Jeffrey Gordon is the president of the American Birding Association, a position he has held since late 2010. Jeff is also a well-known writer, photographer, tour leader, and naturalist and a former Field Editor for Bird Watcher's Digest. He is a frequent speaker and field trip leader at various birding and nature festivals. Jeff recently joined Out There with the Birds host Wendy Clark in a conversation about transitions and trends in the American birding community, and how the American Birding Association is faring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Jeff and Wendy now as they talk about all things birds, birders, and birding on this episode of Out There with the Birds. Posted Fri, Sep 17, 2021.

It is estimated that one billion (yes, that's one billion) birds—primarily neotropical migratory songbirds—collide with windows across North American annually. In the late 1980s, Canadian Michael Mesure began collecting and documenting birds that had collided with the windows of downtown office buildings in his native Toronto. This effort inspired him to devote himself to raising awareness of window collisions, and in 1993, he co-founded FLAP, or Fatal Light Awareness Program.

Bird Watcher's Digest editor Dawn Hewitt interviews Michael, who serves as FLAP's executive director, to learn why birds collide with windows; how North America's topography is essentially a giant migratory corridor; and what every person who cares about birds can do during a community science event called Global Bird Rescue (September 27–October 3, 2021) to document window strikes around the world. This episode is sponsored by FLAP.

Grab the Kleenex: This is the final episode that TBL host Bill Thompson, III, recorded before succumbing to pancreatic cancer on March 25, 2019. Bill interviews Mark S. Garland, a naturalist who has been sharing his enthusiasm for nature for over 40 years. He is also the 2019 recipient of the Paul Bartsch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Natural History. Bird Watcher’s Digest subscribers will recognize him as the author of “Birders Question Mark,” a Q&A column that has featured in the magazine since 2015. Mark reveals what sparked his interest in nature and birds early in life, and how it evolved throughout his lifetime. He ends with advice for aspiring naturalists: Be persistent, follow your heart, and in the end, it will all work out! Posted Thu, Aug 29 2019.

One September evening, naturalist Julie Zickefoose witnesses the magic of migrating hoary bats--which she likens to silvery woodland shearwaters that move through the trees like flung boomerangs. Featured in the September/October issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. Posted Wed, 08 Aug 2021.