Episode 75: Gynandomorphism in birds with Dr. Hamish Spencer
The sex of a bird – whether it is male or female – is one of the most critical aspects of its biology. Males and females often behave differently, especially during the breeding season, and in many species, they have strikingly different plumages. This episode...
Episode 74: A pigeon’s nest at home and its ripple effects
When a pigeon comes into the house. This is a controversial episode. In fact, I am pretty sure nobody in the nature groups that I am part of will approve of this. In fact, they may even condemn this episode. Because you see, it is about pigeons,...
Episode 73: Birds and Shola Forests with Dr. V.V. Robin
This episode features Dr. V.V. Robin who does cutting-edge research on bird diversity using genetics with many surprises. You can see his work at skyisland.in. In this episode, Dr. Robin will talk about understanding the patterns and processes of ecology, evolution...
Special Episode: How did you get into birding
Here is a special episode about how different Bangalore birding experts got into birding.
Episode 72: Birding in Mauritius
This episode is about birding in Mauritius. This pearl of the Indian Ocean is home to 156 species of birds, many of which are endemic like the Mauritius pink pigeon, black bulbul, kestrel, grey white eye, olive white eye, pardise flycatcher and the fody. ...
Episode 71: The biodiverse splendour of Bhutan
This episode is about Bhutan: carbon-negative, Buddhist and a pioneer in sustainable tourism. This tiny country, about the size of Switzerland contains 774 species. In comparison, neighbouring India— nearly ten times the size— has just 1200 species. Here we talk...
Episode 70: Toucanets and hummingbirds in Costa Rica
In this episode, we talk to a resident naturalist about the motmots, hummingbirds and toucanets that you can see in Costa Rica.
Episode 69: The Resplendent Quetzal of Costa Rica
In this episode, we explore one of the most beautiful birds in the world: the Resplendent Quetzal. In June 2023, I spent a week in Costa Rica, one of the most diverse countries in the world. Although I didn’t plan for it, I ended up seeing a resplendent quetzal,...
Episode 68: Delhi birds with Sudhir Vyas
Delhi and its neighbourhood, with its variety of habitats and landscapes, is remarkable for the wealth and diversity of its avifauna. It is a true haven for bird lovers, home to an astonishing array of over 470 captivating bird species. Get ready for an enchanting...
Episode 67: The three-wattled bell-bird, Monteverde, Costa Rica
This is the first of three episodes about the bird life in Costa Rica. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFQkV0qbZlY Listen to the bellbird on Youtube here. Meet One Of The Loudest Birds In The World (Three-wattled Bellbird) Thanks to these photographers for their...
Episode 66: Pleasures of birdwatching with Aasheesh Pittie
About Aasheesh Pittie’s book of essays, The Living Air. If you’re looking for new ways to engage with birds and birdwatching, Aasheesh Pittie’s book of essays, The Living Air is a great place to start. This book will not only make you want to get out and observe your...
Episode 65: Amazing bird species: Sarus cranes and storks
This is a post-episode trailer. In Episode 35, Dr. Gopi Sundar paints a hopeful picture of cranes and waterbirds coexisting with humans. In this episode we delve into these amazing bird species. Both storks and cranes are wading birds. They dwell in...
Episode 64: Flight paths: about bird migration with Rebecca Heisman
In this episode, we are talking about how we know what we know about bird migration. Our guest, Rebecca Heisman describes herself on her website, as a “bird writer for hire.” Her first book, flight path has the following subtitle: How a Passionate and Quirky...
Episode 63: The Feather Library project with Esha Munshi
This episode is about the wonder of feathers. Salim Ali said that birds were “feathered bipeds.” This episode explores how feathers are marvellously adaptive to suit birds and species. Our guest is Esha Munshi who co-founded the Feather Library, a digital...
Episode 62: Bird diplomacy with Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud
Photographing birds across continents. In this episode, we interview His Excellency Jacques Pitteloud who happens to be the Swiss Ambassador to the United States. Based in Washington, Ambassador Pitteloud is also a birdwatcher and bird...
Episode 61: Bird conservation: experiments that work
In this episode, we highlight conservation experiments that are interesting and have worked. We have chosen three experiments from previous episodes. Our hope is that you will go back and listen or watch sections of these episodes because they are worth your time....
Episode 60: The race to save our vanishing birds with Beverly and Anders Gyllenhaal
This episode is about conservation efforts across North America. Beverly and Anders Gyllenhaal are veteran journalists and birdwatchers. They ran newsrooms, assigned features and wrote books. They publish a website called FlyingLessons.US: What We’re Learning...
