaiian people.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Today’s episode was produced by Ari Daniel, Allison Wilson, Mark Bramhill, Conor Gearin, and Sam Johnson. Fact checking by Conor Gearin, mixing by John Kessler. Original theme music by Ian Coss. Special thanks to Willistown Conservation Trust.Additional Resources:A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds | Book by Scott Weidensaul Motus Wildlife Tracking System: Explore GPS-Tracked Bird Migration RoutesOne Way to Save Birds: Pay Farmers to Flood Their Land | KQEDA boon for birds: Once overlooked, China’s mudflats gain protections | MongabayA Phenomenal Discovery, Bringing A Glimmer Of Hope To A Declining Species Of Bird | ManometA bird’s eye view of quantum entanglement | NOVA

In the final episode of this season Host Ari Daniel tours the marsh at the Nemours Wildlife Foundation with Dr. Drew Lanham, cultural and conservation ornithologist at Clemson University. They bring us a story of time travel. Of touching a place through old hands and seeing it through new eyes. Of honoring a people for the incredible work they did— and sharing how that work continues today, and is reflected in the birds that call this place home.  Related Resources:ACE Basin - The Nature ConservancyLow Country Legacy - National GeographicNemours Wildlife FoundationAfrican Passages, Lowcountry Adaptations - Lowcountry Digital History Initiative | College of CharlestonLowcountry Land TrustHarriet Tubman’s Great RaidConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!

Every spring, millions of birds travel the Atlantic Flyway, one of four major North-South routes for migratory birds in the Americas. Along the way, they need to stop for food, water, and rest— and Block Island, Rhode Island, provides. In this episode, producer Ben James takes us to this special place where we meet master bird bander Kim Gaffett. She is the latest in a long line of women citizen scientists whose work on Block Island has instilled a powerful culture of bird study and conservation, stretching back over a hundred years.Related Resources:50 Years of Bird Banding - Block Island TimesThirsty Birds “Burn the Engine” in Flight - NPRBlock Island - The Nature Conservancy in Rhode IslandBlock Island ConservancyThe Bird Lady of Block Island, Miss Elizabeth Dickens - BlockIsland.comFlying Transformers: Birds Gear Up for MigrationConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!CreditsHost & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: Ben JamesEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud DesignThreatened  is a production of BirdNote. Learn more about the BirdNote team.

Zimbabwe is home to six species of vultures, five of which are critically endangered and at risk of extinction. At Victoria Falls, researchers and wildlife rehabilitators are working to increase populations, and advocates in the cities of Bulawayo and Harare educate farmers and traditional healers on the importance of these birds to healthy ecosystems. Producer ish Mafundikwa takes us on a road trip around the country to explore the issues affecting these often misunderstood and maligned birds.Related Resources:BirdLife ZimbabweVulture Conservation - Victoria Falls Wildlife TrustSaving Africa’s Vultures - BirdLife InternationalJudge the Vulture Ambassador - Victoria Falls Wildlife TrustThe Race to Save Africa’s Vultures - BBC EarthVideo - Saving Africa’s Vultures in 2020 - BirdLife InternationalConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: ish MafundikwaEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

At Bempton Cliffs, on the Yorkshire Coast on the east side of the UK, about 3,000 charismatic little seabirds nest. The puffin is a sparkbird for producer Paul Drury-Bradey and many others that come to see them in the summer months. But these awkward flyers with colorful bills can spark more than just an interest in birds and birding. Conservationists hope they can also spark interest in addressing climate change, reducing and cleaning up plastic waste, and other human-caused challenges that threaten their existence. Related Resources:Video - A Day in the Life of RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reserve | RSPBBempton Cliffs Nature ReserveAtlantic Puffin - More at All About BirdsCounting Puffins - Bempton Cliffs - The RSPB CommunityAtlantic Puffin Conservation in the UK - Joint Nature Conservation CommitteeConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: Paul Drury-Bradey & Nic Granville-FallEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

