Songbirding: A Birding-by-ear Podcast

Nature #56

Songbirding takes you on an auditory journey through the songs of birds. Recorded entirely outdoors, a variety of songbird species from the Great Lakes region of North America are featured. Each episode provides listeners with a unique and immersive experience, as they listen to the beautiful melodies and calls of different birds in their natural habitats.Along with the sounds, birding guide Rob Porter shares interesting facts and insights about the birds, providing a deeper understanding of their behaviour and significance in the ecosystems they inhabit.Twice nominated as best Science Podcast in the Canadian Podcast Awards.The seasons focus on, in order -- 1: Bruce Peninsula, Ontario (July 2019); 2: Southern Ontario (August 2019); 3: Southern Ontario (Spring 2020); 4: Mid-western & Southern Ontario (2020-2021); 5: Johnston Harbour, Ontario (2021-2023); 6: Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania (2022-2024); 7: Kananaskis Country, Alberta (forthcoming, 2023-2026?).For those with high-frequency hearing loss, please search for "Songbirding Under 5kHz"CreditsRecorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.Cover art by Lauren Helton - https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/Support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

S1E1 - Otter Lake, Part 1
Oct 14, 2019 – 00:27:55
S1E2 - Otter Lake, Part 2
Oct 14, 2019 – 00:26:12
S1E3 - Otter Lake, Part 3
Oct 14, 2019 – 00:23:58
S1E4 - Lindsay Tract
Oct 21, 2019 – 00:21:27
S1E5 - The Juniper Flats, Part 1
Oct 21, 2019 – 00:24:10
Spooky Songbirding Halloween Special
Oct 24, 2019 – 00:12:41
S1E6 - The Juniper Flats, Part 2
Oct 28, 2019 – 00:24:16
S1E7 - The Juniper Flats, Part 3
Nov 4, 2019 – 00:22:05
Discussion: Bad Weather Birding
Nov 7, 2019 – 00:15:54
S1E8 - Backroads of the Ferndale Flats
Nov 11, 2019 – 00:24:16
S1E9 - MTB Adventure Park, Part 1
Nov 18, 2019 – 00:28:59
Songscapes: The "Sore Throated" Vireo
Nov 21, 2019 – 00:22:03
S1E10 - MTB Adventure Park, Part 2
Nov 25, 2019 – 00:20:51
S1E11 - MTB Adventure Park, Part 3
Dec 2, 2019 – 00:32:35
S1E12 - MTB Adventure Park, Part 4
Dec 9, 2019 – 00:20:46
S1E13 - The Forty Hills Road
Dec 16, 2019 – 00:19:02
2019-20 Christmas Bird Count Special, Part 1
Dec 22, 2019 – 00:25:22
2019-20 Christmas Bird Count Special, Part 2
Dec 25, 2019 – 00:26:56
S1E14 - Swan Lake Lane, Part 1
Jan 6, 2020 – 00:25:46
S1E15 - Swan Lake Lane, Part 2
Jan 13, 2020 – 00:24:11
S1E16 - Alvar Bay, Part 1
Jan 20, 2020 – 00:30:02
S1E17 - Alvar Bay, Part 2
Jan 27, 2020 – 00:29:42
S1E18 - Alvar Bay, Part 3
Feb 3, 2020 – 00:19:44
Beginner Birder Tips: Equipment, Learning, Styles of Birding
Feb 8, 2020 – 00:28:44
S1E19 - Birding Out and About
Feb 10, 2020 – 00:29:18
S1E20 - St. Jean Point in Soundscape
Feb 11, 2020 – 00:30:44
S1E21 - Barrow Bay, Part 1
Feb 12, 2020 – 00:24:40
S1E22 - Barrow Bay, Part 2
Feb 13, 2020 – 00:19:37
S1E23 - Barrow Bay, Part 3
Feb 14, 2020 – 00:26:07
Birdsong Identification Quiz (Season 1)
Feb 15, 2020 – 00:22:47
S2E1 - A Ping-Pong Song: Field Sparrows
Mar 2, 2020 – 00:32:21
S2E2 - Scarlet Tanager, a.k.a. the Sore-throated Robin
Mar 5, 2020 – 00:32:25
S2E3 - So Similar Sounding: Savannah, Song Sparrow
Mar 9, 2020 – 00:30:16
S2E4 - Gnatcatcher vs. Redstart
Mar 12, 2020 – 00:21:48
S2E5 - The Black-billed Cuckoo Funeral March
Mar 16, 2020 – 00:27:08
S2E6 - The Wrath of a House Wren Scorned
Mar 19, 2020 – 00:28:48
S2E7 - Grand Ole Osprey
Mar 23, 2020 – 00:34:53
S2E8 - Cicayda, Cicahda
Mar 30, 2020 – 00:28:18
S2E9 - Drink Your Tea, Eastern Towhee
Apr 2, 2020 – 00:13:53
S2E10 - Songs in the Swamp
Apr 6, 2020 – 00:35:57
S2E11 - Fall Migration (it really does start in August...)
Apr 9, 2020 – 00:43:22
S3E1 - The Mockingbirds of Bayfront Park
Apr 13, 2020 – 00:14:44
S3E2 - Signs of Spring
Apr 16, 2020 – 00:20:04
S3E3 - Lek-side with the American Woodcock
Apr 20, 2020 – 00:15:01
S3E4 - Eastern Meadowlark Melodies
Apr 27, 2020 – 00:21:36
S3E5 - Morning Meadow Songs
May 4, 2020 – 00:20:25
S3E6 - Evening Meadow Sounds
May 7, 2020 – 00:23:48
S3E7 - Backyard Birdsongs
May 11, 2020 – 00:16:37
S3E8 - Rusty Blackbirds
May 18, 2020 – 00:21:43
S3E9 - Sapsuckers & Chorus Frogs
May 25, 2020 – 00:18:54