Episode 59: The big year of birding with Noah Strycker
In this episode, we talk to Noah Strycker. Noah is the Associate Editor for Birding Magazine and author of several popular books about birds. He set a world record in 2015 by finding more than 6,000 species of birds in one calendar year. 6,042 species to be precise....
Episode 58: Where bar headed geese and black tailed godwits visit in the winter
This episode is set in Hadinaru Kere, a lake outside Mysore in India. In the winter, the lake attracts a number of migratory birds. Some 85 species have been recorded in March 2023. This episode talks about the black-tailed godwit....
Episode 57: About Australia and birdsong with author Tim Low
In this episode, we talk to author Tim Low, whose book, “Where Song Began” has been credited with turning the map upside down in terms of ornithology’s Northern hemisphere bias. Tim proves that the world’s cleverest birds originated in Australia. Tim Low...
Episode 56: BR Hills in Karnataka: a recent visit
In episode 28, we spoke to Dr. Samira Agnihotri about bird song and how the Solega tribals interacted so closely with the forest around them. This episode is about a recent visit to the BR Hills. It talks about how humans and wildlife can live together in the...
Episode 55: Demoiselle Cranes in India
This episode is about demoiselle cranes congregating in a village in India. Last month, on a trip to Rajasthan, I visited the village of Kheechan. To get here, you have to fly to Jodhpur and drive two hours North. The thing about this place is that every...
Episode 54: The Great Indian Bustard: Update
Our first episode was about the Great Indian Bustard. The logo of the Bird Podcast is the Great Indian Bustard or GIB as it is called. Salim Ali wanted this bird to be India’s national bird for three reasons: it is indigenous to India, it is a large and...
Episode 53: Birds of Australia: Stories and Species
This episode gives a glimpse into the birds of Australia, told through the eyes of Franck Masna, an aboriginal elder who tells us the story of how birds got their colours and also through the eyes of Michael Simmons who runs Tweed Escapes to show tourists the sights...
Episode 52: Amazing bird species: Wood Storks
This is a story about a wood stork called Flinthead. He lived with his partner in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Florida. The wood stork couple depended on the wetlands in Florida for not just their survival but also to bring up their babies. This is a...
Episode 51: The importance of wetlands: Post episode trailer
This episode is about wetlands. This is a post-episode trailer of Episode 5 where I interviewed Dr. Jerry Jackson. Even though the audio isn’t perfect, Episode 5 is worth listening to because he covers so much ground. Ecology, wood storks, wetlands, anhingas,...
Episode 50: How Israel tackles bird conservation with Professor Yossi Leshem.
Barn Owls, Israeli Air Force and Satellite tagging of storks In this episode, we have Professor Yossi Leshem from Israel joining us to discuss several things: tracking migratory storks with GPS, working with barn owls as pest control agents, regional cooperation,...
Episode 49: Bird Migration with Scott Weidensaul: Post Episode Trailer 1
Post Episode Trailers are short episodes in which I highlight an earlier episode that is worth watching. This episode is about Episode 12 of The Bird Podcast in which author and migration expert, Scott Weidensaul talks about the amazing feats that birds do in order to...
Episode 48: Behind the scenes with Allison Shultz of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
In which we go behind the scenes to see the fascinating aspects of the bird specimen collection of one of America’s most well-respected museums. You really should watch this episode but in case you cannot, here it the audio only version. In this episode, she shows us...
Episode 47: The complex web of factors that influence bird migration with Dr. Yaara Aharon-Rotman
Where she talks about how multiple nations and habitats need to cooperate to help these champion migrants. In this episode, Dr. Yaara Aharon-Rotman speaks about long distance migration, mainly among shorebirds but also passerines. We have explored migratory...
Episode 46: Rescuing black kites with filmmaker Shaunak Sen
Interview with a filmmaker who won the L’oiel d’or or Golden Eye in Cannes for best documentary film in 2022. We have a different sort of guest for this episode: a filmmaker. Shaunak Sen’s film “All That Breathes” premiered at Sundance Festival, where it won the...
Episode 45: Avians to the rescue with Bittu Sahgal
Our guest today is the much-admired Bittu Sahgal. Mention Mr. Sahgal and three words come up: Sanctuary, activism, and conservation. He founded Sanctuary magazine in 1981. It morphed into Sanctuary Nature Foundation in 2001. In these capacities, and...
Episode 44: A life with birds and insects with Dr. Bernd Heinrich
About ravens, tree swallows, great horned owls, woodpeckers, golden-crowned kinglets, crows and more. Our guest today is distinguished academic, author and ultra-marathoner, Dr. Bernd Heinrich. He talks about owls, ravens, tree swallows, painted snipes, great horned...
