Think you know blackbirds? This episode will change the way you see them. Andrea Gress and co-host Jody Allair discuss the underrated beauty and behaviour of blackbirds with experts Peter Burke and Alvaro Jaramillo. They highlight the diverse species within the Icteridae family, including Red-winged Blackbirds, Meadowlarks, and Orioles. They explore population trends, cultural perceptions, and the challenges of tracking species like the Rusty Blackbird. You won't want to miss the incredible stories from the pair who literally wrote the book on blackbirds!


Help migratory birds simply by drinking Bird-friendly Certified Coffee. When you order from birdsandbeans.ca/warblers, Birds and Beans donates to this podcast. Thanks!

Peter Burke: Peter is a Senior Ecologist with GEI Consultants Canada, living in Kearney Ontario, near Algonquin Park. He is involved with overseeing forestry and restoration joint ventures to improve landscape health and function across Ontario’s landscape. He serves on the Steering Committee for the conservation of Kirtland's Warbler and helps to guide recovery of the Canadian breeding population of that species. He also is an illustrator, with his work can be seen in field guides such as National Geographic's Birds of North America, Birds of Peru, Birds of northern Central America, and Birds of Cuba. He also contributed to a field guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Park and surroundings.

Alvaro Jaramillo: Alvaro has been a birder just a tad less than Peter, starting at 11 years old in Toronto. His local patch was “The Spit,” now Thommy Thompson Park. He studied Ecology and Evolution, first at Guelph University, then University of Toronto where he researched Argentine cowbirds for his MSc. After a short stint in Vancouver, he moved to California where he lived for decades, operating Alvaro’s Adventures an international birding tour company, and pelagic birding operator. He recently moved back to Ontario, to wonderful Prince Edward County. Peter and Alvaro worked together on the Birds of Chile, and New World Blackbirds: The Icterids. Alvaro also wrote the ABA Field Guide to California. And he is one of the co-hosts of the Life List Birding Podcast.

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Migration is one of the most remarkable phenomena in the animal kingdom. What if the human body made the same trip?

Athletes Timm Döbert and Leanna Carriere join us to discuss their up-coming expedition, “Wings of Survival”, where they’ll bike from Alaska to Patagonia, following the route of the Whimbrel. This duo is using athletics to draw attention to nature and conservation. They tell us about their recent ride across Canada’s grasslands, how they’ve been linking Key Biodiversity Areas, and how they see birds as an essential part of the story.

Learn more about the ride at wingsofsurvival.com or support through their GoFundMe.

Timm Döbert holds a PhD in Global Change Ecology from the University of Western Australia. He studies the human footprint on natural ecosystems, motivated by a drive to safeguard wild spaces and wildlife. Timm is an member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Commission on Education and Communication, and the World Commission on Protected Areas. He holds fellowships in the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the Scientific Exploration Society and the World Explorers Collective. He is an Explorers Club member, an ambassador for the Athlete Media Group and Wilderness International, and a Global Sustainable Sport partner.

Leanna Carriere is an endurance athlete, personal trainer and entrepreneur. For nearly a decade, she competed internationally in women’s pole vault and is recognised as Canada’s first female decathlete. She has completed several Ironman events, the Mt. Everest Marathon and the Patagonman Xtreme triathlon. She is the co-founder of Edmonton-based chocolate company 7 Summits Snacks. As a motivational speaker, she advocates for the deep connection between human and planetary health. She loves exploring the outdoors with her 6-year-old daughter Adalynn.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.

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Black Swifts are also playfully known as Cloud Swifts, a suitable nickname for one of Canada's most impressive and mysterious birds. Join us above the clouds with researcher and mountain enthusiast, Rémi Torrenta, as he shares Black Swift season updates. He describes meeting Black Swifts at the top of a mountain, shares mind boggling facts about the species, and uplifting stories from a successful season of nest monitoring.

For an immersive episode on Black Swift research listen to The Wake-up Call: Black Swift, or watch Of Waterfalls and Wings – Surveying for the Mysterious Black Swift.

Help migratory birds simply by drinking Bird-friendly Certified Coffee. When you order from birdsandbeans.ca/warblers Birds and Beans donates to this podcast. Thanks!

Rémi Torrenta has always had a passion for wildlife and birds. He obtained a MSc in Ecology in the south of France, and then a PhD at Université de Moncton, NB. After 8 years of work experience with forest birds in eastern Canada, he has been the BC Projects Coordinator for Birds Canada since 2021. Remi delivers Citizen Science programs, as well as various Species at Risk research and monitoring projects, and outreach and education programs in western Canada.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.

Support the show