09-43: Inside Merlin with Miyoko Chu & Alli Smith
It's hard to overstate in influence of Cornell's Merlin on the growth of birding over the last few years. What began as a simple tool for helping people to identify bird photos has become so much more, reaching millions of nature enthusiasts and even some celebrities. Miyoko Chu. Senior Director of Science Communitcations at the Lab, and Alli Smith, Project Coordinator for Merlin, join us to talk about what it's like to be in the middle of one this massive movement for nature lovers. If you're interested in taking advantage of the sound recording workshop offered by Cornell and mentioned earlier in the conversation, American Birding Podcast listeners can save 40% using the discount code RecordMerlin40 at checkout through December 31, 2025. Also, the ABA mourns Tony Fitzpatrick, and welcome birders to Fort Myers this weekend. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!
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09-42: Random Birds, October 2025, with Ted Floyd
Birding magazine editor and random birder Ted Floyd is back for another trip around the bird list. He and host Nate Swick take their list of birds and their random number generator and end up talking longspurs, vireos, and drama plovers in this edition of Random Birds. Also, check out the ABA Store for all sorts of fun Bird of the Year and logo wear stuff! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!
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09-42: Take It or Leave It: Trumpeter Swans, Probability, and the Internet of Birding
It's not hard to get birders talking about some of the big questions in our hobby. And this time we go back in the archives of Birding magazine to collect some historic hot takes for another edition of Take It or Leave It, the discussion panel for the most opinionated birders. This time we welcome Tim Healy and Martha Harbison to talk about Trumpeter Swan introductions, the proper plural of binoculars, and whether the internet was a good thing for birders. Also, don't forget to bid on some great original bird art from our Bird of the Year program. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!
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09-40: What is Birding Like?
Have you ever had to describe birding to a friend or family member who just doesn't get it? What analogies do you use? Is birding like a religion? A sport? An obsession? In this encore episode from 2018, Guest host Greg Neise brings Birding editor Ted Floyd and young birder liaison Jennie Duberstein to bear on the issue in a rollicking discussion in an attempt to figure it out. Also, it looks like Nate is going to be at the ABA Community Weekend in Fort Meyers, Florida, next month! Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!
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09-39: This Month in Birding - September 2025
The last Thursday of September means that it's time for another This Month in Birding, featuring friends from around the birding world gathering to talk about interesting bird news and science from the last month or so. This time around we welcome Frank Izaguirre, Andres Jimenez, and Sarah Swanson to talk about Barred Owls, baby cowbirds, and our favorite bird conservation success stories. Links to items discussed in this episode: Suddenly Birding Is the Hot-Girl Hobby of the Year Taking Action to Avoid Extinction: Successful Regional-Scale Lethal Control of Barred Owls Supports a Federal Strategy to Save Spotted Owls How a Parasitic Bird With No Parents Learns What Species It Is North American bird declines are driven by reductions in common species The surprising recovery of once-rare birds How many bird and mammal extinctions has recent conservation action prevented? Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!
The American Birding Podcast brings together staff and friends of the American Birding Association as we talk about birds, birding, travel and conservation in North America and beyond. Join host Nate Swick every Thursday for news and happenings, recent rarities, guests from around the birding world, and features of interest to every birder.
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