The American Birding Podcast

Many birders across the continent have been aware of, and concerned by, the state of American Kestrels and their steady decline from places where they had once been common. Thankfully, the species the focus of a lot of conservation attention too, namely the construction and monitoring of nest boxes across the US and Canada. Emmy Broeg is one of those kestrel advocates in her role at New Jersey's Wild Bird Research Group. You might also know her as @emmybebirdin on Instagram and TikTok, where she shares that work with a wider community that is getting excited about birding. 
Also, Nate is all over the place this fall. Come and see him if your able. 
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Split and Lump season is here again, and as we have since this podcast began, we welcome Dr. Nick Block of Stonehill College to discuss the exciting bird taxonomy changes that might be coming to a life list near you via the AOS NACC. Could this be the year we finally see the long awaited splits of Willet and Marsh Wren? Will Great Egret be picked apart into its continental forms? Is Prairie-Chicken on the way out in favor of Prairie-Grouse? We answer all those questions and more!
Also, Nate fact checks a phenomenal Short-eared Owl story from last week's Random Birds. 
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Host Nate Swick welcomes back Birding magazine editor Ted Floyd for another round of Random Birds. This time the random number generator wants to keep us ar the end of the checklist, prompting discussion on owls, jaegers, wrens, and finches. 
Also, Nates shares some observations about Breeding Bird Surveys in the drizzle. 
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It's the end of the month, and that means it's time for another This Month in Birding episode, featuring a panel of birders gathering to talk aout recent bird news and science. This month we welcome Jason Hall, Tim Healy, and Sarah Swanson to talk grassland birds, ravens and wolves, and the "unseen 95%" of birding. 
Links to articles discussed in this episode:
The joys of reporting on 3 teenagers chasing glory in the World Series of Birding
More grass, more birds, more problems
Ravens anticipate wolf kill sites across broad scales
The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation
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Alabama Audubon has invited your own podcast host, Nate Swick, to be the keynote speaker at the 2026 Black Belt Birding Festival. The festival highlights the birds, the ecology, and the civil rights heritage of the region. To get excited for this summer's event, we welcome Andrew Lydeard, Alabama Audubon's Program Coordinator, and Chris Joe, third generation farmer whose family's 200 acre cattle farm in Newbern, Alabama, is an important site for the festival and a great example of the conservation and community efforts that the festival seeks to highlights. We talk birding Alabama, festival highlights, and how the community has come to love birders. 
Also, the Breeding Bird Suvey is back and Nate is excited to get back on his routes. 
Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!