Birds of a Feather Talk Together

How long can a bird stay in the air without landing?
This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into the incredible world of the Chimney Swift—one of North America's most unique birds. These aerial specialists spend nearly their entire lives on the wing, eating, drinking, courting, and even collecting nesting material while flying. Outside of nesting and nighttime roosts, they rarely land at all.
And when they finally do stop flying, they don't perch on branches like most birds. Instead, their long, specialized claws allow them to cling to the vertical walls of chimneys, hollow trees, caves, and other upright surfaces, making them unlike almost any other bird you'll encounter.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore the remarkable adaptations that allow Chimney Swifts to live almost entirely in the sky. We discuss their migration, nesting behavior, conservation challenges, and why these fascinating birds have become so closely associated with human-made chimneys.
Along the way, the conversation takes a few unexpected turns. We discuss how wildfire smoke can affect birds and bird migration, the impacts of climate change on wildlife, the surprising history behind bird's nest soup, and answer a follow-up listener mailbag question inspired by our recent Carolina Wren episode.
Whether you're a lifelong birder or just discovering the incredible birds flying overhead every summer evening, this episode is full of fascinating bird science, ornithology, and plenty of fun detours.
If you enjoy birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, bird migration, backyard birds, wildlife science, conservation, and nature podcasts, subscribe for new episodes every week.
Topics covered:
Chimney Swifts
Bird flight adaptations
Bird migration
Nesting behavior
Chimneys and vertical roosting
Wildfire smoke and birds
Climate change
Bird's nest soup
Carolina Wren mailbag
Ornithology and bird conservation
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're joined by ornithologist David Vander Pluym to explore a fascinating bird from Central America and South America: the Slate-throated Redstart—also known as the Slate-throated Whitestart.
David is a graduate student at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science whose research focuses on bird ecology and migration. Before beginning graduate school, he spent years studying birds along the Colorado River in Arizona and California, and he now researches the remarkable altitudinal migration of the Slate-throated Redstart.
Together, we discuss why this colorful bird may now be called the Slate-throated Whitestart, what scientists have learned about its behavior and habitat, and how birds can migrate not just across continents, but up and down mountains in response to changing seasons.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ Pole and Amanda Pole for a fascinating conversation about tropical birds, mountain ecosystems, bird migration, evolution, bird taxonomy, and ornithological research.
We also catch up with David about this year's Birds of a Feather March Madness Bird Tournament. As one of the LSU graduate students who helped vote throughout the competition, he shares his thoughts on one of the tournament's biggest fan favorites—the Club-winged Manakin—and his opinion might surprise you.
Whether you're interested in bird migration, tropical birds, ornithology, bird evolution, scientific research, or discovering beautiful species you've never heard of, this episode is packed with fascinating bird science and unforgettable stories from the field.
If you love birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, tropical birds, migration, ornithology, wildlife science, bird evolution, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're taking a closer look at one of North America's most energetic and recognizable backyard birds: the Carolina Wren.
This episode was inspired by listener Rebekah, who wrote to us asking if we could convince her to appreciate Carolina Wrens a little more. Like many birders, she noticed just how loud these tiny birds can be around your house—and wondered what makes them so special. Challenge accepted!
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore everything that makes the Carolina Wren such a remarkable species. We discuss Carolina Wren behavior, bird songs and calls, habitat, nesting, bird identification, migration, and the fascinating adaptations that have helped these charismatic songbirds thrive across much of the eastern United States.
Along the way, we explain why Carolina Wrens seem so much louder than their size would suggest, what makes their personalities so memorable, and why they've become favorites among backyard birdwatchers. We also touch on the recent surge of interest in wrens, as these tiny birds continue to capture the attention of birders and nature lovers alike.
Whether you're a lifelong birder, just getting started with birdwatching, or simply curious about the birds visiting your backyard, this episode is packed with fascinating bird science, ornithology, bird behavior, and fun facts that may just change the way you think about Carolina Wrens.
If you love birding, birdwatching, backyard birds, songbirds, bird identification, bird behavior, ornithology, wildlife science, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we explore one of North America's most secretive and fascinating birds: the Black-billed Cuckoo.
Often heard more than seen, Black-billed Cuckoos are mysterious forest birds known for their elusive behavior, unique adaptations, and surprising diet. In this episode, we dive into what makes this species so unusual, from its preference for hairy caterpillars that many other birds avoid to its remarkable migration and nesting behaviors.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to discuss Black-billed Cuckoo behavior, bird identification, migration, habitat, evolution, bird vocalizations, and why these birds remain one of North America's most intriguing songbirds.
We also explore the fascinating role Black-billed Cuckoos play in forest ecosystems, how they compare to other cuckoo species around the world, and why even experienced birders consider spotting one a special experience.
Whether you're a lifelong birder, just getting into birdwatching, or simply curious about the hidden lives of birds, this episode is packed with fascinating bird science, ornithology, wildlife conservation, and unforgettable bird facts.
If you love birding, birdwatching, cuckoos, bird behavior, bird migration, songbirds, ornithology, wildlife science, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Tags
black billed cuckoo, black-billed cuckoo, cuckoo bird, birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, bird migration, bird identification, north american birds, songbirds, ornithology, wildlife podcast, bird podcast, bird facts, migration birds, forest birds, nature podcast, wildlife science, bird vocalizations, backyard birding

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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're joined by zoologist and science communicator Christian Flores (better known as @crikeyitschristian) for a deep dive into one of the greatest conservation success stories in modern history: the California Condor.
Once soaring alongside mammoths, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, and other Ice Age megafauna, California Condors have survived for tens of thousands of years—only to come perilously close to extinction in the 1980s. In this episode, we explore how one of North America's most iconic birds was saved through one of the most ambitious wildlife recovery programs ever attempted.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole alongside Christian to discuss California Condor biology, evolution, scavenger ecology, conservation science, captive breeding, reintroduction programs, lead poisoning, and why these magnificent birds remain one of the greatest symbols of wildlife recovery.
We also dive into the Condor's incredible evolutionary history, what North America looked like when they shared the landscape with mammoths and saber-toothed cats, and how scientists and conservationists are working to ensure their future.
Whether you're a birder, wildlife enthusiast, conservation supporter, or simply fascinated by incredible animal comeback stories, this episode is packed with bird science, natural history, evolution, and inspiring conservation success.
If you love birding, birdwatching, endangered species, wildlife conservation, evolution, ornithology, paleontology, rewilding, and fascinating bird facts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Follow our guest Christian Flores for more wildlife content and science communication:
Instagram: @crikeyitschristian
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