Talkin' Birds

Ray Brown's Talkin' Birds

About

Ray Brown's Talkin' Birds is a call-in show of entertaining conversation about wild birds -- attracting them to your back yard, identifying them, feeding them, and learning more about them along the way. Every week, we have contests for prizes like bird feeders and other great bird-related stuff, along with expert guests. So, whether you're an experienced birder, or you're new to birding, listen in, and be part of the show by calling in with a question, sharing some information or observations, or trying for one of our prizes. It's birdwatching--in the backyard and beyond.

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437 episodes

#979 March 31, 2024

On our latest show: a final(?) Flaco the Owl update; avian audio postcards from Vermont and Massachusetts; and the Wonderful World of Woodpeckers with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Kevin McGowan.

30m
Mar 31
#978 March 24, 2024

On our latest show: Birds in the Sierra Nevada foothills; saving the Greater Sage-Grouse; fighting plastic pollution with water filters; and Mike O’Connor on Red-headed Woodpeckers, and the right way to deal with insects on your trees.

30m
Mar 24
#977 March 17, 2024

On our latest show: Another Audubon group changes its name; we listen to Fish Crows from Florida; we feature the largest shorebird in North America; and Mike O’Connor weighs in about birds on wires. Hear it here: Talkinbirds.com/archive

30m
Mar 17
#976 March 10, 2024

On our latest show: Shooting one owl to save another owl; audio postcards from Georgia and Florida; Al Batt’s Blue Jay observations; a Science Corner penguin piece; and Mike O’Connor’s woodpeckers-pecking-on-your-house advice.

30m
Mar 10
#975 March 3, 2024

On our latest show (#975  March 3):  A Flaco the Eurasian Eagle-owl update: audio postcards from California and New Zealand; Mike O’Connor’s thoughts on the benefits of bird feeding; and a salute to the Father of Modern Conservation, Aldo Leopold.

30m
Mar 03
#974 Feb. 25, 2024

On our latest show: ABA Big Year superstar Gino Ellison wows us about how many species he ID’d in a single year. Plus, we meet one of the most spectacular birds in North America, and Mike offers a listener some help with his pigeon problem.

30m
Feb 25
#973 Feb. 18, 2024

On our latest show: David Clapp visits the Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota; we listen to audio postcards from North Carolina and Connecticut; and we talk about an Audubon controversy.

1s
Feb 18
#972 Feb. 11, 2024

On our latest show: Smart bird feeders; bluebirds in our backyard; and a great California bird festival.

30m
Feb 11
#971a Feb. 4, 2024

On this special re-broadcast, Charles Barkley calls us Bird Nerds; we talk to Will Valentine about his Birdbrain podcast and black birder pioneers; and Mike O’Connor talks about Ospreys vs Bald Eagles.

30m
Feb 04
#971 Jan. 28, 2024

On our latest show: Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder (author Julia Zarankin); America’s smallest warbler; an audio postcard from SW Florida; and Mike O’Connor’s ideas for suet alternatives.

30m
Jan 28
#970 Jan. 21, 2024

On our latest show: hear all about a big Northeast birding symposium, and a wide-ranging owl; and listen to a flock of Orange-winged Parrots in an Audio Postcard from Miami.

30m
Jan 21
#969 Jan. 14, 2024

On our latest show: Creating a Homegrown National Park — in your yard. Dr. Doug Tallamy explains. Plus, an avian audio postcard from Hawaii; and a cloud of robins on Cape Cod.

30m
Jan 14
#968 Jan. 7, 2024

On our latest show: A fabulous Florida Festival; Audio Postcards from Wisconsin (Tundra Swans) and Massachusetts (Christmas Bird Count); the “Voice and Soul of the Oaks; and Mike O’Connor explains how to help birds find your new bird feeder.

30m
Jan 07
#967 Dec. 31, 2023

On our latest show (#967 Dec. 31): Winter survival secrets of the Common Redpoll; a delayed gratification-themed Science Corner report; how best to employ those bird-related holiday gifts; and an Audio Postcard mini-marathon. 

