Birds of a Feather Talk Together

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Birds of a Feather Talk Together

John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, Amanda Marquart

124 episodes

2 days ago

Happy Thanksgiving from Birds of a Feather Talk Together! We’re taking the week off for the holiday, but we didn’t want to leave you bird-less—so we’re re-sharing one of our favorite episodes, all about the mourning dove, one of North America’s most familiar and fascinating backyard birds. Fun fact: mourning doves can store an unbelievable amount of food in a specialized throat pouch before flying off somewhere cozy to digest it… which, honestly, sounds exactly like our Thanksgiving plans. I...

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All content for Birds of a Feather Talk Together is the property of John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, Amanda Marquart and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Happy Thanksgiving from Birds of a Feather Talk Together! We’re taking the week off for the holiday, but we didn’t want to leave you bird-less—so we’re re-sharing one of our favorite episodes, all about the mourning dove, one of North America’s most familiar and fascinating backyard birds. Fun fact: mourning doves can store an unbelievable amount of food in a specialized throat pouch before flying off somewhere cozy to digest it… which, honestly, sounds exactly like our Thanksgiving plans. I...

Show more...

Episodes (20/124)

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

120: Mourning Dove Revisited

Happy Thanksgiving from Birds of a Feather Talk Together! We’re taking the week off for the holiday, but we didn’t want to leave you bird-less—so we’re re-sharing one of our favorite episodes, all about the mourning dove, one of North America’s most familiar and fascinating backyard birds. Fun fact: mourning doves can store an unbelievable amount of food in a specialized throat pouch before flying off somewhere cozy to digest it… which, honestly, sounds exactly like our Thanksgiving plans. I...

2 days ago

26 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

119: Spoon-billed Sandpiper - One Of The Rarest Birds On Earth - Story of Convergence

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re exploring one of the rarest, most extraordinary birds on the planet: the spoon-billed sandpiper—a tiny shorebird with one of nature’s most fascinating evolutionary surprises. If you caught our recent YouTube video where John compared a Roseate Spoonbill at the Field Museum to the delicate spoon-billed sandpiper specimen, you already know we love a good convergent evolution story. Two completely unrelated birds… both evolving their own versi...

1 week ago

32 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

118: Golden Eagle - One of the largest and fastest raptors in North America

The Golden Eagle — one of North America’s largest, fastest, and most powerful raptors — takes center stage in this week’s episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together! Married ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett from Chicago’s Field Museum join hosts RJ Pole and Amanda Pole, who recently spotted Golden Eagles during their honeymoon in Arizona, to share insights about these majestic hunters of the sky. From breathtaking aerial speed to nesting habits and migration routes, we e...

2 weeks ago

35 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

117: Palm-nut Vulture - A Vulture Unlike Any Other!

Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Hosted by ornithologists and curators of birds at the Field Museum John Bates and Shannon Hackett, who are married, and also new birders RJ and Amanda Pole. Today we’re focusing on a fascinating species — the palm-nut vulture. This is a bird John has been eager to highlight, and once you learn more about it, it’s easy to see why. Found in Africa, palm-nut vultures don’t eat carrion, but instead their diet is mostly plant based. The...

3 weeks ago

35 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

116: Common Loon - An Eerie and Beautiful Call - Listener Request!

That echoing, haunting call drifting across a northern lake at dusk — few sounds in nature are as unforgettable as the common loon. In this listener-requested episode, RJ, John, Shannon, and Amanda dive into the world of these striking waterbirds. From their red eyes and black-and-white plumage to their incredible diving and parenting skills, loons are true masters of life on the water. Grab a cup of coffee, settle in lakeside, and join us for a relaxing, fact-filled conversation about one of...

1 month ago

1 hour 1 minute

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

115: Downy Woodpecker and Hairy Woodpecker

Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together, the podcast where bird lovers flock to learn more about the amazing world of birds! In this episode, we’re diving into two of North America’s most look-alike woodpeckers — the Downy Woodpecker and the Hairy Woodpecker. Whether you’re a new bird watcher trying to tell these two apart, or an experienced birder curious about their unique behaviors and adaptations, this episode has something for you. Join your favorite birding hosts — John Bates a...

1 month ago

1 hour

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

114: The Feather Thief with Kirk Wallace Johnson - Revisited

Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together! We’re taking a short break this week, but we’ve got something special lined up for you. While we gear up for upcoming episodes on Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers—and even a deep dive into the mysterious world of loons—we’re revisiting one of our most popular interviews from last year. In this replay, your hosts John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Pole sit down with Kirk Wallace Johnson, acclaimed author of The Feather Thief. His bests...

1 month ago

1 hour 21 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

113: Kirtland's Warbler Revisited

This week we’re revisiting one of our older episodes all about the Kirtland’s warbler. If you caught our interview with Peter Kaestner (episode 98), you might remember that he almost went birding on the morning of his wedding just to see this bird—so if Peter was that excited, you know it’s going to be a good one. The Kirtland’s warbler has a fascinating story, from populations threatened by the brown-headed cowbird—which we talked about last week—to an unexpected connection with ...

1 month ago

37 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

112: Brown-headed Cowbird Revisited - Laying Eggs In Other Birds' Nests!

We’re revisiting our episode on the brown-headed cowbird, and trust me, this one’s a wild ride. Did you know cowbirds don’t build their own nests, but instead lay their eggs in other birds’ nests and let them do the parenting? Even birds that aren’t even close in size will get stuck raising the chicks of a brown-headed cowbird. Hosts John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Pole talk about the Brown-headed Cowbird! Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a ...

2 months ago

32 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

111: Project Phoenix with Olivia Sanderfoot and Allison Shultz - How Wildfires Are Impacting Birds

This week we’re excited to welcome two special guests—Olivia Sanderfoot and Allison Shultz—to talk about Project Phoenix. This important project is exploring how wildfire smoke impacts birds on the West Coast, and what that means for their survival in a rapidly warming world. Understanding these effects is critical for shaping conservation strategies, and we can’t wait to learn more from Olivia and Allison in this conversation. It’s a truly fascinating discussion, and they w...

2 months ago

1 hour 22 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

110: Red-headed Woodpecker - Catching Bugs Out Of The Sky + Paddleboard Sightings

Everyone loves woodpeckers, and the Red-headed Woodpecker is one of the coolest! Listen to what makes this bird unique, like hiding grasshoppers in trees to eat later (while they are still alive.) RJ also tells some paddleboarding mishaps, and talks about some molting mallards that he saw recently. Join RJ, Amanda, John, and Shannon this week to talk about the Red-headed Woodpecker! Here are some of the links to cat resources which we talked about in our mailbag section: https://w...

2 months ago

43 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

109: Olive-sided Flycatcher - John Makes His Case For His Favorite Bird!

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, John takes the lead with his pick: the Olive-sided Flycatcher. Despite traveling the world and spotting hundreds of bird species, this flycatcher still holds a special place on his list of favorites. But not everyone agrees—his co-host (and wife) Shannon, also an ornithologist, isn’t convinced it’s such an exciting choice. Their playful back-and-forth makes for some fun bird talk you won’t want to miss. As newer birders, Amanda and RJ are curious...

2 months ago

36 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

108: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Cute Bird With A Ton Of Personality!

Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together! This week, the full crew—John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Pole—are back to highlight one of North America’s tiniest and most charming songbirds: the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. It’s Amanda’s pick this week, and she’s sharing why this lively little bird is one of her absolute favorites. If you’ve ever heard a high, buzzy call in the treetops before spotting the bird itself, chances are you’ve encountered a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Thes...

3 months ago

38 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

107: Club-winged Manakin - Making Robot Noises with its Feathers

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, it’s Shannon’s turn to pick the bird—and she’s chosen one of the wildest species on the planet: the club-winged manakin. If you’ve never heard of this bird, do yourself a favor right now—stop what you’re doing and google it. Trust us, you’ll be amazed. The club-winged manakin doesn’t sing with its voice. Instead, it makes a bizarre, almost robot-like sound with its feathers—something no other bird on Earth can do. Scientists are still blown away ...

3 months ago

50 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

106: Kingfishers Around The World with Jenna Mccullough

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we welcome back Jenna McCullough, a third-generation birdwatcher from Boise, Idaho, with a PhD in Biology from the University of New Mexico. Currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kentucky and soon to begin a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and UCLA, Jenna has traveled the globe in search of one of the world’s most fascinating bird families—the kingfish...

3 months ago

33 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

105: Mailbag Episode! Birds On The Side Of The Road in Florida, and Sparrows in Pennsylvania

In this fun and fan-fueled episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into the mailbag to answer your burning bird questions! It's our usual hosts, married ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett, and married birding enthusiasts RJ and Amanda Pole. First up: What’s the deal with all those birds hanging out in roadside water in Florida? Then we head north to Pennsylvania to talk about house sparrows, crows, and their neighborhood behavior. Join us for a lively conver...

3 months ago

24 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

104: Guam Kingfisher with Jenna Mccullough

In this week’s episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re thrilled to welcome ornithologist Jenna McCullough to the show for a deep dive into one of the most endangered birds on the planet: the Guam Kingfisher. Once extinct in the wild, this striking bird—known for its bold colors and elusive nature—has become a powerful symbol of conservation. Jenna shares the incredible story of how scientists are working to bring the Guam Kingfisher back from the brink, the challenges of breeding a...

4 months ago

43 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

103: Inca Tern - Plus we talk about John's trip to Peru!

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, John is back from his unforgettable trip to Peru, and we’ve got plenty to talk about! From the incredible bird species he encountered to the vibrant landscapes, John shares highlights and stories from his adventure. We also dive into one of the most distinctive birds of the region — the Inca Tern — famous for its striking mustache and bold personality. It’s a fun and fact-filled conversation with plenty of laughs along the way. Hosted by ornithol...

4 months ago

45 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

102: Laughing Kookaburras with Jenna Mccullough

In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re diving deep into the world of kookaburras, the iconic laughing bird of Australia, with ornithologist Jenna McCullough. Jenna is a third-generation birdwatcher from Boise, Idaho, with a PhD in Biology from the University of New Mexico. She’s currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kentucky and soon starting a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and UCLA...

4 months ago

38 minutes

Birds of a Feather Talk Together

101: Extremely Accurate Bird Songs with Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby

Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

4 months ago

1 hour 8 minutes