Author: Jillian Anthony

When the pandemic hit, we were all forced inside—which made some of us desperate to spend time outside. Many people turned to the refuge of their local green spaces to safely breathe fresh air and escape the confines of small living spaces. (While visitors to US National Parks took a big dip in 2020 when… Continue reading Meet the pandemic birders

The Bobolinks were disappearing. In 2013 the scientific journal ​​PLOS ONE published a peer-reviewed study showing how insecticides and the decline of grasslands had a deadly effect on birds in Europe and North America, including the once-common Bobolink in New England.  “They are one of these species that goes down to the large grasslands in… Continue reading Want to protect birds? Ban pesticides.

Whitney Falk, Flying Colors cofounder, ZZ Driggs cofounder and CEO I come from a family of birders, and for much of my life I have taken part in refilling feeders and trays of seeds, nuts, and berries in order to connect with and witness the flying colors that surround us. My birding practice started with… Continue reading How birding connects to mindfulness

On a walk through the streets of Austin, Texas, I opened the Merlin Bird ID app. I clicked Sound ID, record, then held my phone above my head, pointed toward a tree packed with dozens of loud, whistling birds. The app showed me a spectogram—a horizontal visualization of the sounds I was hearing that looks… Continue reading The fascinating tech behind Merlin, the bird ID app