Birds of a Feather Talk Together

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're revisiting one of our most unforgettable episodes: the Alpine Accentor.
While we're taking a short summer break, we couldn't resist bringing back this fascinating conversation about a bird that has one of the most unusual mating systems ever discovered. If you thought bird behavior couldn't surprise you, think again.
Native to the high mountains of Europe and Asia, the Alpine Accentor has become famous among ornithologists for its extraordinarily complex breeding behavior. Unlike many birds that form simple pairs, Alpine Accentors have a highly flexible mating system involving multiple males and multiple females—making them one of the most studied species in behavioral ecology.
This unique breeding strategy has led to one of the most remarkable biological adaptations in birds: male Alpine Accentors have exceptionally large testes relative to their body size, an evolutionary response to intense competition for reproduction. We explore the science behind this adaptation, why it evolved, and what it teaches us about bird behavior and evolution.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole for one of our funniest and most surprising conversations as we dive into Alpine Accentor behavior, mating systems, bird evolution, reproductive biology, behavioral ecology, and the incredible diversity of strategies birds use to pass on their genes.
Whether you're fascinated by bird behavior, evolution, ornithology, wildlife science, or simply enjoy discovering the strangest stories in the natural world, this episode is guaranteed to surprise you.
If you love birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, evolution, animal behavior, ornithology, wildlife biology, behavioral ecology, 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 dive into the fascinating world of the Baltimore Oriole—one of North America's most beautiful and recognizable songbirds.
Famous for their brilliant orange-and-black plumage, rich, flute-like songs, and extraordinary hanging nests, Baltimore Orioles are among the most sought-after birds for backyard birdwatchers every spring. In this episode, we explore what makes these colorful birds so unique, from their incredible weaving skills and migration to their nesting behavior, diet, and remarkable adaptations.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole for a deep dive into Baltimore Oriole behavior, bird identification, migration, nesting, bird songs, and why these iconic birds continue to captivate birders across North America.
We also share a fun story about John hosting Chicago broadcasting legend Geoffrey Baer at the Field Museum, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's great natural history museums.
Whether you're hoping to attract Baltimore Orioles to your backyard, improve your bird identification skills, or simply learn more about one of North America's most beloved birds, this episode is packed with fascinating bird facts, ornithology, wildlife science, and birding tips.
If you love birding, birdwatching, backyard birds, songbirds, bird migration, bird behavior, bird nests, ornithology, conservation, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
Link to see RJ on J Schwanke's Life In Bloom: https://schedule.wttw.com/series/28891/J-Schwankes-Life-In-Bloom/watch/get-outside-ZpiZD1
Link to hear John on Ologies with Alie Ward: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oology-eggs-with-john-bates/id1278815517?i=1000417763781
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're traveling to Australia to explore one of the country's most fascinating—and controversial—birds: the Noisy Miner.
John recently encountered Noisy Miners during his birding trip to Australia, and after watching their remarkable behavior firsthand, we knew we had to dedicate an episode to them. These highly social birds are famous for their loud calls, complex family groups, and surprisingly aggressive behavior toward other birds. 
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to dive into Noisy Miner behavior, Australian birds, bird communication, territoriality, cooperative breeding, and why this species has become one of the most fascinating birds in Australia.
John also shares stories from his recent birding adventures in Australia, including firsthand encounters with Noisy Miners and what makes seeing them in the wild such an unforgettable experience.
To wrap up the episode, we answer a listener mailbag question about noise pollution and its effects on birds.
Whether you're interested in Australian birds, bird behavior, wildlife science, ornithology, bird communication, or simply love learning about some of the world's most remarkable species, this episode is packed with fascinating bird facts and unforgettable stories.
If you love birding, birdwatching, Australian wildlife, bird behavior, bird identification, conservation, ornithology, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
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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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