Dirty Bird Podcast

In this 4th of July special, John talks all about America’s bird the Bald Eagle! While majestic appearing, the Bald Eagle has quite the bad reputation amongst those who have observed its habits up close, Benjamin Franklin even called it “very lousy”! But do its redeeming qualities make up for its sometimes nasty nature? Explore these topics as John tells you everything you need to know about the B...

In this listener suggested episode, Dr. John talks all about the White-Throated Swift, a graceful aerial acrobat of the Western US. Learn about the aeronautical engineering behind its amazing flying abilities and how its death defying courtship dives sometimes get it in trouble. Also, did you know white-throated swift and tobacco chewing cowboys have something in common? Accompanied by the frogs a...

Ricky is back! In between dumb puns, jokes, and laughs we learn about how the chicken went from prowling the jungles of Asia to being in backyards across the globe. Learn about the surprising intelligence of these birds, the different breeds of chickens, and what a wattle is. Get EGGcited!  . . Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro Music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get y...

You can take the birder out of Iceland, but you can’t take Iceland out of the birder! John is joined by bird enthusiast Cass to discuss both of their experiences birding in Iceland. Along the way, John shares cool facts about birds such as the Artic Tern (Kria), Norther Fulmar (fyll), Pink Footed Goose, and many more. Learn about the gross defense mechanism of Fulmars, the carnivorous sheep of Ice...

Much of the life history of Bachman’s Warbler is a mystery. It spent only four months in the American Southeast each summer before migrating to Cuba and often inhabited swampy, difficult to access environments. With its likely extinction in the 1980s, there’s much we will never know about this bird…but that doesn’t stop John from speculating! Using historical accounts dating back to the 1800s, inf...

Although they only weigh as much as two apples, the 10 oz Bar-Tailed Godwit completes the longest non-stop flight of any bird species in the world! In this episode, John explores the evolutionary adaptations that allow the Godwits to complete this epic migration. Learn why they are more like Sumo Wrestlers than marathon runners, what they have in common with 18th century sailors, and all about the...

Gavin is back! Join John and Gavin as they talk about their favorite local and exotic bird species, their dream birding locations, and defend their favorite penguin and ratite species. Plus, lots of jokes, tangents about nature and birding, and some minor philosophizing on life in general. This is a great laid back episode of Dirty Bird Podcast to put a smile on your face and get you in the mood t...

Ricky and John are back! In addition to lots of dumb jokes, bird puns, and impressions they explore how pigeons have been used in warfare, the world's most famous pigeon, how pigeons make milk, pigeon intelligence, pigeon breeding, and much much more. Plus....featuring special surprise guest Ricky's Dad! Its an episode full of bird facts and belly laughs. Learn all about this common but extremely...

The 50th episode! To celebrate, Dr. John talks with the creator of the Dirty Bird Podcast theme song and music video, Ricky Pistone. A skilled musician and video editor, Ricky is also John's lifelong friend and is full of bad puns, laughs, and dirty jokes.  In this episode, we talk about a very misunderstood bird: the rock dove, better known as pigeon. Sometimes called "rats with wings" these surp...

In this episode, Dr. John explores the life history of the Eastern and Spotted Towhee. While common birds in backyards and parks, there’s many interesting facts about them the average birder doesn’t know. Did you know their eye color varies with region? Or that humans and towhees share a microbiome? And what the heck do Towhees have to do with Shakespeare?! Listen to this episode to find out more!...

Vengeful owls, sloppy bears, and vultures hungry for human flesh: that's just another day on the job for Gavin, lead animal keeper for Maymont Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. Maymont is a free historic park located in the capitol of Virginia that features rescued and rehabilitated animals. Among these animals are several hawks, owls, and vultures that Gavin helps care for every day. Along with f...

Summer nights just wouldn't be the same without the ethereal call of the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will. Sadly, the nights are growing quieter as this bird's populations plummet. Learn the secrets of this elusive, nocturnal bird on this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast and why its numbers are declining. John combs through the latest research to discuss this big-mouthed bird's life history, vocalizations, and...

Eagles, Gorcrows, and Crebain…oh my! Throughout the works of J.R.R Tolkien, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Fall of Gondolin, The Simarillion, and Beren and Luthien, birds feature prominently.  Some, like the Eagle, play a big role while other birds are more obscure. In this podcast episode, three life long friends and LOTR nerds discuss nearly every bird reference made in The Fellowship...

Everyone knows the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal alive, but do you know the physics behind what makes them so fast? Or about their soap opera worthy lives? With a beautiful dawn chorus of birds accompanying him, John tells you all you need to know about the Peregrine Falcon such as its feeding behavior, physical adaptations, breeding behavior, and evolutionary history. Packed with interes...

Right now as you read this, you are probably inside of a death trap for birds. Moderns homes, schools, and offices are often fitted with expansive windows and while aesthetically pleasing to us humans, this is a huge problem for birds. The average residential house kills 3-5 birds per year, resulting in upwards of a billion bird deaths total in the US. But, there are solutions! Join John as he int...

While technically songbirds, Shrikes are some of the most vicious predators in the bird world. Learn how they earned the nickname “Butcher Birds” through one of their morbid behaviors…this episode may not be for the faint of heart! Also, we explore the life history, evolution, feeding, and breeding of the Loggerhead Shrike. Did you know Loggerhead Shrikes have some pretty unusual breeding practice...

In this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast, John explains nearly everything there is to know about the Mourning Dove. He’s also joined by the bird of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia who chime in while John records in this swampy woodland. Although these birds are very common (and actually the most populous bird in North America) they have many little known facts. Learn about surpri...

 Shoot the bird shit with John and Dack! Wildlife researcher and good friend of the show Dack joins John to explore the world of bird research. Dack explains how Ornithology is about more than just counting birds and explains how radar, satellites strapped on vultures, and even cloud cover can tell us a lot about our feathered friends. Dack also tells personal stories from his own lifetime spent i...

What’s black and white and smells all over? The Hoopoe (Pronounced Who-Poo) is a bird with a sneaky, stinky superpower- its basically a real life Pokemon! John and Tim tell incredible facts about this boldly colored bird while having lots of laughs along the way. Learn about its unique microbiome, evolutionary history, feeding and breeding. Also, find out how the Ancient Egyptians to Medieval monk...

John quests for a tribe of brown pelicans, recording from the shores of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The ocean waves, gull cries, and occasional Brown Pelican sighting are the perfect backdrop for this information packed episode. While seemingly common coastal birds, Brown Pelican have an incredible life history and almost went extinct at one point! Debunk some common myths about these birds...

The Shoebill Stork is one of the most interesting species in the bird world. Standing at over 5 feet tall with a massive, hooked bill this creature would be a terrifying swamp monster...if it didn't look like a Muppet. Join Tim, John, and Larry the noisy dog as they learn about how the Shoebill Stork walks on water, engages in some extreme sibling rivalry, and makes sounds similar to a firing rang...

What's black and white and dirty all over? An Atlantic Puffin in it's frat house burrow of course! Learn about these very social birds and their party-like breeding behaviors. This episode is full of strange and fun facts- like how puffin bills glow in the dark, how they may be on the diet for some deep sea monsters, and how they basically live in an underground frat house with other species. Also...

Everyone has heard of herons and egrets, but bitterns get no love. That is, until listener Kayla suggested this episode on the American and Least Bittern!  These shy wetland birds are easy to overlook but hold some amazing secrets. The American Bittern’s booming call and snow white breeding plumage patches make any day on the marsh magical while the Least Bittern’s feisty crest feathers and acroba...

On a surface level, birds and fish may seem like they don't have a lot in common, but they are just two pieces of this lovely ecosystem we love to learn about. Join John and Katie on a special collaboration episode between DBP and the Fisherwoman Podcast. On the Fisherwoman podcast, fisheries researcher Katie Osborn discusses all kind of fish facts with experts in the field. In this episode, John...

When you think of "man-eater" a few animals come to mind: Lions, Tigers, and Bears....but what about an Eagle that regularly takes down 300 pound prey? Oh my! . . In this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast, I talk with Tim about the now extinct but still terrifying Haast's Eagle, the largest Eagle to ever exist. According to Maori legend, this bird was known to prey on humans. We also talk about anothe...