The Birding Life Podcast Network

What happens when a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa becomes a lifelong obsession - and ultimately the backdrop to an extraordinary writing career?
Internationally bestselling author Tony Park joins Gabby Sykora for a conversation that goes far beyond the pages of his novels. From more than three decades of African adventures to wildlife crime, conservation, unforgettable characters and the wild places that continue to inspire his stories, Tony shares the experiences, encounters and occasional chaos behind a life spent writing Africa.
With 24 novels, 10 non-fiction biographies and a brand-new release, King of Beasts, Tony has built a career telling stories where fiction and reality often sit remarkably close together.
There are Land Rovers, birds, bush adventures, plenty of laughs and some much bigger questions about the power of storytelling and the role it can play in conservation.
A brilliant conversation with one of Africa’s most recognised adventure-thriller writers and the perfect way to kick off a brand-new season.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:

Welcome to Season 15 of The Birding Life Podcast, Africa's biggest birding podcast. It is great to be back and kicking off another season of conversations with the people who make the birding world what it is.
And for our first episode, I'm joined by someone who certainly isn't a stranger to the podcast. Tristan Spurway has joined us before, but a lot has happened in his birding journey since we last properly caught up.
Tristan has developed a real passion for bird sounds and sound recording, including getting involved in the Big Year of African Sounds. He's also been creating some fantastic birding videos, travelling and birding across Africa, and is now involved with SA Youth Birders and helping to grow the community of young birders in South Africa.
But there's another very exciting reason I've invited Tristan onto the podcast today. There's a new chapter beginning for both Tristan and The Birding Life Podcast Network, and we'll get to that a little later in the episode.
Before we do, we're going to talk birds, bird calls, recording, content creation, young birders, and where Tristan's own birding journey has taken him over the past few years.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
Tristan's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tspurway.wildlife/
SA Youth Birders https://www.instagram.com/sa_youthbirders/

On this special World Ranger Day edition of the podcast, Gabby sits down with conservation activist and Saving the Wild founder Jamie Joseph for one of the most powerful conversations we have had.
While rangers continue to risk their lives protecting South Africa’s wildlife, Jamie reveals why the biggest battle is not always fought in the bush, but in the courtroom. Together, they unpack why so many rhino poachers never see prison, how corruption is undermining conservation, and why specialised wildlife courts and stronger legislation could change everything.
Jamie also shares more about Saving the Wild’s campaign for meaningful legal reform, the powerful short film Rhino: The Endgame, the role of public advocacy, and the Hollywood feature film inspired by her work that is currently in development with Margot Robbie’s production company.
This is a conversation about courage, justice, hope and the power of ordinary people to help create real change for wildlife and for the people risking everything to protect it.
Watch Rhino: The Endgame and support the campaign at Change.org/rhino-laws.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
Website: https://www.savingthewild.com/jamie-joseph/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saving_the_wild?igsh=MWRvd3EwbHJneWl2
Rhino-The Endgame: https://youtu.be/0Nmk7-VeAUE?si=PqC-2-MvGJT0aRsq
Petition: https://c.org/k4V7nVR9fr
The power in us project: https://www.riverinerecords.com/thepowerinusproject
Anderson Rocio: https://www.andersonrocio.com/powerinus

One of the things that has changed dramatically in birding over the last few years is the role that technology plays in helping us enjoy birds, keep records, contribute to conservation, and connect with other birders.
Today we are going to be talking about an app that has made a significant impact on the Southern African birding community. If you've spent any time around birders recently, chances are you've heard people talking about Bindo.
What started as an idea to get more people interested in birds has grown into a platform that now contains more than a million bird sightings. It has become a tool that birders are using to keep lists, contribute to citizen science, discover new birding locations, identify birds, and connect with a growing community of birders.
In this episode, I am joined by David Winter. David has been involved with Bindo since its early days and has played a key role in helping shape the platform into what it is today.
In our conversation, we chat about the story behind Bindo, how the app has evolved over the years, how it is helping beginner birders get started, the role of citizen science in conservation, whether artificial intelligence will change the way we bird, and why getting more people interested in birds may be more important now than ever before.
Whether you're already a Bindo user, an eBirder, an atlaser, or simply curious about how technology is changing the birding world, I think you're going to find this conversation both interesting and practical.Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
Bindo website https://www.bindo.app/

In this episode, Gabby is joined by primatologist Dr Paula Pebsworth from the Chacma Baboon Project for a thoughtful conversation about one of southern Africa’s most intelligent, adaptable and often misunderstood animals: the chacma baboon.
Baboons are deeply social animals with complex relationships, strong learning abilities and important ecological roles, yet they are also frequently at the centre of human-wildlife conflict. From farms and homes to waste, crops and tourism spaces, the overlap between people and baboons can quickly become emotional, difficult and deeply divided.
Paula shares the story behind the Chacma Baboon Project in Limpopo, her research across the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, and the importance of combining science, local knowledge and lived experience when looking for practical ways forward. The conversation explores why conflict happens, how baboons learn to use human spaces, the damage caused by feeding and easy access to food, and why coexistence requires understanding from both sides.
This episode is not only about baboons. It is about what happens when wildlife and people share the same landscapes, and how curiosity, research, responsibility and community action can help us move beyond fear and frustration towards more informed coexistence.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show: [email protected]