Life List: A Birding Podcast

This episode, we’re joined by Brian Sullivan—birder, photographer, and co-leader of one of the most transformative projects in the birding world: eBird. From the earliest red-tailed hawk obsessions to building a global platform used by millions, Brian shares stories that bridge fieldwork, data, and wonder.

Highlights include:

• How eBird grew from a niche experiment to a cornerstone of global ornithology
• Red-tailed hawks, pelagics, ...

Alvaro has some juicy stories from the field: did he finally succeed in finding a Saunder's tern, or did a run-in with the law in Qatar foil his attempts yet again? 

Topics with George and Alvaro include: 

• Birding on a layover in Qatar
• The most accessible birding locations in the Middle East
• A South African springtime tour recap
• The adrenaline of safari birding 
• Rocky Mountain oysters and other questionable culinary field experi...

We’re joined by Bonner Black: Nashville-based singer-songwriter, birder, and all-around force of nature. 

Highlights of our chat include:

• Growing up birding in Tennessee and carrying that love on the road as a touring musician
• The parallels between birding, music, and life on the road
• How songwriting and birding both demand patience, attention, and a little obsession
• The ways nature sneaks into Bonner's lyrics

Come for behi...

One of our favorite things to hear from guests is that it's like you're birding with us during our conversations. This time, you actually can! 

We're each recording from our backyards, during some mid-afternoon, mid-September birdwatching. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to join us on a birdwalk, now's your chance!

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We’re talking with Quentin and Owen, the filmmakers and brothers behind Listers: the indie documentary that’s both absurd and profound, and probably the funniest thing ever made about birding.

Highlights of our chat include:

• How a family field guide, a bong, and a road trip turned into a continent-spanning big year
• The van life: Cracker Barrel parking lots, Michelin-star minivan meals
• Filming birds and birders like never before
• The ...

The biggest surprise of all might be that George is learning to love summertime at home. We are chatting about birds and critters in our patches and recent travels, plus about books, media, and pizza. 

By the way, you can learn more about Frontiers in Ornithology at https://frontiersinornithology.com/.

Come for the sightings that surprised us lately...stay for a slice of August birding joy!

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This episode is a blast—and full of stuff you'll want to remember! George and Alvaro interview the legendary birder of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and beyond: Jen Brumfield. They dive into all it takes to be a rarity-finding machine, and then put their advice through a detailed walkthrough of jaeger identification. We always say it...this hour passed by too quickly. 

Come for the gales and gulls… stay for the unabashed joy of birdin...

This is what we do, folks! George and Alvaro are sharing the stories from the field and their yards, discussing scientific and hobbyist news in the birding world, and sharing travel tales. And karaoke dos and don'ts. And a skunk saga that seems to have included. Hang out with us for a spell!

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We're all here—Mollee, George, and Alvaro—to catch up on birding and nature stories from home and Alvaro's adventures spanning oceans...and two Great White Norths! Yup, with our usual dose of wildlife weirdness, too. 

Highlights include:

• An incredible polar bear sighting alongside Ivory Gulls and (cue Alvaro's scream) Ross's Gulls
• Birding in Svalbard, Norway, and Finland
• Pelagic reports from the Farallon Islands
• ...

You like splits and lumps? Thinking about the intricacies of global taxonomy? Oh boy, are you in for a treat! 

George and Alvaro sat down with Marshall Iliff and Frank Rheindt, two members of the AviList Core Team, to take a deep dive into what’s just been released: AviList, the Global Avian Checklist! 

Learn how the process got started, what’s happened in the years it’s been in the making, and how decisions were made bird-by-bird. P...

This episode, we're catching up with Tim Appleton: co-founder of Global Birdfair and lifelong conservationist...and who possibly has the UK's best yard list.

Highlights of our chat include:

• How one idea became the world’s largest nature tourism and bird conservation gathering—and what makes it unique
• 125 species and counting from Tim's Rutland cottage overlooking a reservoir he helped design
•  How Tim helped reintrodu...

We caught up with our friend Surya Ramachandran: Indian naturalist, author, big-cat tracker, and awesome guy.

Highlights of our chat include:

• Home patch leopards: Surya’s Nilgiri backyard hosts a multigenerational family of both black and rosetted leopards that he's watched closely for years
• Snow-leopard obsession: why eight straight winters in Ladakh still haven’t dulled the thrill of the ghost of the Himalayas
• King-cobra lor...

Our travels have recently taken us across Costa Rica, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, and Tanzania — so it's high time for a catch-up! In this episode, George, Alvaro, and Mollee swap stories from the field, from color-changing marlins to Galápagos rail rediscoveries to grizzly bear rewilding efforts.

We also talk about how birds pick up dozens of local names (hello, timberdoodle!) and how birding stays with you even during major life ...

Our travels have recently spanned Costa Rica, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, and Tanzania, so it's high time for a catch-up! We swap favorite moments from the field, talk birds with many names (hello, timberdoodles), and updates from our homes, too. 

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Thanks to Kowa Optic...

George and Alvaro have an evening chat about the evolution of field guides with notable quirks in a few editions, Alvaro discusses how he used location-based evidence to theorize about gull hybridization, and more. 

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Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Wan...

George and Alvaro took some time during their Subantarctic Islands cruise to chat with Mike Bell, ornithologist for the Chatham Islands Landscape Restoration Trust. Make sure to check out their website for more information on all the conservation work they're doing!

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We're catching up on our tales around the world and wondering...how close does birding get to a major sporting event? Join us in our usual banter. 

• The book that Alvaro thinks of is called Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl
• Have you seen a Nocturnal Curassow?

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Welcome to our first episode covering our recent Subantarctic Islands cruise out of New Zealand. We're diving into the islands we visited, including Albatross Island and Pyramid Rock, and all about our travels on this world-class adventure. 

• Check out the whole trip report here. 

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifeli...