Podcasts are such fun, easy, and personalized entertainment. These mini, modern “radio shows” are also perfect for birders!
There’s a lot more to be said about birds and birding than anyone ever imagined. A bunch of different birding podcasts explore birds and birding and thousands of folks look forward to and listen to them.
Which are the best birding podcasts to tune into? Why are podcasts for birding and other subjects so popular? How can they help birders?
See answers in this article about the best podcasts for birding!
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The Beauty of Birding Podcasts
Birding podcasts have become popular for the same reasons people listen to podcasts about sports, true crime, and news stories. It’s a very easy way to listen to stories and information suited to your interests.
For birders, that means podcasts about connections with birds, funny stories about birding, and much more. The vast majority are free, and to hear them, all you have to do is search for a podcast and start listening.
You can listen to them while doing all sorts of other things, too, and, better yet, as a birder, you can listen to stories told by fellow birders. Podcast hosts share their hobby, passion, or maybe even obsession with watching birds. They connect with us at a deep level and make us feel closer to a worldwide birding community.
This is why birding podcasts are so popular and also why birders have been tuning in to Laura Erickson’s “For The Birds” since the 1980s!
The Science of Birds
Episode length: 40 minutes to an hour and a half.
Frequency: Once or twice a month.
The Science of Birds is an easy-going podcast that talks about bird biology and other bird-related themes. It’s hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a passionate naturalist who also has a doctorate in zoology.
In his entertaining podcasts, Ivan has revealed the special skills of owls, talked about different types of bird beaks, and much more!
Listeners might also learn a thing or two about why birds act the way they do, along with lots of other interesting tidbits. Although the host is a trained scientist, his conversations about birds are done in an easy-going, easy-to-understand manner suitable for all audiences.
Short interview of Ivan Phillipsen
When and how did you start The Science of Birds?
I started it as a “Pandemic Project,” in 2020. I co-own a birding and nature tour business, but, as you can imagine, had no tours that year. So I started the podcast, and it has since become the thing I am most proud of.
What are your plans for the future?
By my calculations, I have at least 12 years worth of podcast episode ideas. So I’ll keep at it as long as I can. I plan to launch a Science of Birds YouTube channel this year, bringing my shtick to the video medium.
Why should our readers listen to your podcast?
If you would enjoy a show about birds that’s packed with info and highly educational, but also a bit playful and entertaining. It isn’t as focused on the activity of birding, as many other bird-related podcasts seem to be. That said, my hope is that birders of all ages and other nature lovers will love the show. The geographic scope of topics is worldwide, rather than being strictly North American.
Your absolute favorite birds or bird groups
[Pulls out his very long list of favorite birds…] Woodpeckers, roadrunners, Hawaiian Honeycreepers, auks, dippers, and jays.
BirdNote Daily
Episode length: Two minutes
Frequency: Daily
BirdNote is a short podcast that has also been broadcasted on public radio since 2005. Since the start, this show has always had the goal of connecting birds with people from all backgrounds and places.
The production team creates interesting and positive podcasts to inspire and foster interest in birds and birding.
They also hope to connect people with birds to help endangered species, conservation, and make the world a better place. Some of the shows directly deal with these issues, while other podcasts touch on interesting aspects of birding. They might also simply talk about the beauty of the avian world.
The Bird Podcast
Episode length: Anywhere from 6 to 40 minutes or longer.
Frequency: Two weeks
This podcast is broadcast from India and talks about many aspects of birds and birding from India as well as many other places. The two birders from India who created this podcast are Ulhas Anand and Shoba Narayan. After meeting while birding in 2004, they ended up creating a podcast meant to generate enthusiasm for birds as well as educate about conservation issues and more.
During their podcasts, Shoba speaks to listeners about many types of birds in an easy-going and relaxed manner. They often interview people, feature guests, and make sure that at least 50% of the guests are women.
The Field Guides Podcast
Episode length: Around one hour
Frequency: Monthly
The Field Guides Podcast is broadcast and hosted by two somewhat anonymous naturalists from Western New York; Steve and Bill. For the podcast, they research the topic and then record it while they are outside, in the field.
Related: What should beginning birdwatchers know?
During the easy-going, humorous broadcast, they describe the place they visit and then cover the main topic. This topic sometimes covers stories about birds and bird conservation. However, they might also converse about lots of other aspects of natural history.
Their podcasts cover everything from Rattlesnakes to interesting bog plants and lots of other exciting aspects of natural history from Western New York.
Death By Birding
Image Credit: Death by Birding
Episode length: One hour to an hour and a half
Frequency: Twice per month
Death by Birding is an Australian podcast hosted by Australian birder Cesar Puechmarin. As you might guess, this podcast does a humorous take on birding. He covers many facets and aspects of birding, including the difference between bird photography and birding, and the best death metal bird songs!
Its main goals seem to be aimed at entertaining and informing listeners about birds and birding (and making them laugh in the process).
Cesar brings on a different guest for most episodes, and these folks run the gamut from professional musicians to zoologists and historians. His podcast format must work, it’s the number one nature podcast in several countries!
Cesar Puechmarin, when and how did you start the Death by Birding?
I started DBB in March of 2023, and it really began as nothing more than an attempt to create the bird podcast I wanted to hear.
I wanted something that combined bird facts and comedy while giving the listener an insight into the niche world of birding.
Unfortunately people started listening which meant I’m now committed.
What are your plans for the future?
Ideally, I’d love to continue doing these for a while, but at the moment, I’m just content doing them while I can.
I recently hosted a live show (I know right, a live birdwatching podcast, sounds riveting!), and it went surprisingly well. So I suppose when the time is right I’d love to take the
show on tour.
Why should our readers listen to your podcast? 🙂
I suppose if you like birds then there’s no harm in trying right? But ultimately I try and do the whole ‘birdcast’ thing a little differently. These are long-form, conversational, comedic conversations with guests about birds, many if whom aren’t birders themselves.
I think this gives it a unique insight into birding through the eyes of a diverse range of people. At least, that’s my hope. It’s a comparatively silly podcast and aims not to take itself too seriously.
Your absolute favorite birds or bird groups
Ah, the impossible question. But I suppose I’d have to say Owls. I have a keen obsession with Owls and never tire of tracking them down in the wild. I wish I had more to say about it, but they’re honestly just such beautiful and mysterious birds.
I also have a fondness for Woodpeckers. As someone who grew up in Australia (of which there are a total of 0 species), it wasn’t until later on my travels I finally saw one.
I recently hosted an art competition on Instagram where I challenged my listeners to design the Australian Woodpecker, and was blown away by the entries.
Talkin’ Birds
Episode length: 30 minutes
Frequency: One per week
Talkin’ Birds is a popular birding podcast that talks all about feeding birds, helping them, learning about birds, and various other bird-related stories and news items. The show often features guests and also has news about bird conservation.
At least 40,000 listeners download this podcast each month, and their main goals are promoting appreciation of the natural world.
Best of all, this podcast hosts frequent contests where listeners can win bird feeders and other birding-related prizes! They also broadcast “audio cards” from listeners that talk about their bird sightings and other interesting bird news. These audio cards are often recorded while the birder is in the field!
Dirty Bird Podcast
Episode length: Anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and a half
Frequency: Once or twice per month
The Dirty Bird Podcast is a program hosted by Dr. John, a birder who isn’t shy about revealing every bird’s dirty secrets! This podcast gives humorous, educational accounts of different bird species and other bird-related topics.
As the name of the podcast suggests, the broadcast occasionally uses language that is not suited for children or adults who would rather not hear foul language.
Related: Dirty bird names that make you take another look
However, that doesn’t stop thousands of people from tuning in. Listeners love this popular podcast for the interesting information it provides. They also enjoy the occasional music snippets and the funny take on birds, their behavior, evolution, myths, and more.
When and how did you start your bird podcast?
I started my podcast in medical school. During study breaks, I would often walk in the woods and go birding in the beautiful forests of West
Virginia.
I tried finding podcasts that would take deep dives into the life histories of individual bird species but came up blank, so I decided
to start my own! I was also interested in making the podcast fun and enticing to a younger audience to attract new people to birding and conservation.
Furthermore, I wanted to record episodes outside so my listeners got to feel like they were in the woods birding while also learning about birds.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue my podcast until at least 100 episodes. I want to keep covering listener suggested bird species so I can help my listeners learn about their favorite birds.
I also plan to record in some new locations such as New River Gorge National Park.
Why should our readers listen to your podcast?
People should listen to my podcast to learn facts about birds you won’t find on a Google search.
I painstakingly read through research and scientific articles to uncover all the information I can find on a bird species and present it in a fun, lighthearted way.
Also, since I usually record outside, my listeners also get to enjoy the natural sounds of the forest while learning about a bird.
The Casual Birder Podcast
Episode length: 30 minutes to an hour
Frequency: Twice per month
The Casual Birder Podcast was created and hosted by Suzy, a self-proclaimed casual birder from England. Like many other birding podcasts, one of Suzy’s goals has been to encourage people to recognize and appreciate nature. She also promotes the idea that watching birds doesn’t need anything more than an interest to watch them.
In her podcast, The Casual Birder touches on all sorts of birding and bird-related topics. She might interview other birders, explain how to attract birds to your yard, give tips for bird identification, and more. She also does podcasts about birding travels done with her husband, an accomplished photographer.
Laura Erickson’s For The Birds
Episode length: 5 minutes
Frequency: 10 to 12 times per month
Laura Erickson has been broadcasting about birds since 1986! She started out with a show on public radio that was eventually offered as a podcast. Her interesting broadcasts answer all sorts of questions related to birds and birding.
She might talk about a trip to see flamingos in Florida, rare bird records from Wisconsin, the best bird books for toddlers, or talk about nighthawks, why they are declining, and what’s being done to help them. Her podcasts are given in a personal way that connects with listeners and draws thousands of faithful followers.
American Birding Podcast
Episode length: Around a half hour to an hour
Frequency: Every Thursday
The American Birding Podcast is the official podcast of the American Birding Association, one of the most important birding organizations in North America. The podcast covers all sorts of topics related to birds and birding, and is hosted by Nate Swick, a birder from North Carolina.
Many guests are featured, and various American Birding Association staff and friends of the organization also make appearances (that includes a large number of birders in North America!).
The ABA podcast is a good way to stay updated about bird and birding-related news and rare sightings and listen to a wide variety of birding-related topics.
Image credit: Bird Sh*t Podcast
Bird Sh*t Podcast
Episode length: 30 minutes to an hour
Frequency: Once a month, the last podcast was in 2023
This podcast is hosted by two millennial women birders, Mo and Sarah. These good-natured hosts created a casual and fun podcast about birds and birding that includes plenty of laughter and good, humorous conversation.
Related: Birds & books – the best knowledge sources
At the same time, Mo and Sarah talk about the latest in bird news, and a variety of birding-related topics. They admit that they don’t know much about birds but bring on guests to help and also do research to provide accurate information in a very casual fashion.
Listeners enjoy this podcast for its honest and hilarious approach to many bird-related topics and the way the hosts interact with each other.
Birdchick Podcast
Episode length: 20 to 45 minutes
Frequency: Around twice per month. Last episode in 2019
Sharon Stiteler, an outgoing birder originally from Minnesota, is also known as “Birdchick.”
She was one of the first birders to promote birding via blogs and other social media platforms, including podcasting.
This is the reason why we decided to include this podcast in this article. Although her podcast has been on hold since 2019, well over 200 episodes are still available, plus Stiteler’s blog is still active.
On her bird podcast, the Birdchick covers everything from birding news to the latest in birding gear and lots of other bird-related news items.
There are quite a few quirky bird stories, and her podcasts can also take the form of travel, bird identification, and much more. Many episodes also include interactions with her husband at the time, “Non-Birding Bill.”