Episode 43: Challenges of the Arctic-breeding shorebirds with Dr. Erica Nol
Today we are talking with Dr. Erica Nol of Ontario, Canada about challenges of the arctic-breeding shorebird. Dr. Nol is a professor at Trent University in Canada. Her research interests lie in the biology and conservation of shorebirds across many areas in Canada...
Episode 42: Birds in myth and legend. Part 4 of 4
Part 4 of How to bird-watch series In which the author loops in some history and fables and talks about her habitat. Birds are the stuff of myth and legend in every culture. Some of the most beautiful poetic images come from birds. My father, an English...
Episode 41: The art of seeing in bird-watching
How to bird watch Part 3 In which the author talks about how to see. Ayurveda divides us into three phenotypes: vata, pitta and kapha. Vatas have acute hearing and enjoy the sense of touch— if my memory serves right. Pittas have acute vision and enjoy the sense of...
Episode 40: The pleasures of bird watching. Part 2 of 4
In which the author connects birds and bees with flora and foliage Nature is both generous and opportunistic. Trees attract birds during certain seasons; and then allow other trees to get that opportunity. The red silk cotton tree beside my house was agog with birds...
Episode 39: How I got into birdwatching. Part 1 of 4
And how you can toooooo This episode addresses a question that every bird watcher hears at some point or other. People who watch us stand still at balconies gazing skywards or at trees, peering through binoculars at walks, or getting excited by some random tiny...
Episode 38: Amazing bird species: The Hoopoe
Episode 37: Talking hummingbirds with Anusha Shankar
Today’s guest, Anusha Shankar studies hummingbirds as a Rose Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She has lived and worked on four continents and loves being an Indian woman in science. She is fascinated by hummingbirds’ ability to use a...
Episode 35: Talking waterbirds with Gopi Sundar
Our guest today is Dr. Gopi Sundar, who heads the international ecological journal, Waterbirds. He is also a scientist in the cranes and wetlands program at the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) based in Udaipur. Gopi has worked on waterbirds for over...
Episode 34: Amazing Bird Species: Brahminy Kite
There is this bird that my mother watches. When it comes down, she says Garuda, garuda. And does a namaste. This bird is called the Brahminy kite. Haliastur indus. But is this bird really the Garuda that Hindus worship? That is the bird of Indonesia–...
New avatar: Short Episodes: Species
This Youtube explains everything https://youtu.be/doLxomyi3Mo
Episode 33: Birds of Nagaland with Angulie Meyase
In this short 3-minute episode, we are talking about the amazing birds of Nagaland with Angulie Meyase, a birding guide based in Khonoma, one of the most picturesque towns of Nagaland. He describes many of the birds you can see in Nagaland including the gray sibia,...
Episode 32: Hornbills in Valparai
This episode is about hornbills in Valparai. About human wildlife conflict and other things. But mostly about hornbills. Valparai in the South Indian state of Tamilnadu is verdant and beautiful. Entire slopes of these gently undulating mountains are covered with...
Episode 31: About extinctions and conservation with Dr. J. Christopher Haney
Our guest today is Dr. James Christopher Haney, a conservation biologist, wildlife researcher, and author of more than 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, technical reports, and science summaries. His career trajectory spans the arc of conservation and extinction and we are going to talk about both these topics today.
Episode 30: Birding Uganda with Judith Mirembe
About shoebills, turacos, ostriches and other Uganda birds Our guest today is Judith Mirembe who is currently based in Uganda. Judith is a bird guide and researcher with a passion for birds, keen on their conservation as well as protection of their habitats....
Episode 29: The flight of the Amur Falcons
This episode is about the magnificent migration of the Amur Falcons, the largest raptor migration in the world. It is 4:30 AM on a cold day in November. A group of us from Bangalore are driving from Dimapur to Hakhezhe, Nagaland to observe a spectacle like...
Episode 28: Of birds and birdsong with Dr. Samira Agnihotri
With us today is Dr. Samira Agnihotri, who has studied bird song, racket-tailed drongos and ethno-ornithology. Dr. Agnihotri has worked in the Biligiri Rangana Betta or BR Hills from 2005 when she began to study birdsong while pursuing a Master’s degree in...
Episode 27: Birders of Africa with Professor Nancy J. Jacobs
Our guest today is Nancy Jacobs is Professor of History at Brown University. The topic of our discussion is based on her third book, third book, Birders of Africa: History of a Network (Yale University, 2016. Her current work is on the “Global Grey Parrot.” She...