Birds of a Feather Talk Together
Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a birding and birdwatching podcast for beginners and experts alike, blending expert ornithology with curiosity, storytelling, humor, and real-time discovery.
Hosted from Chicago by married Field Museum ornithologists and curators John Bates and Shannon Hackett, alongside birding enthusiasts RJ and Amanda Pole, the podcast explores the fascinating world of birds through conversations that are educational, approachable, and fun.
Each episode dives into bird behavior, bird migration, bird identification, bird songs and calls, backyard birds, conservation, bird intelligence, evolution, ecology, and the science behind how birds live and adapt. From hummingbirds, owls, woodpeckers, warblers, and herons to rare bird sightings, viral bird stories, and surprising animal behavior, every episode uncovers something remarkable about the natural world.
What makes the show unique is the mix of professional scientists and newer birders learning in real time together. Whether you’re an experienced birder, a casual birdwatcher, or completely new to birding, the conversations are designed to make ornithology accessible and engaging without losing the depth of the science.
The podcast regularly features stories and research connected to the Field Museum, listener-submitted bird sightings, birding adventures, wildlife conservation topics, and current events from across the birding world.
If you love birds, birdwatching, nature podcasts, wildlife, science storytelling, animal behavior, or simply want to better understand the birds around you, Birds of a Feather Talk Together will help you see the natural world in a whole new way.
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
125: LISTERS Review: The Funniest Birding Movie Every Birder Needs to Watch 🎬🐦
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we kick off the year with a hilarious and fun-filled conversation about LISTERS—our favorite birding movie of the year.
If you love birding, birdwatching, birders, and the wonderfully obsessive world of listing bird species, this documentary is an absolute must-watch. We laughed through almost the entire episode while discussing the film, the personalities in it, and why birders everywhere will immediately relate to the passion, competitiveness, humor, and chaos that comes with chasing birds around the world.
Even better, LISTERS is free to watch on YouTube, making it the perfect companion for this episode.
Alongside our movie review, we also answer listener mailbag questions covering unforgettable birding stories, wildlife encounters, bird behavior, and one particularly intense conversation involving Shannon and a bot fly encounter you won’t forget anytime soon.
Field Museum ornithologists and curators of birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole for a lively discussion full of bird science, birding culture, nature stories, conservation, humor, and fascinating insights into the world of birdwatching.
If you love birding, birdwatching documentaries, wildlife films, bird lists, ornithology, nature podcasts, bird behavior, and entertaining bird stories, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
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