Life List: A Birding Podcast

Find out what we almost named Life List and a deep dive into the cultural implications of the question: “Have you seen the eagle?” Then, here’s to a new yard list for George! The guys also discuss elitism in birding... did Ontario Field Ornithologists come up with a solution to the age-old birder paradigm of sharing rare bird sightings? Learn how Goosanders in Europe have the same plumage pattern...

We kick off 2022 with winter duck updates in the form of some mallard-esque species, including Black, Mottled, and Mexican Ducks. We chat about Saw-whets and other owls, plus how the public interacts with them. Plus, have you heard about the collaboration of leading conservation organizations to support expeditions to re-find 10 lost bird species ? Leonardo DeCaprio has . We also pay homage to the...

We catch up on Christmas Bird Counts, some Swifty talk, landfill birding, and how with experience, identification becomes recognition, just like finding a good friend in a crowded room. George also recounts the American Birding Association's Bird of the Year Reveal Party — welcome, year of the Burrowing Owl! — and more on owls, including vocal evidence to separate the burrowing owl into speci...

The guys start with chatting birding updates and well-documented views of beers among birders. Then they dive in: they’re at risk of overdoing their interest in gulls, but they just don’t care. One cool thing about gulls is that it’s often relatively easy to get great looks at them — the challenge is in learning from what you’re seeing! Needless to say, the pod is ready for gull season to kick off...

You're in for a great story this week! Alvaro gives us an update on his journey through hearing loss and regaining it through a cochlear implant. But before that, we chat about late fall birding, Elaenia IDs, and more about ear birding.  Highlight bird species:  Various Elaenias, including Small-billed and White-crested Locations mentioned: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, west coast pelagics  Don’...

This week, the guys talk George’s wedding and house search (Do you think they made an eBird checklist? The answer may surprise you!); the Naturally Adventurous podcast ; Black Rails and their close relatives; how genetics and appearances can differ; Kirtland’s Warblers seen throughout fall migration, plus notes on their evolution; the Cape May Fall Festival; and chasing Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers...

Pelagic updates, how to prepare for a birding trip, and more. Join us!  Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com .  Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature ; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adv...

The guys catch up on Hurricane Ida and how an interest in natural history can lead to an interest in observing weather-related phenomenons before diving into the good stuff: updates from Alvaro's ongoing Spanish Adventure. Oh, and pelagics. There's always pelagics. Topics covered include: The worst flooding in nearly 150 years in parts of the eastern United States, how storms and floodin...

Do you know the state bird of Utah, and how it came to be? How old are the oldest hummingbirds on record? Which gulls are of the cherry-picking variety? Get answers to these questions and so much more in this episode of Life List.  Topics covered include: Seasonal changes in birding; American Ornithological Society (AOS) updates, including a focus on genomics and inverted genes;  why the western r...

In this episode, we chat about updates on cicadas and west-coast pelagics, Olympian-quality birds, the fear of owls (and fear of showing people owls), and more birdy stuff. Send us your questions for our next episode, where you can Ask Us Anything! Topics covered include: Cicadas and their affinity with prime numbers; bird and mammal reports from Farallon Islands pelagic trips; the underdogs of th...

George, Mollee and Alvaro chat together for the first time on Life List. Mollee introduces herself, and the amazing rooftop tent! Alvaro mentions his first June trip to the Farallon Islands, CA. George “cancels” on Subaru at the Philly flower show. But the main discussion is about the Aloha State. Mollee gives us her impression as a first-time birder to Hawaii. George impresses us with his fish kn...

George and Al discuss their local birding endeavors, flightless birds, and Al is almost stumped on naming the two North American birds that undergo two full molts in a year. Hear a killer Virginia Rail/Three Stooges impression and the real reason we named our podcast Life List. Plus, are you a restauranteur? George is revealing his brilliant idea, for free, right here, just for you.  Topics covere...

Find out what makes George shriek like a small child and learn all about the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge as we discuss some of our first travel plans since the pandemic started. Also hear a teaser for Alvaro’s talk, Birding Fast and Slow, that deep dives into how our brains translate bird identification as our confidence as birders grows. PS - We have cited proof that watching birds bring people...

Jumping off, Alvaro & George get Life List going by sharing their birding origins and dipping lightly into the vagaries of gulls and gull people, as well as why birding itself is such a great pastime. Alvaro recalls meeting Batman, his days (or daze?) in “peanut butter & jelly production” and how he used to think golf was weird, while George reveals his plans to announce a new “anti- sesqu...