The Warblers by Birds Canada

Our producer, Jody Allair, never stopped loving dinosaurs. He is always telling us about how birds are actually just dinosaurs. Is he right? In this episode, we hear from Dr. François Therrien at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. We learn about the evolution of birds, and their similarities with theropod dinosaurs. This episode goes out to everyone who never stopped loving dinosaurs...

A lot happened for birds in 2021, for example,  Andrés found the Razorbills... Now, seriously, In this minisode, we cover some of the good news stories that we didn’t have a chance to touch on in our last episode, such as the strengthening of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and significant funding for Indigenous stewardship programs in Canada. Jody Allair is an avid birder and naturalist who enjoys...

We sat down with our friends, Yousif and Mike, expecting to chat about the past year in birding—but we couldn’t settle on one topic!   In this episode, we marvel over rare bird sightings, like the Steller’s Sea Eagle that visited multiple Canadian provinces this year. We dig into what it means to be a “birder”, and how the birding community has changed for the better in recent years. And we chat a...

Wondering what you can do to help birds? Drink (the right) coffee! Specifically, bird-friendly certified coffee. Bird-Friendly coffee is great for birds and people, yet many bird lovers haven’t made the switch. Kirstin Hill from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre joins us to talk about why it’s important to buy bird-friendly CERTIFIED coffee. Spoiler Alert! Canadians drink copious amounts of co...

When it comes to coffee and birds there’s a surprising amount we can learn. Many of our beloved migrant birds spend their winters in southern climes. In coffee plantations in fact. Shade-grown, organic, fair-trade, and bird-friendly coffee – what’s up with all the certifications? What difference does it make if my coffee is certified bird-friendly? Dr. Ana Gonzalez grew up among the coffee plantat...

Should we feed birds? When and why? These are some of the questions we explore with Kerrie Wilcox, Birds Canada’s bird feeding expert. With decades of experience leading Project FeederWatch, Kerrie explains the value of observing the birds in your yard and what the data tells us about bird population trends. And what watching ‘our’ birds contributes to our own well-being. We’ll also talk to expert...

Dr. Sarah Gutowsky shares her recent findings on the migratory route of Sabine’s Gulls. This incredible species migrates 15,000 km from the high Arctic to Perú, and makes a brief but essential stopover along the coast of Vancouver Island in the Juan de Fuca Strait. Sarah helps us explore, not only the methodologies and insights from this research but also how she hopes the research may be used to...

There are 58 bird species living in Canadian oceans, 95% of them are in trouble worldwide, furthermore, we don't really understand how 62% of Canadian seabirds are doing due to unknown population trends.  In this episode, you will discover the Seabirds you did not know you love, the reasons for their decrease and what you can do to help them with your everyday choices. Dr. Sarah Gutowsky will...

Knowledge keeper Alan Colley from the Wolf Clan brings us one of the stories of Migizi. This is the Anishinabemowin name for the Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The story was produced and recorded by Shadowland Theatre for the Milliken Mills High School Earth Day Celebration in 2020. Check out the poems, songs and works of arts prepared by students for this Celebration here: https://www.mm...

Bneshiinyik is how Anishinaabe people know birds. On this episode that marks National Truth and Reconciliation Day, we talk with Joseph Pitawanakwat a young knowledge keeper in search of medicine, names and stories. He talks about how birds are named in Ojibwe and some of the teachings and gifts they share with us. What you will discover in this episode is that language is a key to the knowledge o...

Whether you are testing the Merlin Sound ID app or have mastered the app, got a new recorded, shotgun mic for your phone and have annoyed all your family asking them to be quiet while you record... you might have some burning questions. Like, is sound ID enough to report a bird? Can I get better at recording? What do I do if Merlin gets a bird wrong? In this Minisode, we explore these scenarios an...

It's a dream come true – there's finally an app for identifying bird sounds. In the next episode of The Warblers podcast, we’ll explore the Merlin Bird ID app’s new Sound ID feature and how artificial intelligence is redefining birding. We talk with Drew Weber and Jody Allair and go deep into the implications and opportunities that this technology will bring for birds, and new as well as...

We talked to Natasha Barlow a couple of weeks ago about Bird Gardens. she provided bonus information to help you attract specific species, birds you might not know you wanted or could attract to your garden. If you haven't had a chance, check out the full episode. Full episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1784269/8970575 Please remember we would love to hear from you, let us know what you thin...

It often feels like we've been engaged in a battle with our lawns; we cut, mow, trim, drown and poison them to achieve that lush poster green look. We believe that yards, birds and landowners will find more happiness with a naturalized space. This paradigm shift will provide an opportunity for enjoyment, reflection and conservation - rather than work and sterile spaces. Many North American bi...

We speak with Julian Victor, a wildlife Filmmaker from Toronto who has worked on projects for National Geographic, as well as with legendary wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. He was one of the presenters for the first-ever Black Birders Week in 2020 and currently creates nature segments for Breakfast Television, one of Canada’s most popular TV shows. We explore how he got to be a ris...

The iconic Canadian snowbird. Find out surprising facts about our beautiful Common Loons ( Gavia immer ) and how they are faring in Canada. We speak with Kathy Jones and Kristin Bianchini to explore the fascinating and fragile world of the Common Loon and the role volunteer scientists play in our understanding of their complex lives. Join the Canadian Lake Loon Survey visiting: www.birdscanada.org...

"Challenging" - learn more about this understatement in the world of Ferruginous Hawk ( Buteo regalis ) research with Janet Ng. In our inaugural episode, we explore many angles of this exciting conservation work from the up and down fortunes of this species to the personal toll on an intrepid researcher. Janet Ng, Ph. D., is a species at risk biologist who has worked on a variety of spec...