Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Est. Listeners
Based on iTunes & Spotify (publisher stats).
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
10,001 - 25,000 - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
25,001 - 75,000 - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
15,001 - 40,000
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
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Total Plays
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 10 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
142: Costa's Hummingbird - Is Their Range Expanding? A Listener Request!
May 4, 2026
30m 38s
141: Black-backed Woodpeckers with Ryan Shostack And Making Birding More Inclusive
Apr 27, 2026
42m 10s
140: Round Robin Championship, also Rusty Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and The Reiser Brothers Visit The Field Museum
Apr 20, 2026
48m 02s
139: Green Heron Explained: The Bird That Uses Tools to Catch Fish 🐦
Apr 13, 2026
26m 53s
138: Why Long-Eared Owls Roost in HUGE Groups 🦉 | Bird Behavior Explained
Apr 6, 2026
31m 49s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/4/26 |  142: Costa's Hummingbird - Is Their Range Expanding? A Listener Request! | This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re diving into one of the most dazzling birds in North America—the Costa’s Hummingbird. After a listener wrote in with a question, we decided this tiny desert specialist deserved a full episode—and it does not disappoint. From its iridescent purple crown to its high-speed aerial displays, the Costa’s Hummingbird is a master of survival in some of the harshest environments. We explore its unique behavior, desert habitat, feeding strategies, and... | 30m 38s | ||||||
| 4/27/26 |  141: Black-backed Woodpeckers with Ryan Shostack And Making Birding More Inclusive✨ | Black-backed Woodpeckerbirding+3 | Ryan Shostack | Black-backed Woodpecker | — | Black-backed Woodpeckerbirding+5 | — | 42m 10s | |
| 4/20/26 |  140: Round Robin Championship, also Rusty Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and The Reiser Brothers Visit The Field Museum✨ | blackbirdsbird conservation+3 | — | Birds of a Feather Talk Together | North AmericaField Museum+2 | Rusty BlackbirdBrown-headed Cowbird+3 | — | 48m 02s | |
| 4/13/26 |  139: Green Heron Explained: The Bird That Uses Tools to Catch Fish 🐦✨ | Green Heronbird behavior+3 | — | Green Heron | — | Green Heronbirdwatching+5 | — | 26m 53s | |
| 4/6/26 |  138: Why Long-Eared Owls Roost in HUGE Groups 🦉 | Bird Behavior Explained✨ | Long-Eared Owlsbird behavior+4 | — | Long-Eared Owls | — | Long-Eared Owlsowl behavior+4 | — | 31m 49s | |
| 3/30/26 | 137: A Rare Arctic Duck Appeared in Europe?! Spectacled Eider Explained✨ | birdingmigration patterns+3 | — | Spectacled EiderCommon Eider+1 | NetherlandsArctic | Spectacled Eiderbirding+4 | — | 1h 05m 02s | |
| 3/23/26 |  136: Horned Larks with Nick Mason✨ | Horned Larksbird behavior+3 | Dr. Nick Mason | Department of Biological SciencesMuseum of Natural Science at LSU | — | Horned Larkbird expert+3 | — | 1h 00m 46s | |
| 3/16/26 | 135: Can Birdwatching Slow Aging? The Science Behind Birding & Brain Health✨ | birdwatchingbrain health+4 | — | recent articleoriginal scientific paper | — | birdwatchingbrain health+4 | — | 22m 39s | |
| 3/9/26 |  134: Eastern Wood Pewee - So Exciting That We Had A Malfunction :)✨ | Eastern Wood-Peweeflycatchers+3 | — | Field Museum | Eastern Wood-Pewee | Eastern Wood-Peweeflycatchers+3 | — | 25m 21s | |
| 3/1/26 |  133: Are Magpies Smarter Than You Think? 🐦 Black-Billed Magpie Explained✨ | magpie behaviorbird intelligence+4 | — | Birds of a Feather Talk Together | North AmericaBlack-billed Magpie | Black-billed Magpieintelligent birds+5 | — | 29m 15s | |
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| 2/23/26 |  132: Why Acorn Woodpeckers Store Thousands of Acorns (Wild Bird Behavior)✨ | Acorn Woodpeckersbird behavior+4 | — | Acorn Woodpecker | Rose BowlPasadena | Acorn Woodpeckerbirding+4 | — | 36m 52s | |
| 2/16/26 |  131: Calfbird - Bald Blue Heads - Sounds Like A Chainsaw? | This week, we’re diving into one of the strangest and most unforgettable birds in the world: the Calfbird. Found in the forests of northern South America, this bizarre species is famous for its bald head, striking blue skin, and an otherworldly call that sounds like a chainsaw. Even wilder? The Calfbird produces that sound using a mechanism similar to how a bullfrog vocalizes—making it a true standout in avian biology and animal sound production. Join married ornithologists John Bates and Sha... | 38m 03s | ||||||
| 2/9/26 |  130: Cedar Waxwing | Discover the beauty and biology of the Cedar Waxwing, one of North America’s most elegant songbirds, in this week’s episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together. Join hosts and Field Museum ornithologists John Bates and Shannon Hackett along with RJ Pole and Amanda Pole as they explore Cedar Waxwing identification, behavior, habitat, and the fascinating feather structure that creates the bird’s signature wax-like wing tips. Learn why Cedar Waxwings travel in flocks, what they eat, where to fin... | 24m 01s | ||||||
| 2/2/26 |  129: Top Science Stories of 2025 | Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together—and welcome to our first new episode of 2026! After wrapping up our deep dive into ducks, we’re kicking off the new year by doing something a little different: each of us brings a favorite science story from 2025 to the table, along with a look ahead at what we’re most excited about in 2026. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Pole for a wide-ranging conversation. We talk about juncos, robots in science, and how new resea... | 1h 04m 49s | ||||||
| 1/26/26 |  128: Wood Duck Revisited | We’re wrapping up our recent duck series with a revisit of one of our favorite Birds of a Feather Talk Together episodes: the Wood Duck. Known for its stunning colors, unique nesting habits, and remarkable conservation comeback, the Wood Duck is one of North America’s most iconic ducks. Join us as we look back at this fan-favorite episode and close out our duck deep dive in style. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Pole to discuss the Wood Duck. Here are links to our ... | 1h 03m 28s | ||||||
| 1/19/26 |  127: Harlequin Duck Revisited | This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re diving back into one of our all-time favorite duck episodes—spotlighting the unforgettable harlequin duck, one of the most striking and resilient waterfowl in North America. Known for nesting along fast-flowing mountain streams and spending winters on rugged, wave-battered coastlines, the harlequin duck is a true marvel of adaptation. From its bold plumage to its extreme habitat choices, this species never fails to amaze birders, ornitholog... | 32m 34s | ||||||
| 1/12/26 |  126: Mallard Revisited | In this episode, John breaks down the history and importance of the Christmas Bird Count, one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world. Then, we dive deep into the fascinating world of the Mallard Duck—one of North America’s most familiar and recognizable waterfowl. From seasonal sexual dimorphism and those iconic iridescent speculum stripes, to how Mallards differ from other duck species, we explore what makes this bird so unique and adaptable. Join John Bates, Shannon Ha... | 41m 36s | ||||||
| 1/5/26 | 125: LISTERS! - Movie Review! Plus a WILD Botfly story | We’re kicking off the year with a fun, laughter-filled episode all about our favorite birding movie of last year — LISTERS. If you love birding, birders, and the wonderfully obsessive world of listing, this film is a must-watch. We had an absolute blast talking about it, laughed pretty much the entire time, and highly recommend you watch along with us. Even better? LISTERS is free to watch on YouTube, so it’s easy to queue up and join the fun. In addition to our movie discussion, we’re diving... | 57m 14s | ||||||
| 12/22/25 |  124: Snowy Owl - Chicago Sightings, Irruption, and Lemmings | Welcome back to Birds of a Feather Talk Together! We are officially in full winter swing, and that means it’s the perfect time to shine a spotlight on one of the most iconic cold-weather visitors out there — the Snowy Owl. If you’ve been anywhere near bird-Twitter or the local news, you may have heard about the pair of Snowy Owls in Chicago. These birds are stunning, unmistakable, and one of those species that gets everyone — even the non-birders — buzzing with excitement. We also answer a li... | 32m 38s | ||||||
| 12/15/25 |  123: White-Throated Sparrow Explained: Songs, Behavior & the “Two Types” Mystery | Learn how to identify the White-throated Sparrow by its song, behavior, and movement patterns, and discover why this common bird has two distinct morphs with different personalities. This birding and birdwatching podcast explores sparrow identification, bird behavior, and fascinating new research for beginners and experts alike. In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we revisit one of our favorite deep dives on the White-throated Sparrow, a fascinating and familiar North America... | 45m 29s | ||||||
| 12/8/25 |  122: Flamingos with Ellen Weatherford | This week we’ve got a seriously fun one for you. We are joined by the wonderful Ellen Weatherford from the podcast Just the Zoo of Us. John and Shannon are guests on her show later this month, so we asked Ellen to come chat with us about the bird of her choice. She came back with flamingos—and boy, were we thrilled. It turned into such a bright, lively, surprisingly deep conversation about one of the most iconic birds out there. From their wild social lives to their unbelievable color and bio... | 1h 09m 06s | ||||||
| 12/1/25 |  121: Varied Thrush - The Lone Forest Dweller AND The Occasional Vagrant | This week we’re diving into a fascinating forest bird—the Varied Thrush. If you’ve ever wandered through the deep, mossy conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest, you might’ve heard their haunting, single-note whistles echoing through the understory. These birds are usually right at home along the West Coast, from Alaska down through northern California… which is why things got very interesting when a Varied Thrush recently showed up all the way in New York. So today, we’re talking a lot abou... | 33m 52s | ||||||
| 11/24/25 |  120: Why Mourning Doves Are EVERYWHERE (And What Makes Them So Unique) | Birding Explained | Learn about Mourning Doves, one of the most common birds in North America, and why their behavior, calls, and breeding habits make them so unique. This birding and birdwatching podcast breaks down dove behavior, ecology, and identification for beginners and experts alike. We’re taking the week off for the holiday, but we didn’t want to leave you bird-less—so we’re re-sharing one of our favorite episodes, all about the mourning dove, one of North America’s most familiar and fascinating backya... | 26m 01s | ||||||
| 11/17/25 |  119: Spoon-billed Sandpiper - One Of The Rarest Birds On Earth - Story of Convergence | This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re exploring one of the rarest, most extraordinary birds on the planet: the spoon-billed sandpiper—a tiny shorebird with one of nature’s most fascinating evolutionary surprises. If you caught our recent YouTube video where John compared a Roseate Spoonbill at the Field Museum to the delicate spoon-billed sandpiper specimen, you already know we love a good convergent evolution story. Two completely unrelated birds… both evolving their own versi... | 32m 37s | ||||||
| 11/10/25 |  118: Golden Eagle Explained: One of the Fastest & Most Powerful Birds of Prey | Learn about the Golden Eagle, one of the fastest and most powerful birds of prey in North America, and how it hunts with incredible speed and precision. This birding and birdwatching podcast explores eagle behavior, migration, and raptor ecology for beginners and experts alike. The Golden Eagle — one of North America’s largest, fastest, and most powerful raptors — takes center stage in this week’s episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together! Married ornithologists Dr. John Bates and Dr. ... | 35m 21s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
12 placements across 12 markets.
Chart Positions
12 placements across 12 markets.