The Warblers by Birds Canada

With apps like Merlin and eBird, do field guides even matter anymore? David Scott and Gavin McKinnon share why they developed a brand new book: A Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta. Backed by their love of birds, this episode is full of birding adventure stories from the boreal forest to the Rockies to the prairies, along with interesting insights about writing a field guide - a massive undertaking that is still worth the effort.  
Get a copy of A Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta. Huge thanks to Gavin, David, and all the photographers who contributed, for sending proceeds to Birds Canada. 
Listeners of The Warblers now get 10% off coffee orders from Birds and Beans with the code 'warblers' at checkout. Choosing Bird Friendly coffee is an easy (and delicious) way to support migratory species! 
Get on a tour with Gavin - check out Meadowlark Birding Tours. 
Gavin McKinnon developed a deep fascination for birds at an early age after he visited Point Pelee National Park on a weekend trip with his parents. Since then, he has traveled extensively in Canada and to numerous locations in the tropics and around the globe in search of unique birding opportunities. In 2022, Gavin founded Meadowlark Birding Tours, intending to share his passion for birds with others. After high school, he studied Renewable Resource Management at Lethbridge College and briefly worked in environmental consulting. In addition to leading tours, Gavin is actively involved in the local birding community, serving as a volunteer eBird reviewer. 
David Scott was born and raised in northern Ontario, and began venturing from home to find birds while in high school and has been an avid birder and naturalist ever since. After moving to southern Alberta, he came to love the birds of the prairies, badlands, foothills, and mountains as he did those of the boreal forest on the Canadian Shield. A librarian by trade, David works at the University of Lethbridge and volunteers for Nature Lethbridge, eBird, the Christmas Bird Count, and the provincial bird records committee.
Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada. 
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The Louisiana Waterthrush or "Eastern Forest Dipper" exudes quiet and calm, much like the forests it's found in. Meanwhile, the Acadian Flycatcher screams "PIZZA" as it bursts from a branch to snag a bite (of insect!). Both birds are charming in their own ways, but both face a worrying threat: Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, an invasive species that has made it's way into Canada. 
We hear from researchers Brendan Boyd and Samreen Munim, who spend their summers deep in the forests with these birds. The joy they get from their work is contagious - this is a delightful episode about a very serious issue. 
As a special treat, listeners of The Warblers now get 10% off coffee orders from Birds and Beans with the code 'warblers' at checkout. 
Learn more about how to monitor and stop the spread of HWA. 
Samreen Munim, as the Ontario Forest Birds Program Assistant Coordinator for Birds Canada, works with volunteers, as well as private and public landowners across southern Ontario, to monitor, study, and conserve forest birds. She loves meeting people who are so passionate about forests and forest birds, and greatly enjoys getting to spend so much time outdoors with some of the most at-risk species in Ontario (and some of the best birds out there!).
Brendan Boy, Ph.D, Ontario Forest Birds Program Coordinator with Birds Canada, studied the long term effects of nesting in small forest fragments for Wood Thrushes– where he spent four field seasons living at Long Point, fully immersed in Ontario’s Carolinian region. He’s thrilled to once again be working in this amazingly biodiverse area, and excited to play a key role in the conservation of Ontario’s forest birds.
Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada. 
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Bird nests literally come in all shapes and sizes: burrowed into a sand bank, tucked into grass, underground, high up, stretchy, sturdy, flimsy. Even the chicks are radically different, with some leaping out of trees at a day old, and others clinging to the nest for weeks. Each species has their own unique nesting strategy - Mark Peck helps us explore how and why they work. He also shares tips on how to observe the breeding birds around us! 
Join Project NestWatch here.
Grab a cup of Birds and Beans - Bird Friendly coffee that donates to this podcast when you order at: birdsandbeans.ca/warblers
From Madagascar to the Philippines, and even tours closer to home - Birding Ecotours has a dream trip for you! Explore their tours at birdingecotours.com

Mark Peck was the Collections Specialist in Ornithology at the Royal Ontario Museum for 41 years until his retirement in 2024. He is the author of Bird Eggs: A Young Naturalist’s Guide, is Vice-President of the Ontario Field Ornithologists,  who awarded him the Distinguished Ornithologist Award in 2024, and is a longtime member of the Toronto Ornithological Club. 
Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada. 
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Overlooked and underappreciated - kinglets are one of Canada’s toughest little birds! Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets are both fascinating and unique in their own ways. One stays with us all winter long, which is impressive for a bird smaller than a chickadee. And the other lays up to 12 eggs in a stretchy nest! Join us for an exploration of both species: identification tips, bird songs, and fun facts. 
We're always keen to hear from you! Email the podcast with your episode ideas, leave a comment on YouTube or Spotify, or drop us a review on any of the podcasting platforms like Apple or Overcast. 
Birds and Beans will donate to this podcast when you use the code "warblers" at checkout. Thanks for your support!
Kyle Horner was gifted the love of birdlife and storytelling from his father. From a young age he was obsessed with talking about nature to others (whether or not they wanted to hear it), and his career has been spent doing just that. Kyle has worked in environmental education and science communication for parks, zoos, botanical gardens, outreach programs, non-profits, and the University of Guelph. As the NatureCounts Engagement Coordinator, he is excited to find the stories in the data and share the incredible potential of this fascinating project.
Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada. 
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With close to 9 million domestic cats in Canada, and a third of them regularly roaming outdoors, we know that birds are heavily impacted by cats. In fact, cats are considered the number one threat to birds in Canada.

Our guests, Julia Kilgour and Jonathan Chu, help us explore this fascinating and complex issue. From the science – predation numbers, the most vulnerable bird species, and how we study cats outdoors – to the complex emotions and human behaviours that impact conservation strategies. Jonathan and Julia help us learn how positive changes for birds doesn't have to mean leaving our furry friends behind. 
Travel to Madagascar, and other dream birding destinations with Birding Ecotours, visit birdingecotours.com
Warm up with some Bird Friendly coffee from Birds and Beans. They donate to this podcast when you order at birdsandbeans.ca/warblers
 
Jonathan Chu is a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph studying the impacts of outdoor domestic cats on wildlife. He accomplishes this by attaching tiny animal-borne cameras to cats, allowing him to see the world from the point-of-view of a cat!  Jonathan started in ecology from his love of birds and previously studied North American bird migratory timing advance, dispersal distance and wing morphology. He is also an avid birder who finds any excuse to go out and watch birds, though less so currently as a busy PhD student!  
Julia Kilgour (she/her) is an urban ecologist based in Guelph, Ontario who wants to solve the problem of outdoor cats and their impacts on birds. For the last 10 years, she’s been studying the effects of outdoor cats on birds and people in cities across North America. Julia is excited to work with communities in Canada to develop local strategies to help address this daunting issue. She is passionate about wildlife of all kinds, and loves watching and learning about birds (and other creatures) in her local urban forests. 
Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.  
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