BirdNote

10/19/2026

It’s a wistful moment when your backyard birds — like these Black-capped Chickadees — depart their nestboxes. By October, it’s time for one last duty as nestbox landlord: to clean it out. Cleaning will reduce the incidence of parasites in the box and make it more inviting to next spring’s tenants. It will also help you know for sure if it gets used again.

Black-capped Chickadees © Thomas LeBlanc monarchbfly.com
Image Description: Black-capped Chickadees in nestbox

Time to prepare for next year!

10/18/2026

Despite their name, Prairie Warblers nest in tree farms of recently planted pines, in fields overgrown with scattered shrubs, and in clearings under power lines. Biologists call these “early successional” habitats. They’re characterized by plants that are the first to return to land altered by clearing or fire. Prairie Warblers and similar birds have declined rapidly during the last 50 years, being pressed from all sides. But they’re now benefiting from conservation on several fronts, including the Michael Huber Prairie Warbler Preserve in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens and the Albany Pine Bush Reserve in New York.

Prairie Warbler © Kenneth Cole Schneider
Image Description: Prairie Warbler perched on branch, beak open, singing

What's a Prairie Warbler doing in a tree farm?

10/17/2026

Support cavity-nesting birds near you when you build and post nest boxes! Cornell Lab’s NestWatch is ready to help you get started with free, downloadable construction plans. Use the Right Bird, Right House tool to filter nest box plans by region and habitat and discover what might work best in your space. Not sure where or how to place your box? Don’t worry, there are habitat and placement instructions below each plan. Head to bit.ly/NWBirdHouse to get started!

Want to help birds but not sure which ones you can attract? Use this interactive tool to find out which birds are likely to nest in your region and habitat, and download the appropriate nest box plans.

10/17/2026

Evolution works with what's at hand. So if you start with a normal bird skull – bill pointing forward, eyes oriented front or sideways, ears behind eyes – and introduce the challenge of seeing behind your head while your bill is pushed deeply into the soil, what do you get? The American Woodcock! With its long bill constantly probing the soil for earthworms, its entire skull has been rearranged. Relative to other birds, woodcocks' eyes have moved toward the top and rear of the skull, pushing the ear openings downward. Apparently the brain followed suit!

American Woodcock © Nancy Magnusson
Image Description: American Woodcock

A brain and skull rearranged.

10/16/2026

BirdNote's year-end auction features perfect items and experiences for music lovers, birders, adventurers and more!

Explore these standout items and bid on something special while supporting the stories you love:

-Gibson Electric Guitar Autographed by Ric Ocasek (of The Cars)
-Original Hand-Colored Lithograph "Determined Flight" by Tony Angell
-Individual Online Workshop with author Helen Macdonald
-6-Night Photo Safari at Zulu Nyala Lodge in South Africa
-Road Scholar's Cave Creek Canyon Birding At Portal

Browse the auction and place your bids today: app.galabid.com/birdnote-bids

Every bid helps support BirdNote’s mission to inspire people everywhere to care about birds and take action to protect them.

10/16/2026

Our friends at American Bird Conservancy have been following birds across continents – but, how?📍🌎

Since 2014, the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network has transformed how scientists understand migration, quietly listening for tiny radio signals from tagged birds as they travel across hemispheres. Today, more than 2,270 Motus stations around the world are helping reveal where birds go, when they move, and what habitats they depend on.

One of those stations stands in Virginia, where the fast-declining Rusty Blackbird spends the nonbreeding season. Every detection adds another piece to the puzzle, showing which stopover sites matter most and where conservation efforts can make the biggest difference.

📈 Birds Canada coordinates the global Motus network, and American Bird Conservancy is leading the expansion across the U.S. Since 2023, ABC has installed or supported 122 Motus stations in 20 states and territories — and three countries.

🎬 Watch the video to find out how Motus is tracking the Rusty Blackbird and learn more: https://abcbirds.org/news/signal-boost-motus

10/16/2026

When Chidi Paige moved from Nigeria to the U.S., she began running a youth STEM program and had to teach lessons on bird identification. She was in for a challenge: she had to learn the local bird species quickly. On a birding trip, she spotted a Northern Yellow Warbler in a pine tree. The beautiful warbler got Chidi hooked on birding. She has designed several games to make learning bird identification fun for kids.

Yellow Warbler © Skip Russell / FCC
Image Description: Yellow Warbler singing, and showing bright yellow body with vertical rust colored stripes

A bright yellow bird draws an educator into birding.

10/15/2026

Imagine watching a golden eagle soar across the sky in Grand Teton National Park or spotting a mountain bluebird in a wildflower meadow in Jackson Hole. Teton Science Schools makes these experiences possible for children and adults alike.

Through immersive, outdoor programs, participants explore the habitats of the region’s incredible birds and learn how to protect them.

Bring your binoculars and curiosity, and see the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem come alive. Learn more at tetonscience.org

10/15/2026

Gnatcatchers are tiny, black and gray songbirds native to the Americas. Though they don’t typically catch gnats on the wing, gnatcatchers are often found moving rapidly through the high canopy as they glean insects from leaves. There are four species found in the U.S. and Canada: Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black-tailed Gnatcatchers, Black-capped Gnatcatchers, and California Gnatcatchers. It takes time and effort to find them all, but these charismatic birds are worth the journey.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher © Dave Wendelken
Image Description: A male Blue-gray Gnatcatcher perched on a thin gray branch against a green background.

10/14/2026

We've got exciting news: the next season of Bring Birds Back will premiere on Wednesday, October 21st!

This season, Dr. Deja Perkins talks with innovators, researchers, and conservation leaders about small ideas that sparked big breakthroughs for birds and the ecosystems they call home. From international bird tourism and searches for long-lost species to protecting land from AI development and exploring the cultural significance of hummingbirds, we’ll meet people from all walks of life who are finding creative new ways to cherish, protect, and bring birds back.

Tune in to the trailer now, and be sure to follow Bring Birds Back wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss an episode! You can also access every episode at BirdNote.org.