30m
Dec 31, 2023
#966 Dec. 24, 2023

On our latest show: An autistic birder’s challenges with special guest Kari Sasportas; Avian Audio Postcards from Texas and Massachusetts; catching up with the Brown Creeper; and respect for Song Sparrows.

30m
Dec 24, 2023
#965 Dec. 17, 2023

On our latest show: A San Diego Avian Audio Postcard; a favorite 2023 interview with the American Bird Conservancy’s Hardy Kern; and backyard bird expert Mike O’Connor with a thumbs up about watching and feeding birds in the city.

30m
Dec 17, 2023
#964 Dec. 10, 2023

On our latest show (#964 12/10): A Pileated (Audio) Postcard from Yosemite National Park; the great Al Batt’s November nature observations; and one of our favorite 2023 guest interviews.

30m
Dec 10, 2023
#963 Dec. 3, 2023

On our latest show: falconer Hesper Lana Fang; an audio postcard from a Big Year Birder and a forensic ornithologist; and Mike O’Connor explaining what’s going on with wayward birds in your backyard.

30m
Dec 03, 2023
#962 Nov. 26, 2023

On our latest show: A citrus-scented seabird; avian audio postcards from Minnesota and California; good advice on buying binoculars; and International Bird Rescue’s JD Bergeron.

30m
Nov 26, 2023
#961 Nov. 19, 2023

On our latest show: Sandhill Cranes in New Mexico; the birds of Poplar Island in Chesapeake Bay; and the effects of extreme heat on birds nesting in agricultural areas.

30m
Nov 19, 2023
#960 Nov. 12, 2023

On our latest show: Roosters recognizing themselves in mirrors (new research); audio postcards from Massachusetts and Florida; and a duck that sometimes behaves like a cowbird.Hear it here: Talkinbirds.com/archive

30m
Nov 12, 2023
#959 Nov. 5, 2023

On our latest show: Listener reports about Sandhill Cranes in Utah, and American Flamingos in Louisiana; feeder advice from backyard bird expert, Mike O’Connor; and details about the In Color Birding Club from club founder Jason Hall.

30m
Nov 05, 2023
#958 Oct. 29, 2023

On our latest show: We learn about the plight of Hawaiian birds with the American Bird Conservancy’s Luka Zavas; we get schooled by Mike O’Connor about birds that sing in fall and winter; and we feature a bird that’s scary to hear, and scary to see.

30m
Oct 29, 2023
#957 Oct. 22, 2023

On our latest show: We hear about Red-whiskered Bulbuls from listeners in Hawaii and Alaska; we meet the “snowstorm bird”; and we learn about Sharpies and Coops from the Cornell Lab’s Eliot Miller.

30m
Oct 22, 2023
#956 Oct. 15, 2025

On our latest show: Pileated Woodpeckers, Barred Owls, and White-eyed Vireos from Florida; a chocolate chickadee from Alaska; and mysterious bird sound advice from Cape Cod.

30m
Oct 15, 2023
#955 Oct. 8, 2023

On our latest show: The possible record holder for hand feeding wild birds, the multi-talented Ewan Dobson, is our guest. Plus, our Mike O’Connor talks about winter finches, and we get some exciting news, as well as some disturbing news, about bird migration.

30m
Oct 08, 2023
#954 Oct. 01, 2023

On our latest show: We hear all about All About Birds with the Cornell Lab’s Hugh Powell; we learn about the fishing superstar, the Osprey; and we get the word about discouraging Wild Turkeys from our man, Mike O'Connor.

30m
Oct 01, 2023
#953 Sept. 24, 2023

On our latest show: A feisty hummer from the far west; the new Project FeederWatch; and some good puffin talk with our Mike O’Connor.

30m
Sep 24, 2023
#952 Sept. 17, 2023

On our latest show: We listen to birds from Alaska and Alabama, we meet the “Grasshopper Hawk,” and we learn what neonics are doing to birds from the American Bird Conservancy’s Hardy Kern.

30m
Sep 17, 2023