BirdNote Daily

August 22 is the birthday of renowned French composer, Claude Debussy. Born in 1862, Debussy is known for his impressionistic sonic portraits, like La Mer, about the sea. But one of his best known works is an earlier piano piece, Clair de Lune. The song is quiet and haunting. Which got us thinking: what if we paired it with the most haunting birdsong — the song of loons? Enjoy Clair de Loon.

Download the song here. 

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Lark Buntings are migratory sparrows that live in grasslands from south central Canada to the northern plateaus of Mexico. For most of the year, the buntings are brown, white and streaky. They spend the winter traveling in large, nomadic flocks in search of seeds and insects. But as spring approaches, the males become a velvety black with a contrasting patch of bright white feathers on each wing. This bold breeding plumage accentuates the elaborate flight displays that males perform to attract mates and fend off rivals.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee made the fight against climate change a major priority during his three terms in office. In this episode, Inslee explains how his love of birds helped motivate those efforts.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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If you’ve already done things around the home with birds in mind, consider one more action that might be less obvious. Turning the thermostat down a degree or two in the colder months and up a degree in the warmer months might seem more about personal preference or energy bills than birds. But climate change is a grave threat to birds, putting two-thirds of North American bird species at risk of extinction. So anything that decreases carbon emissions is a step towards a better future for birds — not to mention people.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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In this episode, poet and ornithologist J. Drew Lanham shares how his grandmother’s personal names for the birds helped shape his own relationships with birds. Names such as “redbirds” for Northern Cardinals, “rain crows” for Yellow-billed Cuckoos, and “cat owls” for Great Horned Owls help him feel personally connected to these species. Through developing one’s own ornithology and personal names for birds, he says, anyone can strengthen their bond with birds.

More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.

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