The Birding Life Podcast Network

Nardus Taljard has built an impressive online community around something he genuinely loves, wildlife, Kruger and the stories that unfold in the wild.
But what does it actually take to turn that passion into a successful digital platform?
In this episode, Gabby sits down with Nardus to chat about the journey behind the content, from growing an audience and working with brands to photography, conservation, the realities of social media and some of the unexpected opportunities that have come his way.
We also get into the responsibility that comes with having a voice online, why authenticity matters, and how content can become far more than simply chasing views and likes.
A fun, honest conversation with plenty of stories from behind the screen, and a look at what happens when passion, purpose and a camera come together.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza

My guest today is Kenyan birder, guide and ornithologist James Apolloh Omenya, who was part of an expedition into the Boni Forest region of Kenya in search of two of the country’s lost birds, the Red Weaver and the Tana River Cisticola.
The expedition involved difficult travel, motorbikes, local guides, security concerns, armed escorts, and a search through a part of Kenya that very few birders will ever get to experience.
And then, on 3 July 2026, James and his team found what they had gone looking for. The Red Weaver, a bird that had not been scientifically documented for 12 years.
James also managed to make what is believed to be the first sound recording of the species, adding another important piece to what we know about this little known bird.
So today we are going to hear the story behind that rediscovery, what it took to get there, what we are learning about the Red Weaver, and what the experience has meant to James personally.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
James Apolloh Omenya links: https://birding-with-apolloh.com/ and https://terektours.com/
James Apolloh Omenya Https://www.facebook.com/james.apolloh.9
Birding_with_apolloh https://www.instagram.com/birding_with_apolloh

Welcome to episode one of the SnA Youth birders podcast! This podcast has been created to share birding with a younger generation and to help those parents that are raising young naturalists.
We chatted with one of Southern Africa’s top young birders- Daniel Engelbrecht. He gives us insight into his recent trip to Uganda and his upcoming African trips. We chat about his love for bird call recording and the African Big Year of sounds.
Dan shares his birding advice for young birders and parents with children they’d like to turn into birders. He shares his birding background and tells us about his adventures through his home province- Limpopo.
Join us for a conversation filled with birds and banter; from encounters with Pittas to dragging your family into random foreign woodlands.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
https://birdingwithdaniel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sa_youthbirders/
https://www.instagram.com/danielengelbrecht101/
https://www.instagram.com/tspurway.wildlife/

Today we are chatting about a citizen science project that has been running for more than 30 years and has become an incredibly valuable source of information about some of South Africa’s large terrestrial birds.
I am joined by Dr David Ehlers Smith, Science and Spatial Planning Project Manager at BirdLife South Africa, to talk about CAR, or Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts.
We are going to unpack what a CAR count actually is, why these counts are done, what decades of data are telling us about species such as cranes, bustards, Secretarybirds and other large terrestrial birds, and, importantly, how ordinary birders can get involved.
We will also chat briefly about Birding Big Day 2026 and what birders can look forward to this year.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show:
CAR Count website https://car.birdmap.africa/
BirdLife South Africa website https://birdlife.org.za/

What happens when a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa becomes a lifelong obsession - and ultimately the backdrop to an extraordinary writing career?
Internationally bestselling author Tony Park joins Gabby Sykora for a conversation that goes far beyond the pages of his novels. From more than three decades of African adventures to wildlife crime, conservation, unforgettable characters and the wild places that continue to inspire his stories, Tony shares the experiences, encounters and occasional chaos behind a life spent writing Africa.
With 24 novels, 10 non-fiction biographies and a brand-new release, King of Beasts, Tony has built a career telling stories where fiction and reality often sit remarkably close together.
There are Land Rovers, birds, bush adventures, plenty of laughs and some much bigger questions about the power of storytelling and the role it can play in conservation.
A brilliant conversation with one of Africa’s most recognised adventure-thriller writers and the perfect way to kick off a brand-new season.
Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store
Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza
Links from show: