When you hear the haunting call of a common loon, you may feel alone and scared, but seeing this beautiful bird is sure to raise your spirits! Learn all about the many unique and beautiful calls of the Common Loon which can be found in lakes across northern America and also featured in many horror movie soundtracks. While it appears peaceful paddling on the water, these birds can be extremely violent during the breeding season. Join Dr. John as he explores the breeding, feeding evolution, and other fun facts about the Common Loon! . Thanks to Henson for suggesting this episode!  . Thanks to Jessica Coker for providing the cover art! Follow her on instagram @thepsoreywing . Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music . All Bird sounds are from xeno-canto.org  Opening Call by Bruce Lagerquist   Wail call 1 by Sunny Tsang All Bird sounds are from xeno-canto.orgOpening Call by Bruce Lagerquist Wail call 1 by Sunny TsangWail call 2 by Nicholas Comparato Tremelo call by Davyd Betchkal Tremelo call 2 by Lance A.M. BennerYodel call by Thomas ZgirskiYodel call 2 by Panvert Robin Hoot Call by Lauren Harter

Spend a few minutes learning about the Common Loon! Hear their unique vocalization, learn about their unique swimming mechanisms, and find out their hidden angry side. ..Intro music by Ricky Pistone.Cover art by Jessica Coker, follow her on instagram @theospreywing.All Bird sounds are from xeno-canto.orgWail Call by Sunny TsangTremelo call by Davyd Betchkal Yodel call by Thomas Zgirski

Did you know young frigate birds play like puppies? And that adults croon to each other like Barry White to get in the mood? Learn fun, fast facts about the breeding and feeding of this giant shore bird with Dirty Bird Shorties! Check out full length episodes for even more bird facts.All Bird Sounds are from xeno-canto.org.Begging Call by Ricardo José Mitidieri.Calling and bill snapping by Bobby Wilcox .Drumming by Leonardo Ordóñez-Delgado.Fighting sounds by Bobby Wilcox .Intro music by Ricky Pistone. Check him out wherever you get your music .Short clip of “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe” by Barry White used

Magnificent Frigatebird? More like Massive Frigatebird! With huge 7 foot wings, a big red throat sack, and the longest breeding period of any sea bird, the Magnificent Frigatebird lives life large. It even will throw its weight around to steal food from all manner of creatures, earning its comparison to a frigate warship. Learn all about the life history, evolution, and population threats to this amazing bird of the tropics. .All Bird Sounds are from xeno-canto.org.Begging Call by Ricardo José Mitidieri.Calling and bill snapping by Bobby Wilcox .Drumming by Leonardo Ordóñez-Delgado.Fighting sounds by Bobby Wilcox .Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music .Short clip of “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe” by Barry White used

The (possibly recently!) extinct Elephant Birds were fittingly named. Not only were they the largest birds to ever live with eggs even bigger than dinosaur eggs, they also filled a vital niche in Madagascar similar to that of Elephants of mainland Africa. Learn all about the four extinct species of Elephant birds with John and Tim in this episode! We talk about their fossil record, amazing facts about their biology, their evolutionary history, and how they went extinct. Also, we cover the geological history of Madagascar and the arrival of the first humans to the island. Learn everything you need to know about Elephant Birds!.Thanks for the iTunes review RMbirder!.Big thanks to Astrapionte for providing the cover art for this episode! Find their artwork @strpit7108 on deviantart, youtube, and Reddit! .Also huge shout out to everyone who voted in the Dirty Bird Daryl poll, personalized shout outs to everyone in this episode!.Intro music by Ricky Pistone and outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers, find them wherever you get your music

In this 4th of July special, John talks all about America’s bird the Bald Eagle! While majestic appearing, the Bald Eagle has quite the bad reputation amongst those who have observed its habits up close, Benjamin Franklin even called it “very lousy”! But do its redeeming qualities make up for its sometimes nasty nature? Explore these topics as John tells you everything you need to know about the Bald Eagle! Also, the return of Punchy Joe who talks about the Bald Eagle pair that have spent 10 years raising young just off his dock. And a listener message from friend of the show Charlie! Learn about Bald Eagle Biology, their interactions with humans, how it became America's bird, Native american legends, about a Bald Eagle that fought in the civil war, threats to their population, and their evolutionary history. So put in your headphones, light up the BBQ, and press play on this episode! .Cover art by Jessica Coker! Check out all her work on her Instagram page @jessicacokerartist .Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers, check them out wherever you get your music ..All bird sounds are from xeno-canto.orgBald Eagle Call 1 by: Steve HamptonBald Eagle Call 2 by: Davyd Betchkayl Bald Eagle Call 3 by: Paul MarvinOsprey Call by: Bruce Lagerquist Bald Eagle majestic call by: Russ Wigh Red-Tailed Hawk Call by: Peter Ward and Ken Hall     Bald Eagle Capture call by Paul Marvin .Civil War music by adeluc4 from freesounds.orgNative American drum by sandyrb from freesounds.orgBird flap by agentDD from freesounds.orgLanding sound by yoyodaman234 from freesounds.org..Find dirty bird podcast Tshirts at https://www.teepublic.com/user/dirtybird-podcast

In this listener suggested episode, Dr. John talks all about the White-Throated Swift, a graceful aerial acrobat of the Western US. Learn about the aeronautical engineering behind its amazing flying abilities and how its death defying courtship dives sometimes get it in trouble. Also, did you know white-throated swift and tobacco chewing cowboys have something in common? Accompanied by the frogs and birds of First Landing State Park, John explores the feeding, breeding, evolutionary history, and fun facts of this amazing bird! ..Thanks to Charlie for suggesting this episode and providing pictures and videos of White-Throated Swifts he's taken!..Link for T-shirts: https://www.teepublic.com/user/dirtybird-podcast.Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro Music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music.Bird calls are from xeno-canto.org Intro Swift Call by Lauren Harter “Shrieked out” Swift notes by Thomas Magarian National Geographic description sounds by Thomas Beverly

Ricky is back! In between dumb puns, jokes, and laughs we learn about how the chicken went from prowling the jungles of Asia to being in backyards across the globe. Learn about the surprising intelligence of these birds, the different breeds of chickens, and what a wattle is. Get EGGcited! ..Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro Music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music

You can take the birder out of Iceland, but you can’t take Iceland out of the birder! John is joined by bird enthusiast Cass to discuss both of their experiences birding in Iceland. Along the way, John shares cool facts about birds such as the Artic Tern (Kria), Norther Fulmar (fyll), Pink Footed Goose, and many more. Learn about the gross defense mechanism of Fulmars, the carnivorous sheep of Iceland, and the epic ice age fight for survival of the pink footed goose. Also, plenty of tangents about non-bird related aspects of Iceland both John and Cass love. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the land of ice and fire, this episode is for you!.Cover art: John holds a juvenile redwing that fell out of a tree on him during a trot through the woods of Reykholt. The bird was returned to his perch safely! Hear the full story on the episode!..All bird sound are from xeno-canto.orgNorthern Fulmar Chuckle by: Stanislas Wroza European Golden Plover Call by: Michel VeldtPtarmigan Call by: Jens KirkebySnipe Drumming sound by: Herald Pfleger.Intro theme by Ricky Pistone and Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music!

Much of the life history of Bachman’s Warbler is a mystery. It spent only four months in the American Southeast each summer before migrating to Cuba and often inhabited swampy, difficult to access environments. With its likely extinction in the 1980s, there’s much we will never know about this bird…but that doesn’t stop John from speculating! Using historical accounts dating back to the 1800s, information from preserved specimens, and inferences based on its close relatives, John tells you everything there is to know about Bachman’s warbler along with his own thoughts. Was Bachman’s Warbler a bamboo specialist, an ecosystem now almost entirely extinct in the US? Could Bachman’s Warbler can be a flower specialist in Cuba, like the honeycreepers of Hawaii? Also, could it still be out there? John and Bird Photographer and enthusiast Tanner think possibly so! Tanner joins John in this episode to discuss his own personal search for Bachman’s warbler in one of the few Canebrake ecosystems left in the US. ..The following bird calls are from xeno-canto.orgNorthern Parula call by NaomiChipping Sparrow by Manuel Grosselet Worm-eating warbler by Cristopher McPhersonBlack and white warbler zeep: Matt WistrandBachman’s warbler call record by Arthur A. Allen and Paul Kellogg, preserved on the Macaulay Library through the Cornell lab of Ornithology..Intro song sung by John Janousek, using “Taking Care of Business” instrumental from Drew’s famous classic rock instrumental version 2 Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers

Although they only weigh as much as two apples, the 10 oz Bar-Tailed Godwit completes the longest non-stop flight of any bird species in the world! In this episode, John explores the evolutionary adaptations that allow the Godwits to complete this epic migration. Learn why they are more like Sumo Wrestlers than marathon runners, what they have in common with 18th century sailors, and all about their breeding, feeding, and evolutionary history. Accompanied by the natural sounds of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, John will make you say “oh my Godwit!” with these amazing facts..Special thanks to Jose for this weeks cover art! Also, check out his animated Gif by going to the Dirty Bird Podcast youtube page! Follow jose2myfriend on Instagram to see more of his amazing art.Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Find them wherever you get your music.All bird calls from xeno-canto.org.Opening Godwit Alarm Call by Jacobo Ramil MillarengoGodwit saying its name call by Stanislas WrozaAsian Dowitcher Call recorded by funkerhunterGodwit Call by Stein O. NilsenFlight Song by Alan Dalton

Gavin is back! Join John and Gavin as they talk about their favorite local and exotic bird species, their dream birding locations, and defend their favorite penguin and ratite species. Plus, lots of jokes, tangents about nature and birding, and some minor philosophizing on life in general. This is a great laid back episode of Dirty Bird Podcast to put a smile on your face and get you in the mood to be out in nature! ..Intro music by Ricky Pistone and outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music

Ricky and John are back! In addition to lots of dumb jokes, bird puns, and impressions they explore how pigeons have been used in warfare, the world's most famous pigeon, how pigeons make milk, pigeon intelligence, pigeon breeding, and much much more. Plus....featuring special surprise guest Ricky's Dad! Its an episode full of bird facts and belly laughs. Learn all about this common but extremely cool bird, the Rock Dove (aka City Pigeon). ..Thanks Henson for your 50th episode shout out!..Intro song by: Ricky Pistone. Outro Song by: Ricky Pistone

The 50th episode! To celebrate, Dr. John talks with the creator of the Dirty Bird Podcast theme song and music video, Ricky Pistone. A skilled musician and video editor, Ricky is also John's lifelong friend and is full of bad puns, laughs, and dirty jokes.  In this episode, we talk about a very misunderstood bird: the rock dove, better known as pigeon. Sometimes called "rats with wings" these surprisingly smart and talented birds can be found in any city in the world. In Part 1, John and Ricky explore the wild origins of pigeons, how they became domesticated and then ended up in our cities, the different breeds of domesticated pigeons, and the biology behind their navigational skills. Be prepared to learn and laugh along with Ricky and John! ..Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in to help celebrate the 50th episode! ..Intro song by Ricky Pistone, outro song by the Sidewalk Slammers. .Record scratch recording from freesound.org, recorded by Luffy

In this episode, Dr. John explores the life history of the Eastern and Spotted Towhee. While common birds in backyards and parks, there’s many interesting facts about them the average birder doesn’t know. Did you know their eye color varies with region? Or that humans and towhees share a microbiome? And what the heck do Towhees have to do with Shakespeare?! Listen to this episode to find out more! Dr. John reads all the research papers so you don’t have to! Learn everything you need to know about these two amazing bird species.  .Learn about: The meaning of their scientific name, their feeding and breeding behaviors, what kind of habitats they prefer, their evolutionary history, causes of predation and disease, and how their population numbers are doing. All facts are supported by research and review of scientific articles. ..Bird calls used in the show are from xeno-canto.org Intro Eastern Towhee Song by Molly Jacobson Intro Spotted Towhee Song by Manuel Grosselet Towhee Saying its name by Caio BritoChewink call by John A. Middleton Jr. 2:00Drink your tea song by Christopher McPherson 17:00Communication call by Christopher McPherson Spotted Towhee song by Manuel GrosseletSpotted Towhee mew by Thomas Magarian Blue-Grey Catbird mew by Russ WighCombined chewink and song by Christopher McPherson Tea song with flair by Christopher McPherson ..Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro Music by the Sidewalk Slammers..Cover art used from the Public Domain

Vengeful owls, sloppy bears, and vultures hungry for human flesh: that's just another day on the job for Gavin, lead animal keeper for Maymont Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. Maymont is a free historic park located in the capitol of Virginia that features rescued and rehabilitated animals. Among these animals are several hawks, owls, and vultures that Gavin helps care for every day. Along with feeding them and administering medicines, Gavin also has meaningful and hilarious encounters everyday with these amazing animals. Join us for some laughs, learning, and a good time all around! Also, special shout out to Mohi!!!

