Arizona Bird Call
Information for Arizona birders including summaries of research and analysis related to bird conservation and protection. Introductions to common Arizona birds, Arizona birding hotspots, governmental and non-profit agencies charged with bird conservation.
Podcast host Mike Ameigh is a retired professor/academic administrator with the the State University of New York. He holds a PhD in Public Communication from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University.
Episodes
195 episodes
Episode 195 - June 18, 2025
A report on research indicating that the growing proliferation of hummingbird feeders may be causing evolutionary changes in the length and size of the Anna's Hummingbird bill, perhaps that of other species as well. Bird of the episode: Lark Sp...
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Season 4
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Episode 195
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25:47
Episode 194 - June 11, 2025
A report by AXIOS/Phoenix on birds that appear to be disappearing from Arizona, among them the official Arizona State bird, the Cactus Wren. News about habitat restoration activity in southeastern Arizona. An update on Northern Arizona Audubon'...
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Season 4
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Episode 194
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33:09
Episode 193 - June 4, 2025
Research evidence is mounting that hearing bird songs in the wild as well as touching and smelling, even tasting many plants in their natural states is good for human health. A report on Audubon Southwest's recent water resource tour for ...
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Season 4
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Episode 193
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34:24
Episode 192 - May 28, 2025
Tips and tricks to get the most from your experiences for those new to birding. News from Arizona Game and Fish Department regarding wildlife conservation and welfare. David Allen Sibley on Chickadees. Bird of the episode: Black Phoebe. Birding...
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Season 4
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Episode 192
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32:44
Episode 191 - May 21, 2025
New research findings on migratory habits of the Desert Purple Martin, a rare breeder in the deserts of southeastern Arizona, from Jennie McFarland, Bird Conservation Biologist at Tucson Bird Alliance. Bird of the episode: Western Osprey. Birdi...
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Season 4
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Episode 191
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35:49
Episode 190 - May 14, 2025
A description of how some birds migrate from breeding grounds in extreme North America to wintering grounds in New Zealand and other southern Pacific Ocean regions in one-hop flights of thousands of miles. Some consume their own body organs to ...
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Season 4
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Episode 190
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37:55
Episode 189 - May 7, 2025
A list of detections of songbirds on our patio on April 28, 2025. Many are migrants passing through while others are regular residents of the Sonoran Desert and broader Southwestern region of the United States. Kenn Kaufman describes how ...
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Season 4
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Episode 189
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29:49
Episode 188 - April 30, 2025
Sandhill Cranes, often found wintering in southeastern Arizona, are a conservation success story. The species has come back from the brink of extirpation in Arizona. But they also represent a challenge to farmers, especially in the Great Plains...
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Season 4
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Episode 188
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34:06
Episode 187 - April 23, 2025
Part II of an article that explains the extraordinary iridescence of hummingbird feathers. Hummingbirds are the most colorful birds in the Western Hemisphere. David Allen Sibley describes notable aspects of bird movement. Bird of the episode: Y...
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Season 4
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Episode 187
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35:45
Episode 186 - April 16, 2025
Native plants are preferable to man-made birdfeeders. Ornithologist Michael Plagens explains why and how to make your bird feeding stations nature friendly. Part 1 of an article explaining iridescence in hummingbird feathers. Hummingbirds are t...
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Season 4
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Episode 186
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39:12
Episode 185 - April 9, 2025
Make your favorite birding location your 'sit spot.' You can enjoy birding with very little effort by by making it part of your daily routine where you are. We'll have some thoughts on that from the Tucson Bird Alliance. And, Arizona Game and F...
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Season 4
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Episode 185
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31:34
Episode 184 - April 2, 2025
Aerospace engineers at Princeton University have discovered that applying feather-like flaps to airplane wings has the potential to improve aircraft efficiency and maneuverability. New research suggests that the resurgence of Bald Eagles across...
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Season 4
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Episode 184
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34:11
Episode 183 - March 26, 2025
Thoughts by an eminent biologist with decades of experience probing animal intelligence on whether humans are smart enough to know how smart animals are. It's a question that is gaining momentum within the scientific community, generating more ...
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Season 4
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Episode 183
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32:08
Episode 182 - March 19, 2025
A description of how ornithologists recently discovered the location of non-breeding Giant Hummingbirds, a long-time mystery dating back to Charles Darwin's discovery tour of Latin America. Darwin had a hunch, but the improbability and the rela...
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Season 4
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Episode 182
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31:08
Episode 181 - March 12. 2025
A description of how and why Mountain Chickadees often encountered in Arizona at elevations above 5,000 feet are smarter than chickadees found in lower elevation forests and desert scrublands. Bird of the episode: White-crowned Sparrow. Birding...
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Season 4
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Episode 181
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30:28
Episode 180 - March 5, 2025
A report on Tucson Audubon Society's ongoing 'green infrastructure' habitat restoration project. A description of how seed dispersal by birds and other wildlife is critical to range expansion of many plant species helping them fend off di...
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Season 4
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Episode 180
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35:30
Episode 179 - February 26, 2025
An eyewitness account of a warbler (Ovenbird often spotted in Arizona) landing on the ocean off Mexico's east coast, taking what appeared to be a break from its southerly migration to wintering grounds in South America, then launching back into...
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Season 4
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Episode 179
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35:55
Episode 178 - February 19, 2025
An account of how an owl nest was saved following an invasion by a swarm of bees. A nature photographer and a beekeeper teamed up to move owl eggs from the nest to a quickly constructed nest box that was then mounted nearby. The female owl quic...
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Season 4
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Episode 178
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34:01
Episode 177 - February 12, 2025
An update on research that describes how birds learn to communicate with one another through imitation and practice. A report on how bird losses affect the ability of some plant species to expand their ranges leaving them vulnerable to disease ...
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Season 4
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Episode 177
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30:53
Episode 176 - February 5, 2025
A perspective on the extraordinary conservation movement involving social, cultural, industrial and political alliances that let to the establishment of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Bird of the episode: Abert's Towhee. Birding hotspot...
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Season 4
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Episode 176
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35:59
Episode 175 - January 29, 2025
A report on work underway to mitigate wildfire danger along roadways in Patagonia. A description of 'dust bathing,' a desert bird behavior among quail and other species that appears to help maintain good feather structure and control ectoparasi...
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Season 4
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Episode 175
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33:21
Episode 174 - January 22, 2025
A report on new research indicating songbirds communicate across species during overnight migration. These findings are challenging long held beliefs about bird communication in general. A report on how and why the City of Tucson is using goats...
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Season 4
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Episode 174
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32:36
Episode 173 - January 15, 2025
A review of the Kenn Kaufman book 'The Birds Audubon Missed' by Tom Gatz. New research on effects of fireworks on birds. Bird of the episode: Curve-billed Thrasher. Birding hotspot: Arivaca Lake south of Tucson. Friend of wildlife: Grand Canyon...
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Season 4
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Episode 173
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25:14
Episode 172 - January 8, 2025
An extensive report of bird detections captured by the Haikubox located on my patio in the North Valley of the Phoenix metro. Bird of the episode: Vaux's Swift. Birding hotspot of the episode: Lake Havasu National Wildlife Refuge and Important ...
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Season 4
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Episode 172
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31:31
Episode 171 - January 1, 2025
A look at how birds raise their young from egg laying to hatching to fledging. An overview of the unique behavior of corvids (jays) and why they are such an attraction among birders. Bird of the episode: the Upland Sandpiper. Birding Hotspot: G...
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Season 4
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Episode 171
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33:37