A Conversation with Dr. Ben Mirin: Saving Songbirds, How to Bird Watch, Making A Difference

Every bird has a song.
Some are being silenced—forever.

In this episode, Andy Schiffer of Saving Nature sits down with Dr. Ben Mirin, a scientist who doesn’t just study birds—he listens to them. Ben’s work tracks the global songbird trade and the cultures, sounds, and species it threatens.

We talk about what it means to chase vanishing voices across the world. What it’s like to stand in a forest and hear a call no one may ever hear again. And how that sound becomes data, art, activism—and hope.

This isn’t a science talk. It’s a wake-up call.

🔊 Topics we cover:

• Why birdsong matters more than you think

• What the illegal trade is doing to soundscapes and species

• Ben’s travels, and the moments that haunt him

• Why Sumatra is a front line in this fight

• How community and culture are conservation’s greatest tools

• What we can still save—and how

🟢 Take action:
We’re working in Sumatra to replant lost forest and rebuild wildlife corridors.
Your support helps protect the last homes of these birds—and the sounds of the wild.
Donate at https://savingnature.com/donate-sumatra/ or scan the code in the episode.

🎥 Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Please watch. Please share. These songs are running out.