Summer nights just wouldn't be the same without the ethereal call of the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will. Sadly, the nights are growing quieter as this bird's populations plummet. Learn the secrets of this elusive, nocturnal bird on this episode of Dirty Bird Podcast and why its numbers are declining. John combs through the latest research to discuss this big-mouthed bird's life history, vocalizations, and mysterious evolutionary history. Listen and learn about this bird!  . All Bird calls are from Xeno-Canto.org unless listed otherwise  . Whip-Poor-Will Intro Call: By Joseph Fell  .Whip-Poor-Will Call 1: by Paul Marvin  .“Summer night in Georgia” by jymdavis from freesound.org    .Mexican Whip-poor-Will: by Scott Olmstead  .Chuck-Wills-Widow: by Eric DeFonso  .Pauraque: by Paul Driver  .Whip-Poor-Will song 2: by Bruce Lagerquist  .Whip-Por-Will song with Cluck by Martin St-Michel  .Chuck call by Paul Marvin  . . Outro Song by the Sidewalk Slammers

Eagles, Gorcrows, and Crebain…oh my! Throughout the works of J.R.R Tolkien, including Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Fall of Gondolin, The Simarillion, and Beren and Luthien, birds feature prominently.  Some, like the Eagle, play a big role while other birds are more obscure. In this podcast episode, three life long friends and LOTR nerds discuss nearly every bird reference made in The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the Ring, and The Hobbit. They also explore birds throughout Tolkien’s many other works. Using a mixture of books and movie depictions, your dorky hosts have a lot of laughs and raunchy jokes while discussing the feathered folk of Middle Earth and the Undying Lands. Whether you’ve only seen the movies or can fluently speak elvish this episode will keep you smiling and learning. Find out more about the Eagles ancestry and deeds, Ravens relationship with dwarves, bird spies of Sauron, and the majestic swans of Ulmo and their relationship to Galadriel. Also learn a deep cut about Tom Bombadil and Kingfishers, Aragorn’s relationship with birds, and the possible meaning of the black swans. ..Also special shout outs to Podcasts that help pave the way for this episode including The Tolkien Road Podcast, The Prancing Pony Podcast, and The Lord of The Rings Minute Podcast. ..Intro Music By Ricky Pistone and Outro music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music...Cover art “Tuor and the Swans” by Eirwen98 from the Public Domain. ..If you liked this episode, please share, leave a review and subscribe! I really appreciate it

Everyone knows the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal alive, but do you know the physics behind what makes them so fast? Or about their soap opera worthy lives? With a beautiful dawn chorus of birds accompanying him, John tells you all you need to know about the Peregrine Falcon such as its feeding behavior, physical adaptations, breeding behavior, and evolutionary history. Packed with interesting stories and cool facts, this episode is sure to bring a pere-grin to your face! Featuring shout outs to tabbietnt for suggesting this episode, Jacob for leaving a review, Big Timber brewery for making great beer for birding, and Steve for writing in and sending a picture of a mourning dove nest! ..Intro music by Ricky Pistone and Outro Music by the Sidewalk Slammers. Check them out wherever you get your music!..Cover art photo taken by Jay Pogo..Peregrine Falcon sounds from www.xeno-canto.org. Intro Peregrine Call by SunnyAlarm Call by Patrik ÅbergCouple’s Calls by Lars EdeniusNestling call by Seth Beaudreault

Right now as you read this, you are probably inside of a death trap for birds. Moderns homes, schools, and offices are often fitted with expansive windows and while aesthetically pleasing to us humans, this is a huge problem for birds. The average residential house kills 3-5 birds per year, resulting in upwards of a billion bird deaths total in the US. But, there are solutions! Join John as he interviews Dr. Daniel Klem Jr. about his recent book Solid Air- Invisible Killer- Saving Billions of Birds from Windows. Dan has spent a lifetime researching and advocating for this underappreciated, but serious, problem for birds. Don't let your home, office, or school be a drain on bird populations! Learn how you can make your windows bird safe and also advocate for architecture that saves birds!