Birds of a Feather Talk Together
Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a birding and nature podcast for bird lovers of all experience levels. Hosted by professional ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett, curators of birds at the Field Museum in Chicago, alongside birding enthusiasts RJ Pole and Amanda Pole, the show blends expert insight with fresh curiosity.
John and Shannon bring decades of ornithology experience and access to one of the largest bird collections in the United States, while RJ and Amanda represent newer birders—asking relatable questions that open the conversation to beginners without losing depth for seasoned bird watchers.
Each episode explores rare, exotic, extinct, and everyday birds, covering identification, behavior, conservation, and current avian research. From backyard birds to birds of the world, Birds of a Feather Talk Together offers expert knowledge in an approachable, conversational format.
Subscribe and discover the fascinating world of birds—one chirp at a time. 🐦
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
110: Red-headed Woodpecker - Catching Bugs Out Of The Sky + Paddleboard Sightings
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Everyone loves woodpeckers, and the Red-headed Woodpecker is one of the coolest! Listen to what makes this bird unique, like hiding grasshoppers in trees to eat later (while they are still alive.) RJ also tells some paddleboarding mishaps, and talks about some molting mallards that he saw recently. Join RJ, Amanda, John, and Shannon this week to talk about the Red-headed Woodpecker!
Here are some of the links to cat resources which we talked about in our mailbag section:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/killer-cats-bash-biodiversity/
https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/whatre-we-gonna-do-about-all-these
https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Wars-Devastating-Consequences-Cuddly/dp/0691167419
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrfXmyuzBAw
https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/
https://www.animalhumanesociety.org/resource/are-outdoor-cats-happier
Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: