David Lindo – The Urban Birder – More Than Birds – Episode 10

David Lindo (@urbanbirder) is The Urban Birder — a writer, broadcaster, speaker and bird guide. He strives to get urbanites to realize that there is a whole world of wildlife under their noses in the world’s cities. We talk about urban birding, positivity, his local patch (Wormwood Scrubs), UK birding, and appreciation of nature. David […]

From the Brink – Peregrine Falcon Recovery in Montana

The following post is part of the Raptor Blog Tour celebrating the release of Crossley ID Guide: Raptors. Make sure to check out all the really great articles about this superbly fine guide. By early 1980s, the skies over Montana were missing the fastest aerial predator. The Peregrine Falcon had ceased to breed in a state where it was […]

Gunnar Engblom – Kolibri Expeditions – More Than Birds – Episode 9

Gunnar Engblom is a Swedish expat who has made Peru his birding home. Gunnar has been leading birding tours in South America for more than 20 years. Also, he has a killer pisco sour recipe, and remember use only Peruvian pisco, not that Chilean stuff. Please subscribe/rate/review More Than Birds via iTunes Pisco Sour Ingredients: 3 […]

Chairman Mao and the Sparrows

They started waving bright red flags, and banging pots and pans at dusk. The frantic commotion sustained for days. Terrified Eurasian Tree and House Sparrows wheeled in distraught flight overhead as they searched in vain for a place of respite. Exhaustion took hold of the little birds, and they soon littered the ground. Children and […]

Jeffrey Gordon – American Birding Association – More Than Birds – Episode 8

Jeffrey Gordon, President of the American Birding Association, talks with me about the current state of birding and its future. Also we chat about his emergence as a birder and naturalist. NOTE: My portion of conversation is of horrible sound quality…apologies in advancement. Please subscribe/rate/review More Than Birds via iTunes

Review: The Unfeathered Bird

Feathers. We see birds as collections of feathers. The majority of our identification tools are based on the feathers of a bird. We note the feather color, structure, and location of almost every bird we see, almost unconsciously . We even pay considerable attention to which feathers are missing as a result of the molting process. But […]

Beach Boys and the Birds of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire

Sometimes I dream about escaping the lingering flurries and barely tolerable temperatures of February in Montana. I want to feel sand filtering its way through my toes as the tropical sun ever so gently radiates upon my shoulders (maybe even a little sunburn). I start thinking of Jack Johnson and the Beach Boys tunes – oh yeah, […]

Jeremy Roberts – Conservation Media – More Than Birds – Episode 7

How does a film-maker make a difference? Help scientists and conservation organizations produce and distribute their own content without a corporate filter. That is exactly what Jeremy Roberts does for his career. Jeremy launched Conservation Media with this noble ideal. Plus, he has done research on chickadee vocalizations in relation to predators. While peer-reviewed literature […]

Owls of the World – Hey, It’s Owling Season

I have been on an absolute owl tear lately. I have found and photographed Northern Pygmy Owl and Great Gray Owl along the Bitterroot River. I accompanied owl researcher Denver Holt on one of his owl trapping/banding field days where I got up close and personal with a Long-eared Owl. All of these experiences have serviced to […]

The Inked Naturalist with Tristan Reid – More Than Birds – Episode 5

Tristan Reid is the Inked Naturalist, who over the last 20 months has been tattooed with 24 birds that are representative of the Turkey. His tattoos have gone up both arms and even into his head. He did all this as a method of raising awareness of proposed hydrologic projects in Turkey that would devastate […]

More Than Birds Field Trip – Owl Banding – Episode 1

I spent the day with Denver Holt and staff of the Owl Research Institute as they captured Long-eared Owls for their research. We were also joined by a dozen students from a local high school as part of their wildlife biology class. We observed 12 Long-eared Owls, a couple of Great Horned Owls, and one […]

Birds of Melanesia: Tropical warmth for the chilly birder

The temperature has climbed to nearly 25 degrees F this afternoon as the sun finally broke throw the dense inversion layer. Over the Bitterroot, a lone Belted Kingfisher rattled its call as it hovered above the ice-free center of the river. With a quick dive, it captures a hapless minnow. Bursting from the river with […]

Forrest Rowland – The Business of Birding – Episode 4

Forrest Rowland is a guide and coordinator for Rockjumper Worldwide, a birding tour company. We discuss the positive and negative impacts of birding tourism as well as Oman and how he finding Montana birding. Forrest is entertaining and thoughtful as he relates stories of his life and career, the dream career for many of us…a […]

The Birding Balancing Act with Bill Schmoker – More Than Birds – Episode 2

The Birding Balancing Act with Bill Schmoker  In this episode of the More Than Birds Podcast, I talk to Bill Schmoker, a birder, teacher, and father, about balancing birding and life, the latest birding gadgets, and a little bit about digiscoping, at which Bill excels. Check out his blog at brdpics.blogspot.com. Bill is known in […]