Chris Peterson

Oct 13, 2024 | birdnote.org | Gregg Thompson |Chris Peterson

In autumn, hundreds of thousands of Swainson's Hawks migrate to South America. With the help of a satellite tracking device, let's follow an individual male. On September 14, he leaves his breeding territory near Hanna, Alberta; reaches southwest Saskatchewan by September 23; passes through Nebraska, October 1; Tamaulipas, Mexico, on October 7; Honduras, October 14; and on the 7th of November, this Swainson's Hawk arrives at Marcos Juarez, Argentina - a migration of more than 6,000 miles.

Jun 24, 2024 | birdnote.org | SongBy Adam Sedgley |Adam Sedgley |Gerrit Vyn |Chris Peterson

It's dawn in a western marsh in mid-summer, and man! Those birds are singin'! The males of more than a dozen species are staking out their territories and attracting mates. One of the noisiest of all is the Red-winged Blackbird. He sings not to attract just one mate, but to gather a whole harem! Drop us a line and let us know what you think of BirdNote.

Apr 18, 2024 | birdnote.org | Jason McCue |Chris Peterson

BirdNote®Recognizing a Stranded LoonWritten by Conor GearinThis is BirdNote.     [Minnesota lake soundscape]    [Loon call]Loons are built for life in the water. They’re streamlined and dense to pursue fish deep below the surface. Loons’ legs are placed far back on their bodies, almost like propellers, a unique advantage for life on the lake — but those legs don’t work well on land. That’s why if you see a loon on terra firma, something has probably gone wrong.

Oct 22, 2023 | birdnote.org | SongBy Adam Sedgley |Adam Sedgley |Chris Peterson

BirdNote®Strange SoundsWritten by Chris PetersonThis is BirdNote. [Call of Yellow Rail]  Some bird calls can sound like somethin’ else altogether!  For example, one could easily mistake the call of a male Yellow Rail, [Call of Yellow Rail] for someone tapping two small stones together. What about this sound? [Turkey Vultures hissing] They’re Turkey Vultures hissing at one another over a carcass!What about this plaintive whistle?

May 8, 2023 | birdnote.org | Gerrit Vyn |Chris Peterson

BirdNote®Learning to Listen - Patterns in Song of the Song SparrowWritten by Chris PetersonThis is BirdNote. In this show, we use a bamboo bird whistle to demonstrate variations in the song of a single Song Sparrow. [Nancy on whistle, variation #9]Heidi Hoelting, a musician, listens carefully to the songs of birds. One morning … I was in dreamland and I heard this very loud… rhythm, coming through my window, and it woke me up. ….