Episodes

  • An Unusual Place to Eat and Rest
    Feb 7 2023

    In Puerto Rico, there is an area of saline lagoons, salt flats and mangrove swamps where humans have extracted salt for over 500 years. We often describe the effects of human activity on the environment as negative. But the migratory birds that eat and rest in one of the most visited places by locals and tourists probably see things differently.

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

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    21 mins
  • The Scientific Name Doesn’t Do It Justice
    Jan 31 2023

    Birds have their common English name and a name in the languages of all the places they might fly through. And then they have their Latin name, which is their taxonomic name, the one scientists use. In this episode, we learn about a decades-long effort in Puerto Rico to change San Pedrito's scientific name, why it matters and the journeys of two people seeking to make it happen.

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

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    23 mins
  • Protecting a Bird and Ourselves
    Jan 24 2023

    How do you organize a group of people to protect a bird from powerful forces? The Julián Chiví, or Black-whiskered Vireo, reveals a story of a community banding together to save a species, its environment, and ultimately, the people themselves. The organizers in Puerto Rico decided to go beyond just presenting alarming facts—and their strategy worked.

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

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    26 mins
  • The Puerto Rican Parrot Comeback
    Jan 17 2023

    In the season premiere, we travel to Puerto Rico to meet a bird that has survived deforestation, hurricanes and the exotic pet trade. The Puerto Rican parrot saw its numbers drop to almost zero at one point. But today, its population is growing and stabilizing. To achieve this, the people involved had to make some difficult tradeoffs.

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

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    23 mins
  • Hawai’i: Hope for the ‘Ua‘u
    Aug 9 2022

    We end our season with a little seabird that’s making a comeback. The Hawaiian Petrel, or ‘Ua’u, was once written off as going or gone from the islands. But after recent discoveries of remnant colonies, we see how some human intervention with the right tools can make a huge difference for birds and protect a population on the brink.  

    Some brief swearing at 6:22

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. 

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    25 mins
  • Hawai’i: Saving the ʻAlalā
    Aug 2 2022

    Hawai‘i has its own species of crow, the clever and charismatic ʻAlalā. But the species hasn’t been able to survive in its shrinking native habitat. The only reason the ʻAlalā still exists is because of captive breeding programs. Reintroducing them to the wild is fraught with challenges, but it’s needed for the continuation of the species and for the health of the forest itself.  

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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    21 mins
  • Hawai’i: Rewriting the Story of Extinction
    Jul 26 2022

    In 1823, a young princess was presented with an incredible gift, and a choice: protect the Native Hawaiian way of life, or embrace the teachings of newcomers. Today, the gift resides in a museum, and its story tells of tragedy and hope, the duality of life, and maybe a different understanding of our current extinction crisis. 

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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    34 mins
  • Hawai’i: The Mosquito Problem
    Jul 19 2022

    How do you fight a disease carried by mosquitoes as climate change helps them spread? Avian malaria could wipe out whole species of birds, and people are going to great lengths to stop it. There’s hope on the horizon. Scientists believe they have a way to wipe out the mosquitos first. But will it come in time for the honeycreepers? 

    More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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    27 mins