Image: The Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown Graphic featuring images of David Sibley and H. Jon Benjamin

Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!

Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!

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Shows With Contributions by Tenijah Hamilton

A pair of Acorn Woodpeckers perched on a branch, looking at each other.

Wenfei Tong on Seeing Ourselves in Birds

For biologist and writer Wenfei Tong, the line between people and animals has always felt fuzzy — or maybe feathery, in the case of birds. Wenfei loves to highlight commonalities we share with birds, like how young adult Acorn Woodpeckers sometimes stay with their parents if there aren't…
The episode artwork for Bring Birds Back: The Fascinating World of Bird Behavior

The Fascinating World of Bird Behavior

Since Tenijah Hamilton began birding, a lot of questions have come up about why birds do some of the strange things that they do. Writer and biologist Wenfei Tong joins Tenijah to answer some burning questions about what’s going on with our bird friends – questions about different…
Purple Martins perch at an "apartment" of numbered plastic gourds for them to nest in.

Providing Homes to Purple Martins

In the Southeast, on the lands of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw, Purple Martins nested in dried gourds hung up by Native Americans. This relationship might have developed because Purple Martins defend their turf, says Kelly Applegate, a tribal member and Commissioner of Natural…
The episode artwork for Bring Birds Back: The Streaming Sanctuary

The Streaming Sanctuary

Maya Higa is a 24-year-old streamer, falconer and sole founder of Alveus Sanctuary, a wildlife reserve outside of Austin, TX. What's unusual about Alveus is its digital footprint — it's "a virtual conservation education center facility" primarily found on Twitch where Maya streams to teach…
A Common Raven in profile against a diffuse orange background.

Who’s Afraid of Corvids?

Of all the birds out there, the corvid family — the crows, ravens, and jays — might have the spookiest reputation. But this idea that corvids are spooky is far from universal — it's mainly in the Western world, as corvid researcher Kaeli Swift explains.
A Canada Goose, beak open, stands in profile against a grassy background

The Five Birds You’re Scared Of

Author and bird enthusiast Ashley C. Ford says that it’s good to have a list of at least five birds that you’re scared of — like the six foot tall cassowary — just to keep you honest. “It's very important to humble yourself and to understand where you actually lie on the food chain,” she…
Episode promotional graphic for Bring Birds Back: "Spooky Birds" featuring the podcast artwork and headshot of guest, Kaeli Swift

Spooky Birds That Squawk in the Dark

For Halloween, corvid researcher Kaeli Swift joins Tenijah for a show-and-tell of spooky birds. Corvids, vultures, and owls all have reputations as ominous and foreboding — and today, we’re digging into those ideas. Kaeli unpacks why the birds are seen as scary, shares cool facts beyond…
Episode promotional graphic for Bring Birds Back: "Birding On The Hill" featuring the podcast artwork and headshot of guest, Tykee James

Birding on the Hill

So many of the challenges facing birds are systemic, bigger than what any one person can fix — so how do we get governments to step in and do something? Tykee James, a Sr. Government Relations Representative for The Wilderness Society, has approached this issue in a creative way: by…
The Bring Birds Back podcast artwork featuring an illustration of host Tenijah Hamilton with three birds flying overhead.

Season Three Trailer

Bring Birds Back returns for a third season! In this exciting new chapter, host Tenijah Hamilton explores the many different ways people are looking out for birds – from online to on Capitol Hill. Follow Tenijah's journey as she continues to explore her relationship with nature and birds…
A bird with a bright lemon yellow breast, black bib, striped head and long sharp beak stands perches on a fencepost in the sunlight.

Tykee James on Recovering America's Wildlife Act

Tykee James is a Senior Government Affairs Representative at The Wilderness Society in DC. Gridlock in Washington can be a real challenge to protecting birds, but a bill called Recovering America's Wildlife Act is giving Tykee hope. The bill would provide $1.4 billion a year in funding for…