Butte, Montana, used to be home to some of the most productive copper mines in the country. About a quarter of the world’s supply came from the area and it’s now the site of a massive effort to restore the degraded ecosystem. But, the local birds aren’t just victims of the pollution; they can actually tell us if things are getting better as all the pollution gets cleaned up. Birds here offer portraits of what’s happening on a larger ecosystem scale—especially Ospreys, which are at the top of the food chain and depend on waterways that are now contaminated with heavy metals. Producer Nick Mott travels along this polluted area to peer into the lives of these birds to see what they reveal.Related Resources:Watch the Hellgate Ospreys Nest Cam livestreamLearn about the Montana Osprey ProjectMore about Ospreys at All About Birds"Old Mines Still Plague Montana’s Clark Fork" - High Country News"Lasers, Drones, and Air Cannons: Inside the Effort to Save Migrating Waterfowl From a Toxic Death" in AudubonConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: Nick MottEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

In the Black Belt region of Alabama, we go on a birding tour and learn about the Swallow-tailed Kite. The  Swallow-tailed Kite’s range in this region decreased rapidly over the past one hundred years, primarily due to habitat loss from agriculture, urban development, and logging. Now protected by the State of Alabama, we visit a family farm where the kites are frequently seen and learn how the ensuing curiosity about the birds has brought new opportunities. Producer Jay Avery brings us this story of a threatened bird, an historically excluded human community, and how they are helping each other.Related Resources:Visit the website for Connecting with Birds and Nature ToursLearn about the Black Belt in Alabama AudubonSee how the Avian Research and Conservation Institute tracks Swallow-tailed KitesGet an overview of Swallow-tailed Kites on All About BirdsSustainability Ag-vocate: Christopher Joe of Joe's Learn about Christopher Joe of Joe's Black Angus Farm and Connecting with Birds and Nature ToursConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org. Thanks!Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: J. Nailah AveryEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

Georgia’s longleaf pine forests are home to many endangered species, including the Red-cockaded Woodpecker. This resilient and unusual little bird is making a comeback from the brink of extinction thanks to an unexpected partner and recovery efforts set in motion by the Endangered Species Act. But complicated rule changes and bureaucracy have put the protected status, and in turn the birds themselves, in jeopardy. This story comes to us from Producer Claire Reynolds.Learn about the Fort Benning Military Installation on Audubon.orgCheck out the Red-cockaded Woodpecker on All About BirdsSee what USFWS says about Red-cockaded Woodpecker recoveryRead "Longleaf Pine Forests: A Southern Treasure" on Nature.orgLearn about Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pines)Connect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org.Thanks!Host & Senior Producer: Ari DanielProducer: Claire ReynoldsEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

In the first episode of this new season of Threatened, we go on a life-changing journey with Sunny Tseng, a PhD student at the University of Northern British Columbia and a researcher at the Endemic Species Research Institute in Taiwan, where she’s based. The story starts in 2014 with a Siberian Crane that got blown off course, ending up in Taiwan. It’s a bird that usually migrates from the Siberian tundra — an ecosystem that’s currently undergoing a dramatic transformation as our climate changes — to southeast China. The appearance of a Siberian Crane in Taiwan was unexpected, and it set off a chain of events that put Sunny on the path that led her to where she is today.Related Resources:"Eco-Celebrity Crane Inspires Wetland Protection in Taiwan" in Smithsonian Magazine"Lost Siberian Crane Wins Taiwan’s Heart While Improving Its Food Supply" in Atlas Obscura"Lost cranes find sanctuary in Taiwan, Japan" in The Japan Times"Rare Visit to Taiwan by Siberian Crane Is a Bird-Watcher’s Dream" in The New York TimesConnect with BirdNote on Facebook, Instagram and TwitterSign up to receive BirdNote's weekly newsletterBirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production company. Your dollars make it possible to create sound-rich shows that connect you to the joys of birds and nature. Support BirdNote’s conservation mission, and get more of the content you love, by subscribing to BirdNote+ at https://birdnote.supercast.tech or make a one-time gift at BirdNote.org.Thanks!Producer and Host: Ari DanielEditor: Caitlin Pierce, Rough Cut CollectiveAudio mix: Rob Byers, Johnny Vince Evans, and Michael Raphael, Final Final V2Field recording: Sunny Tseng Theme song and original music: Ian CossAdditional music: Blue Dot SessionsContent Director: Allison WilsonAudio and Video Editor: Sam JohnsonFact-checker and Digital Producer: Conor GearinArtwork: Clint McMillen at Braincloud Design

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