This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're traveling to Australia to explore one of the country's most fascinating—and controversial—birds: the Noisy Miner.

John recently encountered Noisy Miners during his birding trip to Australia, and after watching their remarkable behavior firsthand, we knew we had to dedicate an episode to them. These highly social birds are famous for their loud calls, complex family groups, and surprisingly aggressive behavior toward other birds.

Field Museum ornithologists and Curators of Birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to dive into Noisy Miner behavior, Australian birds, bird communication, territoriality, cooperative breeding, and why this species has become one of the most fascinating birds in Australia.

John also shares stories from his recent birding adventures in Australia, including firsthand encounters with Noisy Miners and what makes seeing them in the wild such an unforgettable experience.

To wrap up the episode, we answer a listener mailbag question about noise pollution and its effects on birds.

Whether you're interested in Australian birds, bird behavior, wildlife science, ornithology, bird communication, or simply love learning about some of the world's most remarkable species, this episode is packed with fascinating bird facts and unforgettable stories.

If you love birding, birdwatching, Australian wildlife, bird behavior, bird identification, conservation, ornithology, 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