Birds of a Feather Talk Together

Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a birding and birdwatching podcast for beginners and experts alike, blending expert ornithology with curiosity, storytelling, humor, and real-time discovery. Hosted from Chicago by married Field Museum ornithologists and curators John Bates and Shannon Hackett, alongside birding enthusiasts RJ and Amanda Pole, the podcast explores the fascinating world of birds through conversations that are educational, approachable, and fun. Each episode dives into bird behavior, bird migration, bird identification, bird songs and calls, backyard birds, conservation, bird intelligence, evolution, ecology, and the science behind how birds live and adapt. From hummingbirds, owls, woodpeckers, warblers, and herons to rare bird sightings, viral bird stories, and surprising animal behavior, every episode uncovers something remarkable about the natural world. What makes the show unique is the mix of professional scientists and newer birders

Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a science podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 166 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Birds of a Feather Talk Together, a science show with 166 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #163

  163: Live at the Chicago Urban Birding Festival! | Our First-Ever Live Birding Podcast

  Sep 28, 202657 min

  For the first time ever, Birds of a Feather Talk Together is recording in front of a live audience! We had an incredible time at the Chicago Urban Birding Festival, a celebration of birds, birding, conservation, and the amazing wildlife that can be found right here in the city. Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett of the Field Museum join RJ and Amanda for a special live episode filled with bird stories, science, laughs, and questions from the audience. One of our favorite things about Birds of a Feather is the community that has grown around the podcast, so getting to sit in a room full of people who love birds as much as we do was pretty special. Whether you're an experienced birder, a backyard birdwatcher, or just beginning to discover the world of birds, come hang out with us for our first-ever live recording! Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a birding and birdwatching podcast featuring Field Museum ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett alongside birders RJ and Amanda. Each episode explores bird behavior, evolution, migration, conservation, ornithology, and the incredible lives of birds. Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #162

  162: Swallow-tailed Kite: The Bird That Does Almost Everything While Flying

  Sep 21, 202626 min

  This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together , we're diving into the fascinating world of the Swallow-tailed Kite , a striking black-and-white raptor famous for its incredibly long, deeply forked tail and seemingly effortless flight. But the Swallow-tailed Kite doesn't just LOOK impressive in the air—it has evolved to do an astonishing amount of its daily life without landing. These birds can catch and eat prey while flying, drink on the wing, and even collect nesting material from trees without touching the ground. So how do they do it? Field Museum Curators of Birds Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett take us into the biology, behavior, evolution, and natural history of the Swallow-tailed Kite. RJ and Amanda bring plenty of questions as we explore how that distinctive forked tail helps these birds maneuver through the sky, what they eat, how they hunt, where they live and migrate, and what makes them such specialized flyers. If you've ever looked up and seen the unmistakable silhouette of a Swallow-tailed Kite soaring overhead , you already know why this bird inspires so much excitement. And if you've never seen one before, this episode might give you a new bird for your bucket list. Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a conversational birding and ornithology podcast hosted by Field Museum ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett alongside birders RJ and Amanda. From bird behavior and evolution to migration, conservation, and the incredible things birds do, we're exploring the world of birds one species at a time. Listen now and discover why the Swallow-tailed Kite might be one of the coolest birds in the sky. #SwallowTailedKite #Birding #BirdWatching #Birds #BirdFacts #Raptors #BirdOfPrey #Ornithology #BirdPodcast #BirdBehavior #BirdMigration #Wildlife #Nature Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #161

  161: Black Phoebe and Urban Birding Festival Preview

  Sep 14, 202629 min

  This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re talking all about the Black Phoebe —a charismatic little flycatcher of the western United States known for its tail-wagging, insect-catching acrobatics, and habit of nesting around homes and other human structures. Thanks to listener Emily for inspiring this episode! She wrote in to tell us about a Black Phoebe nesting in her carport, which sent us down the rabbit hole on this fascinating bird. We get into Black Phoebe behavior, nesting, identification, and some of the things that make this species so much fun to have around. We also kick things off with a preview of the Chicago Urban Birding Festival , happening this weekend! Birds of a Feather will be recording a live episode at the festival, complete with an audience Q&A. Also performing are Tommy and Billy from Extremely Accurate Bird Songs —which somehow leads us into a conversation about a certain piece of bird anatomy that could make Tommy’s already extremely accurate bird drawings even more accurate. We’ll leave it at that. As always, Birds of a Feather Talk Together brings together married ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett with birders RJ Pole and Amanda Pole for conversations about birds, birding, ornithology, natural history, and everything we discover along the way. Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #160

  160: Our Summer Birding Adventures - Maine Birding and Much More!

  Sep 7, 202640 min

  This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re catching up on our summer birding adventures! RJ and Amanda share stories from their trip to Maine, including birding around Bar Harbor and taking a wildlife cruise along the coast. They encountered some incredible seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins, Common Eiders, and Black Guillemots, and talk about what it was like seeing these iconic Maine birds in person. We also get into another fascinating part of coastal Maine: the lobster fishing industry. After spending time around lobster boats and learning more about the fishery, RJ and Amanda discuss some of the sustainability practices used by Maine lobstermen and how closely the industry is connected to the coastal ecosystem. Meanwhile, John and Shannon share stories from their summer, including meeting Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby from Extremely Accurate Bird Songs. We also look ahead to the Chicago Urban Birding Festival, where Birds of a Feather will be appearing for a live show. And before all of that, we kick things off with some incredible bird pins created by artist Jimmy Gonzalez. From Atlantic Puffins and Black Guillemots to lobster boats, bird art, Extremely Accurate Bird Songs, and the Chicago Urban Birding Festival, this episode is a celebration of a summer spent around birds. Birds of a Feather Talk Together is a conversational birding and ornithology podcast hosted by Field Museum ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett alongside birders RJ and Amanda Pole. Each week, we explore birds, birding, ornithology, conservation, and the natural world. Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #157

  157: Alpine Accentors Revisited: One of the Wildest Mating Systems in the Bird World

  Aug 17, 202640 min

  This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together , we're revisiting one of our most unforgettable episodes: the Alpine Accentor. While we're taking a short summer break, we couldn't resist bringing back this fascinating conversation about a bird that has one of the most unusual mating systems ever discovered. If you thought bird behavior couldn't surprise you, think again. Native to the high mountains of Europe and Asia, the Alpine Accentor has become famous among ornithologists for its extraordinarily complex breeding behavior. Unlike many birds that form simple pairs, Alpine Accentors have a highly flexible mating system involving multiple males and multiple females—making them one of the most studied species in behavioral ecology. This unique breeding strategy has led to one of the most remarkable biological adaptations in birds: male Alpine Accentors have exceptionally large testes relative to their body size, an evolutionary response to intense competition for reproduction. We explore the science behind this adaptation, why it evolved, and what it teaches us about bird behavior and evolution. Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole for one of our funniest and most surprising conversations as we dive into Alpine Accentor behavior, mating systems, bird evolution, reproductive biology, behavioral ecology, and the incredible diversity of strategies birds use to pass on their genes. Whether you're fascinated by bird behavior, evolution, ornithology, wildlife science, or simply enjoy discovering the strangest stories in the natural world, this episode is guaranteed to surprise you. If you love birding, birdwatching, bird behavior, evolution, animal behavior, ornithology, wildlife biology, behavioral ecology, and nature podcasts, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow: YouTube Instagram TikTok BlueSky

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.