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
153: Slate-throated Redstart (or Whitestart) with David Vander Pluym
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This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're joined by ornithologist David Vander Pluym to explore a fascinating bird from Central America and South America: the Slate-throated Redstart—also known as the Slate-throated Whitestart.
David is a graduate student at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science whose research focuses on bird ecology and migration. Before beginning graduate school, he spent years studying birds along the Colorado River in Arizona and California, and he now researches the remarkable altitudinal migration of the Slate-throated Redstart.
Together, we discuss why this colorful bird may now be called the Slate-throated Whitestart, what scientists have learned about its behavior and habitat, and how birds can migrate not just across continents, but up and down mountains in response to changing seasons.
Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ Pole and Amanda Pole for a fascinating conversation about tropical birds, mountain ecosystems, bird migration, evolution, bird taxonomy, and ornithological research.
We also catch up with David about this year's Birds of a Feather March Madness Bird Tournament. As one of the LSU graduate students who helped vote throughout the competition, he shares his thoughts on one of the tournament's biggest fan favorites—the Club-winged Manakin—and his opinion might surprise you.
Whether you're interested in bird migration, tropical birds, ornithology, bird evolution, scientific research, or discovering beautiful species you've never heard of, this episode is packed with fascinating bird science and unforgettable stories from the field.
If you love birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, tropical birds, migration, ornithology, wildlife science, bird evolution, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss.
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