Summer nights just wouldn't be the same without the ethereal call of the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will. Sadly, the nights are growing quieter as this bird's populations plummet. Learn the secrets of this elusive, nocturnal bird on this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast and why its numbers are declining. John combs through the latest research to discuss this big-mouthed bird's life history, vocalizations, and mysterious evolutionary history. Listen and learn about this bird!  . All Bird calls are from...

Eagles, Gorcrows, and Crebain…oh my! Throughout the works of J.R.R Tolkien, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Fall of Gondolin, The Simarillion, and Beren and Luthien, birds feature prominently.  Some, like the Eagle, play a big role while other birds are more obscure. In this podcast episode, three life long friends and LOTR nerds discuss nearly every bird reference made in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the Ring, and The Hobbit. They also explore birds...

Everyone knows the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal alive, but do you know the physics behind what makes them so fast? Or about their soap opera worthy lives? With a beautiful dawn chorus of birds accompanying him, John tells you all you need to know about the Peregrine Falcon such as its feeding behavior, physical adaptations, breeding behavior, and evolutionary history. Packed with interesting stories and cool facts, this episode is sure to bring a pere-grin to your face! Featuring...

Right now as you read this, you are probably inside of a death trap for birds. Moderns homes, schools, and offices are often fitted with expansive windows and while aesthetically pleasing to us humans, this is a huge problem for birds. The average residential house kills 3-5 birds per year, resulting in upwards of a billion bird deaths total in the US. But, there are solutions! Join John as he interviews Dr. Daniel Klem Jr. about his recent book Solid Air- Invisible Killer- Saving Billions of...

While technically songbirds, Shrikes are some of the most vicious predators in the bird world. Learn how they earned the nickname “Butcher Birds” through one of their morbid behaviors…this episode may not be for the faint of heart! Also, we explore the life history, evolution, feeding, and breeding of the Loggerhead Shrike. Did you know Loggerhead Shrikes have some pretty unusual breeding practices? If you’ve never seen this bird, it may be because its undergoing massive population declines...

In this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast, John explains nearly everything there is to know about the Mourning Dove. He’s also joined by the bird of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia who chime in while John records in this swampy woodland. Although these birds are very common (and actually the most populous bird in North America) they have many little known facts. Learn about surprising dove relatives as John explains their evolutionary history, find out how Mourning Doves and...

 Shoot the bird shit with John and Dack! Wildlife researcher and good friend of the show Dack joins John to explore the world of bird research. Dack explains how Ornithology is about more than just counting birds and explains how radar, satellites strapped on vultures, and even cloud cover can tell us a lot about our feathered friends. Dack also tells personal stories from his own lifetime spent in research and sheds some light on the darker side of wildlife research funding. And of course,...

What’s black and white and smells all over? The Hoopoe (Pronounced Who-Poo) is a bird with a sneaky, stinky superpower- its basically a real life Pokemon! John and Tim tell incredible facts about this boldly colored bird while having lots of laughs along the way. Learn about its unique microbiome, evolutionary history, feeding and breeding. Also, find out how the Ancient Egyptians to Medieval monks have both praised and reviled this colorful critter. Special thanks to listener Seb who...

John quests for a tribe of brown pelicans, recording from the shores of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The ocean waves, gull cries, and occasional Brown Pelican sighting are the perfect backdrop for this information packed episode. While seemingly common coastal birds, Brown Pelican have an incredible life history and almost went extinct at one point! Debunk some common myths about these birds and some little known facts about their evolutionary adaptations that help make them the terror...

The Shoebill Stork is one of the most interesting species in the bird world. Standing at over 5 feet tall with a massive, hooked bill this creature would be a terrifying swamp monster...if it didn't look like a Muppet. Join Tim, John, and Larry the noisy dog as they learn about how the Shoebill Stork walks on water, engages in some extreme sibling rivalry, and makes sounds similar to a firing range. At Dirty Bird Podcast, we tell you everything you need to know about an individual bird...

What's black and white and dirty all over? An Atlantic Puffin in it's frat house burrow of course! Learn about these very social birds and their party-like breeding behaviors. This episode is full of strange and fun facts- like how puffin bills glow in the dark, how they may be on the diet for some deep sea monsters, and how they basically live in an underground frat house with other species. Also, my friend Hubert from Iceland talks about his experience visiting a puffin colony! Interspersed...

Everyone has heard of herons and egrets, but bitterns get no love. That is, until listener Kayla suggested this episode on the American and Least Bittern!  These shy wetland birds are easy to overlook but hold some amazing secrets. The American Bittern’s booming call and snow white breeding plumage patches make any day on the marsh magical while the Least Bittern’s feisty crest feathers and acrobatic antics give it a lot of personality. Learn how to identify the various calls of these two...

On a surface level, birds and fish may seem like they don't have a lot in common, but they are just two pieces of this lovely ecosystem we love to learn about. Join John and Katie on a special collaboration episode between DBP and the Fisherwoman Podcast. On the Fisherwoman podcast, fisheries researcher Katie Osborn discusses all kind of fish facts with experts in the field. In this episode, John and Katie swap facts on some of their favorite bird and fish species and discuss a very special...

When you think of "man-eater" a few animals come to mind: Lions, Tigers, and Bears....but what about an Eagle that regularly takes down 300 pound prey? Oh my! ..In this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast, I talk with Tim about the now extinct but still terrifying Haast's Eagle, the largest Eagle to ever exist. According to Maori legend, this bird was known to prey on humans. We also talk about another extinct giant: Eyles's Harrier, the largest Harrier to ever exist. Why did New Zealand produce so...

For tens of million of years giant, wingless birds thrived on New Zealand. When Kupe, one of the first Maori people, arrived around the year 1000 it was the closest to Jurassic Park human history has ever come. Learn all about how these amazing birds evolved, the unique characteristics of the 9 known species, and the story behind their unfortunate extinction. Semi-permanent guest host Tim joins me in the noisy Virginia Beach garage to squawk, laugh, and learn about a new bird.  Sounds used in...

While it's the largest woodpecker to ever peck on the face of the earth, the Imperial Woodpecker gets much less love than its close relative the famous Ivory Billed Woodpecker. New Yorker and Dirty Bird Superfan JayPogo joins John to talk about this little studied woodpecker and its crazy curly-Q hairstyle. Learn about its unique behaviors, evolutionary history, and how it (likely) went extinct. Also, Jay Pogo and John talk about birding and life in general. A fun episode that will bring...

In this ex-seedingly fun episode, John and Tim go beyond the labels to find out what’s really in your birdseed. Are you providing a well balanced meal at your backyard feeder or helping spread invasive plant species and disease? Learn surprising stories behind seemingly innocuous grains- such as how King Tut and mastectomies relate to bird seed and the domestication history of crops we take for granted today. Also, throughout the episode John quizzes Tim on hilarious bird names. Can you spot...

Bill Wallauer has spent a lifetime appreciating and filming nature. He first began working with Jane Goodall in the 1980s filming wild chimpanzees in Tanzania and has provided footage for well known productions such as Planet Earth and National Geographic documentaries. Throughout it all, he has maintained a deep love of nature and birds. I spoke with Bill via Zoom as he sat in his idyllic backyard nature preserve. We talk about his career, how he got into birding, and how you can turn your...

pssst...psst...got any more of those great blue heron facts? Yes we do! John welcome's Kathryn back to the show as they discuss everything you need to know about Great Blue Herons. As an added bonus, this week we are recording right next to an active Great Blue Heron rookery in beautiful Tall Timbers Maryland! Many birds make appearances with their songs and alarm calls...sometimes provoked by Kathryn's crazy dog Luna. So wade on into this new episode! . . . Intro music by Ricky Pistone and...

Part 2 on Song Sparrows focusing on their songs, habitat, evolutionary history and much much more. Learn about song sparrows while you hangout with John in Otter Creek Wilderness! . . Cover art by the super talented TJ Rinoski. Check out more of his work at tj-rinoski.com . . Intro music by Ricky Pistone and outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Find them on youtube and spotify! . . Bird sounds from xeno-canto.org. Opening song sparrow song by Paul Marvin Piercing song by Scott Olmstead One...

Professor Jeremy Hyman has studied song sparrow territorial behavior extensively and joins John on a rainy day to talk about the surprising amount of aggression behind their beautiful song. In this Part 1 of two episodes on song sparrows, you'll learn everything you need to know about how male song sparrows establish and defend their territories. You'll also learn tips for identifying song sparrow battle lines in your backyard! . . . Big thanks to Professor Jeremy Hyman for being on the...

In possibly the grossest episode yet, John tackles the ugly and misunderstood vultures of North America, the Black Vulture and the Turkey Vulture. After starting off with a sphincter clenching Native America story from the Winnebago tribe, John goes into way too much detail about how vultures find their food, fly, and stay cool. At the end, he explores vulture's evolutionary history and their interactions with humans. Plus: A voice memo from John S about the last episode on Carolina Wrens!...

Wren in doubt, check Dirty Bird out! In this tiny episode (by DB standards) for a tiny bird, John ventures into the Monongahela national forest to record an episode about the Carolina Wren. Learn about the origin of their scientific name, weird winter roosting habits, and every other fact you’d ever want to know about these feathery funballs! Also, thanks so much for the sounds provided from www.xeno-canto.org that display the incredible vocal repertoire of these birds. . . Intro music by...

What has a white rump and a yellow (or red) shaft? The Northern Flicker of course! John and TJ discuss the many pun worthy aspects of the Northern Flicker's unique behaviors and biology. Also, a poem from Dirty Bird Listener Dolly and an awesome voice memo from Jaypogo! Thank's y'all! . . Cover art by TJ Rinoski- check out the new Dirty Bird Podcast logo made by this incredible Richmond, VA based artist! . . Intro music by Ricky Pistone, Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers . . . Bird calls...

These fierce flying fishermen can be found across North America anywhere near bodies of water. Find out how they evolved to be such adapt hunters, learn ancient greek and native american stories involving this respectable bird, and listen to their unique rattling calls. Plus, an interview with Jessica Coker, wildlife photographer and artist who drew the pair of kingfishers for the cover art of this episode! Its a classic dirty bird episode, fun bird facts mixed with fowl language!...