Birds of a Feather Talk Together
John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, Amanda Marquart
Join John Bates and Shannon Hackett, two seasoned bird experts, as they soar through the fascinating world of birds in this must-listen podcast for bird lovers of all levels! Whether you're an experienced birder or just starting to explore the wonders of the avian world, Birds of a Feather Talk Together has something for everyone.
With exclusive access to one of the largest bird collections in the United States, John and Shannon are joined by amateur birders RJ Pole and Amanda Marquart for in-depth discussions on exotic, rare, extinct, and common birds from around the globe. From the tiniest sparrows to the mighty eagles, no feathered friend is left out.
Each episode brings exciting stories, expert insights, and birding tips—perfect for anyone who has ever been fascinated by the beauty, behavior, and mysteries of birds. Whether you're a lifelong bird watcher or a beginner looking to learn more, this podcast will inspire you to discover new species, dive into bird conservation, and learn from the pros!
Why Listen?
- Discover rare and exotic bird species you never knew existed.
- Get insider tips from top bird experts on identifying and spotting birds.
- Learn about bird conservation efforts and the latest in avian research.
- A perfect podcast for beginners and experienced birders alike.
Hit subscribe now and start your journey into the incredible world of birds—one chirp at a time!
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Top 10 Birds of a Feather Talk Together Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Birds of a Feather Talk Together episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Birds of a Feather Talk Together for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Birds of a Feather Talk Together episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
49: Giant Hummingbird - New Study!
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
07/15/24 • 48 min
This week’s episode is about the Giant Hummingbird. A recent study led by Jessie Williamson led to some groundbreaking discoveries about the Giant Hummingbird, including that there are actually two different species, one which has the longest migration of any hummingbird in the world. This amazing study, which included putting tiny backpacks on hummingbirds to track their movement, changed what we knew about Giant Hummingbirds.
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64: Inti Tanager with Kevin Burns - Also known as the 'Kill Bill' Tanager
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
11/04/24 • 57 min
Kevin Burns joins us again to discuss the Inti Tanager. Kevin is an ornithologist and professor of biology at San Diego State University and goes way back with Shannon and John. Kevin tells us all about the story of this bird, from the sighting in the early 2000’s in Peru, to it finally being described as a species 20 years later. The bird earned the nickname the 'Kill Bill Tanager' due to its bright yellow feathers and black brow which resembled Uma Thurman’s outfit in the movie. We’re not quite sure how we feel about the nickname, but hopefully that paints a picture for you.
We also answer a question on a leucitic red-tailed hawk that was seen in Michigan.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
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63: Kagu - Ghosts of the Forest
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
10/28/24 • 40 min
This super unique bird from New Caledonia has been isolated on an island in the Pacific for so long, but somehow its closest relative is the Sunbittern in Central and South America. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart as we discuss the Kagu.
We also answer a question on feathers. Here is the organization that we were referencing in the feather question: https://libertywildlife.org/conservation-services/non-eagle-feather-repository-2/
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
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59: Darwin's Finches (they're tanagers!) with Kevin Burns
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
09/30/24 • 39 min
This week’s episode with Kevin Burns is on Darwin’s Finches. Kevin and Shannon’s research reclassified Darwin’s Finches as Tanagers, so we hear all about what the process was like, and learn more about Darwin’s Finches in this week’s episode. Kevin, an ornithologist and professor of biology at San Diego State University, goes way back with Shannon and John, and led the research that reclassified what exactly a tanager is.
John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, Amanda Marquart and Kevin Burns are Birds of a Feather Talk Together this week. Enjoy!
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok!!
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52: Burrowing Owls with Aiyana Reissman from Living Coast Discovery Center
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
08/05/24 • 58 min
Join us this week to talk about Burrowing Owls. These super cool and tiny owls live in burrows in the ground. Hear why, and all about their super unique behavior in this week's episode. Our usual hosts John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart are joined by Aiyana Reissman to talk Burrowing Owls. Aiyana is the Animal Care Manager at the Living Coast Discovery Center in San Diego, California and has a ton of experience with these owls.
In addition to the burrowing owls, we also get deep into some other topics like bird flu and changing big tech to get birds into the algorithm instead of cats :)
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
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51: Multiple Topics: Belted Kingfisher Family, CT Scanning Birds, Bird Dialect, and A Movie About Cowbirds?
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
07/29/24 • 66 min
This week a little different than our usual episodes. Instead of talking about a single bird species, we each brought a different topic to the table to talk about. We talked about baby belted Kingfishers, CT scanning birds, different bird dialects, and a movie idea where a brown-headed cowbird leaves an egg in a human’s bassinet. What genre would that movie be? Listen to find out! Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for this week's episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
Enjoy!
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58: Tanagers with Kevin Burns
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
09/23/24 • 46 min
This week we talk to Kevin Burns about Tanagers. Kevin, an ornithologist and professor of biology at San Diego State University, goes way back with Shannon and John, and led the research that reclassified what exactly a tanager is and what it isn’t. Many birds which have the common name Tanager, such as the scarlet tanager or western tanager, aren’t actually tanagers, and birds like Darwin’s finches actually are tanagers. Many of you might already know this, but we get to talk to Kevin about what exactly went into this research, and what that process was like. We also hear some fun stories about Kevin, John, and Shannon in the field studying birds, and talk about how impressive many of the different tanagers are.
We also answer a question on fall migration.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
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48: Ospreys with Jack Wildlife (Jack Turner) - Memes, Photography, Also Golden-Cheeked Warbler
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
07/08/24 • 83 min
Jack Turner AKA Jack Wildlife joins us to talk about Ospreys. Jack lives near the Chesapeake Bay, home to the most Osprey in the world. If you aren’t familiar with Jack Wildlife, he runs a popular birding meme account, and he’s also an accomplished wildlife photographer, tour guide, and Environmental Scientist.
This episode is a ton of fun. We also talk about Jack's trip to Austin, Texas to see the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.
Jack joined John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for another episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together.
There was an exciting story on Osprey in The America's with Tom Hanks recently, hope this helps tell that story as well!
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
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84: Mourning Dove
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
03/17/25 • 27 min
If you've listened to our other episodes, you know Shannon's stance on Mourning Doves. See if we can convince her otherwise in our episode on Mourning Doves.
Hosted by John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on Instagram, Blue Sky Social, YouTube and tik tok as well!!
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50: Northern Flicker - Hybridization, CTE From Banging Head?
Birds of a Feather Talk Together
07/22/24 • 36 min
This week we are talking about the Northern Flicker. We talk about the red-shafted and yellow-shafted flickers in different parts of the continent, and how they can hybridize. We also talk about whether or not woodpeckers get CTE from banging their heads while pecking. We answer a mailbag question on the white throated sparrow changing its call. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart discussing the Northern Flicker!
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram and tik tok as well!!
1 Listener
1 Comment
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FAQ
How many episodes does Birds of a Feather Talk Together have?
Birds of a Feather Talk Together currently has 93 episodes available.
What topics does Birds of a Feather Talk Together cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Nature, Outdoors, Podcasts, Science, Birds and Birding.
What is the most popular episode on Birds of a Feather Talk Together?
The episode title 'Happy Fourth of July! - Teaser for Upcoming Episodes + Spreading the joy of birds' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Birds of a Feather Talk Together?
The average episode length on Birds of a Feather Talk Together is 34 minutes.
How often are episodes of Birds of a Feather Talk Together released?
Episodes of Birds of a Feather Talk Together are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together?
The first episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together was released on May 16, 2023.
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