The Casual Birder Podcast
Suzy shares the joy of watching wild birds, from her garden visitors in southern England to birds seen internationally. Learn how to identify species, notice their behaviours, and recognize songs and calls. Join Suzy for recorded bird outings, interviews with experts and enthusiasts, and stories from birders around the world. Suzy says: “Birding is a great pastime. It can be done with others or alone. You don't need expensive equipment, your eyes or ears are enough. And best of all, the Casual Birder can do as much or as little birding as suits them. It's perfect for fitting into our busy schedules.” Find Suzy on Twitter @CasualBirderPod
Episodes
The celebrated naturalist and professional filmmaker, Simon King, recounts how he turned his childhood interest in wildlife into a successful career.
Whilst he has travelled the world to bring us film of incredible wildlife encounters, Simon stresses the importance of local conservation efforts in protecting habitats and species.
He emphasises...
Suzy is joined by Dr Ed Pullen, a former family doctor turned keen birder and podcast host.
During a trip to the Everglades with his late wife Kay, Ed found himself fascinated by the birds they saw. That trip led to a lifelong love of birding.
Ed shares his evolving approach to birding, which now emphasizes experiences over bird listing, and how his genuine interest in connecting with fellow birders led to the creation of his podc...
In this month's birding catch-up, Suzy chats with her husband John about the birds they saw in February. After a slower start to the year thanks to a holiday abroad, they were keen to get back out birding and boost their 2025 bird list.
The conversation delves into the sites they visited, their top birding moments, and their respective bird counts for the month, which adds a lighthearted competitive aspect t...
Conservationist and bird guide Rob Williams shares the wonder of birding in Peru.
From the coastal deserts to the Amazon Basin, Rob highlights the diverse habitats that are home to over 1800 bird species.
Rob also shares how he would spend a fantasy birding day.
Recorded live at Global BirdFair 2024.
Links
For International Women’s Day 2025 we hear from women birders from around the world.
They share the motivations behind their birding passion and provide insights into the impact of birdwatching on personal well-being.
Participants:
Emily, Nish, Sarah, Colette, Charlie - UK
Kristina - Germany
Kate, Kirsty - Australia
Chiara - I...
Episode Notes
Host Suzy speaks with Sandra Morocho (Birdwatchers of Quijos Valley, Ecuador) and Michaela Leeb (Swarovski-Optik).
Sandra lives in the cloud forest on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador. In 2014 she won a pair of binoculars in the Digiscoper of the Year competition run by Swarovski-Optik.
Using the binoculars stoked Sandra’s enthusiasm for sharing views of the local birds with her friends. From there, Sandra’s engagement wi...
Naturalist, author and broadcaster Stephen Moss joins Suzy in a wide-ranging conversation covering the importance of supporting younger members of the wildlife community, recovery from serious illness and the challenges of making individual efforts to mitigate the biodiversity crisis.
Recorded live at Global Birdfair 2023
Links:
Ecologist, writer, and wildlife presenter Mike Dilger is a familiar face from his appearances on popular shows such as BBC's The One Show and Springwatch.
With a lifelong passion for plants, insects, and birds, Mike has dedicated his career to studying and understanding wildlife. His extensive fieldwork has taken him around the world.
As a respected wildlife communicator, Mike shares his kn...
Alan Davis and Ruth Miller are passionate birders.
In 2008 they gave up their jobs and sold everything to embark on an epic year-long quest to see and hear as many bird species as possible. After many adventures, on a journey taking them around the world, their final total was an amazing 4341 species, achieving a world record for the most species seen in one year.
They wrote about their adv...
Dick and Andrew Woods, who operate the family business behind Finches Friend bird feeders, prioritise the health of garden birds in the design of their products.
A passionate designer, Dick set out to revolutionise bird feeding practices by confronting the disease and contamination risks that exist wherever we feed our garden birds.
Not only do their feeders separate the food from contact with bi...
John and Suzy share their first experiences with the stunning birds of Panama City, and we hear from Edwin, their professional guide, who took them birding in the Metropolitan Nature Park.
Links
Past Episode
Bridget Butler, also known as the Bird Diva, did not originally have a passion for birds.
But seeing an Indigo Bunting one morning sparked her birding interest.
Finding support and encouragement in the Vermont birding community Bridget developed an interest in slow birding.
Bridget encourages the observation of birds ...
Beccy Speight (Chief Executive of the RSPB) and Patricia Zurita (former CEO of BirdLife International and now Chief Strategy Officer of Conservation International) join Suzy to share their insight on changing perceptions and overcoming challenges as women in the conservation community.
And we hear how each would spend a fantasy birding day.
Recorded at Global Birdfair 2023
...
Chiara Talia's gorgeous photographs, along with her tips on how to improve at both birding and bird photography, make her Instagram account a must for everyone's feed.
In this episode, Chiara tells Suzy how a walk in the park, and a chance encounter with a European Robin, led to a passion for bird photography and a pathway to healing at a time when she was struggling with her mental health.
Long-time birder, Mel Shepherd-Wells, joins Suzy in a delightful chat about his birding adventures, and shares some top tips applicable to all birders.
Links:
The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up
Support the Show - Buy me a virtual coffee on Ko-Fi.com
The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/
...
A mini episode about the wonderful time that was had at Global BirdFair 2023, where Suzy spent time with other wildlife podcasters, interviewed amazing guests and met people passionate about the natural world.
There is also news on what to expect in upcoming episodes of The Casual Birder Podcast.
Links
Links to wildlife podca...
Suzy shares some of her bird experiences while on vacation in Portugal, and tells how you can join our team for the Global Big Day - an important and exciting event in the birding calendar!
On the Global Big Day people around the world will go birding and then upload their checklists to eBird.
In this w...
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