Recent Reviews

Keeping Dad Alive

Rare

It’s a rare person who can pull off a podcast like this one. Rob Porter takes up only as much space as he needs to and lets the birds singing their songs be the main characters. I wish I knew how Rob gets such a clean recording as he walks through the landscape—it’s an enviable skill. In the fall and winter when you miss the spring birdsong, listening to this podcast is a wonderful place to be.
Jobi C.

Love this so much

Thank you for creating and sharing this podcast. I’ve been mostly homebound and unable to bird actively for a year, and your gentle approach to sharing knowledge about birdsong brings me so much joy.
SKOLsson

Can’t sleep without it

When stress hits in the middle of the night this is my go-to solution. Particularly season 3. What would I do without this?!
Dikarandga

Wonderful bird recordings!

Thank you for sharing your recordings of birds in the natural world. What a treat for my ears and a salve for my mind.
acornkc

Thank you.

Your podcasts are meditation. They are so enjoyable, peaceful and calming.
Lorakp

I absolutely LOVE this podcast

As someone who appreciates nature and birds and ALSO has difficulty falling asleep this podcast is ideal. I can listen during the day when I want to learn more about a wide variety of birds and their calls and can listen again at night to help me relax and fall asleep. That’s a podcast win-win in my book.
Rustycard

Gentle way to learn birdsongs.

Long time birders, but covid has clipped our wings. I feel I am out birding with a friend. As someone else pointed out, also great for insomnia. Some species not common in Georgia but most are. Hoghly recommend.
Charlatte728

Great for relaxing during covid

I’m really glad I stumbled across this podcast! I’m not a big birder, but I love listening to this when trying to relax and get to sleep. Keep up the good work!
Soapstone_Quilts

Highly recommend! Beautiful sounds & information combined

I just finished listening to my first episode - the spring 2020 northern mockingbird. Although I am familiar with the mockingbird’s songs, I do struggle to id many birds by their song so I’m hopeful this will help me learn. However, what I wasn’t prepared for was the peace and tranquility I experienced while listening. The music played between recordings was perfect. This podcast absolutely exceeded my expectations. Please keep these episodes coming!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
AlphaMHC

Calming and Informative

I think there are two main kinds of people that would really enjoy this podcast: 1. Songbird enthusiasts of all experience levels. Rob brings a lot of information and knowledge in to the episodes. 2. People looking for something calming to listen to. I like listening to all sorts of podcasts, but nearly all of them involve a whole lot of talking. This podcast is very different, with a lot more meditative space in it. I think a whole lot of people out there fall into one of these two categories! If you do, I highly recommend checking this out!
HappyGoLukky

These guys should be on NatGeo

Seriously thought this was a NatGeo podcast - wow Rob is fantastic - narration is great - knowledge out of this world and really as a neophyte I’m enjoying this in the background during commutes ... 10 minutes and this will clear your mind and make you a better person. Well done!
EdPullen

Best Birdsong Podcast Ever

I'm a birder and follow several birding podcasts. I've always hoped someone would do a recording just like these, in the field with the birds with commentary. These are really well done, fun to listen to and I just hope Rob keeps them coming. Great stuff.