Birds of a Feather Talk Together
A podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, talk with two amateur birders on all things bird related. With access to one of the largest bird collections in the United States, the hosts dive into exotic, rare, extinct, and also common birds. For experienced birders to people who are brand new to birding, this podcast is for anyone who has ever been interested in birds!
Episodes
86 episodes
82: Kirk Wallace Johnson Interview - Author of The Feather Thief
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Kirk Wallace Johnson, the author of The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. This gripping true-crime tale takes us into the world of rare bird feathers and...
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Episode 82
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1:22:36
81: The Feather Thief Part 6: Obsession, A Possible Accomplice, Final Thoughts
This week we close out with our final thoughts on the Feather Thief, as well as talk about the importance of museums and their collections. It’s our last episode before we talk to the author Kirk Wallace Johnson, so get ready for next week.&nbs...
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Episode 81
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35:27
80: The Feather Thief Part 5: The Crime, The Importance of Museum Collections, also a discussion on Canada and also precious metals
Welcome back to Part 5 of our exploration of the book The Feather Thief. We discuss the horrific act that’s still causing ripples in the world of museums. We’ll also take a closer look at the role museum collections play in science—a s...
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Episode 80
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50:05
79: The Feather Thief Part 4: The Argus Pheasant and Jason Weckstein Joins Us Again!!
Our adventure through the pages of the book The Feather Thief continues! We’re thrilled to have Jason Weckstein join us again. Jason is an enthusiastic fly fisherman and fly-tier, and also an amazing ornithologist. He joined us last we...
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Episode 79
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37:07
78: The Feather Thief Part 3: Fly-tying with guest Jason Weckstein
We are doing a mini-series on The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This week we have a very special guest, Jason Weckstein, join us for a conversation about the intricacies of fly-tying. Jason is not only an avid fly fisherman and fly tie...
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Episode 78
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45:25
77: The Feather Thief Part 2: Walter Rothschild, Feather Fever, and the start of the Audubon Society
Part two of our Feather Thief mini-series! This week we cover chapters on Walter Rothschild’s infamous museum, the fashion madness known as "feather fever," which drove people to decimate millions of rare and exotic birds. Then w...
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Episode 77
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33:36
76: The Feather Thief Part 1 - Alfred Russel Wallace, also the horrific crime that occurred at the museum
We're doing something a little different—a mini-series focused on the book The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. The book is part true crime, part cultural exploration, and it digs into the themes of obsession, beauty, and the len...
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Episode 76
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1:04:09
75: The Feather Thief Prologue - Quick Listen Prior to Starting The Mini-Series :)
We’re stepping away from our usual routine to dive into something a bit different—The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This is a story of a museum heist, someone who stole rare bird skins from a museum in order to sell them on th...
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Episode 75
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20:02
74: John Returns From The Falklands, Gentoo Penguins, What Do Birds Do In The Rain?
John is back from his trip to the Falkland Islands to study Gentoo Penguins, so we ask him all about his trip. We also answer a mailbag question on what birds do in the rain when it storms. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole...
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Episode 74
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56:46
73: Willard's Sooty Boubou Revisited - A New Species Described
We are kicking it off the new year by revisiting an older episode that we did on the Willard’s Sooty Boubou. This was a bird that John and the team at the Field Museum were responsible for describing as a new species. We are doing a mini-series...
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Episode 73
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41:23
72: The Archaeopteryx at the Field Museum + An Exciting Announcement
We're still down for the holidays but are sharing a segment that we did on the Archaeopteryx at The Field Museum. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived when an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago. A fossil called Archa...
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Episode 72
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14:06
71: Christmas Bird Count, The Feather Thief Question, An Exciting Announcement!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This week we revisit a segment on the Christmas Bird Count. We also answer a question on the book the Feather Thief. We also finish it off with an exciting announcment for 2025 (spoiler, we are going to do a ...
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Episode 71
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10:05
70: Holiday Wrap-Up - What We've Learned
We talk about what the four of us have learned so far on our podcast journey. It's a fun reflection from RJ, Shannon, John, and Amanda. Enjoy!Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Tog...
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Episode 70
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22:09
69: John's Trip to the Falkland Islands, also we talk about Bird Flu
This week's episode is a little different. John is going on a trip to the Falkland Islands to study Gentoo Penguins, so we ask him all about his upcoming trip. We end up discussing avian influenza a bit as well, as Bird Flu is a major concern f...
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Episode 69
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34:45
68: The Rusty Blackbird - Dramatic population decline, also a question on 'The Big Year'
This week we discuss the Rusty Blackbird. Rusty Blackbird is one of North America’s most rapidly declining species. The population has dropped between 85-99 percent over the past forty years, and Amanda and RJ saw one a few weeks ago so we deci...
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Episode 68
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26:59
67: Wild Turkey Revisited - with Jacob Drucker
We revisit an old episode on the Wild Turkey this week. These birds are a major conservation success story. We also talk about John seeing a turkey in the Democratic Republic of Congo, how turkeys got their name, and learn all about their magni...
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Episode 67
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23:27
66: White-throated Sparrow
Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart as we discuss the White-throated sparrow. We talk about sparrows in general, and how to differentiate them based on behavior and not just their appearance. We also talk about how th...
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Episode 66
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45:34
65: Wrentits with Kevin Burns
This week we discuss the wrentit with Kevin Burns! You've probably heard this bird's call in many movies and tv shows, but only seen it if you've been to California or Oregon. They are one of the most sedentary birds in North America, but someh...
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Episode 65
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47:11
64: Inti Tanager with Kevin Burns - Also known as the 'Kill Bill' Tanager
Kevin Burns joins us again to discuss the Inti Tanager. Kevin is an ornithologist and professor of biology at San Diego State University and goes way back with Shannon and John. Kevin tells us all about the story of this bird, from the sighting...
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Episode 64
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57:19
63: Kagu - Ghosts of the Forest
This super unique bird from New Caledonia has been isolated on an island in the Pacific for so long, but somehow its closest relative is the Sunbittern in Central and South America. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart...
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Episode 63
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40:05
62: The Slow Birding Journal with Joan E. Strassmann
We interview evolutionary biologist and the author of 'Slow Birding' Joan E. Strassmann. Joan has a new book released on October 22nd and is called 'The Slow Birding Journal'. It is a unique companion for bird enthusiasts seeking a deeper conne...
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Episode 62
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27:51
61: Roseate Spoonbill Revisited - The Color Pink
We are revisiting an older episode on Roseate Spoonbills for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Roseate Spoonbills are pink, and we talk all about how they get their pink color and where that comes from (hint - it may come from their diet.) We also...
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Episode 61
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35:13
60: Double-crested Cormorant, drying their wings, swimming with heavy bones
This week we talk about the double-crested cormorant. We also answer a question on swans. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together this week. Please send us your questions ...
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Episode 60
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57:50
59: Darwin's Finches (they're tanagers!) with Kevin Burns
This week’s episode with Kevin Burns is on Darwin’s Finches. Kevin and Shannon’s research reclassified Darwin’s Finches as Tanagers, so we hear all about what the process was like, and learn more about Darwin’s Finches in this week’s episode. K...
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Episode 59
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39:42