Songbirding

About an hour’s drive west of Calgary, Alberta in the foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rocky Mountains is an area known as Kananaskis Country.Within this nearly 1 million acres of land are towering mountains, alpine meadows, glaciers, forests, lakes, wetlands, grasslands, and thickets. Over 130 species of birds nest in Kananaskis Country, including many songbirds.I’ve felt a draw to return to this place ever since I first camped here when I was 13.The imagery of the mountains, sky, and forests have never left me. But I didn’t remember much about how it sounded.Now, 30 years after I first visited Kananaskis Country, I’m back once again, this time with some field recorders and the skills and knowledge to help me identify the birdsongs I hear.CreditsSongbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062Creative Commons music is from Bluedot Sessions.Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

The Eastern Warbling-Vireo is greyish olive bird that can be found in deciduous trees in open areas in the central and northeastern United States, and in the prairies and southern parts of Ontario and Québec in Canada.Its name is quite descriptive of its song — a rapid and almost frantic warbling song that is loud enough that you are more likely to hear this bird than see it.In 2025 this species was split from the Western Warbling-Vireo, which has a much more disjoined sounding song. I’ll be sharing its songs and sounds in future episodes.For this species in focus episode I’ll be sharing a previously unreleased hike from the Bruce County Rail Trail in 2021.CreditsSongbirding: Species in Focus is a Songbirding Studios production.Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.The Songbirding cover art (Blackburnian Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062Creative Commons music is from Universfield.Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

The Common Grackle is a blackbird with bright yellow eyes and a glossy-irridescent plumage. Their vocalizations are a mix of croaks, creaks, squeaks, and whistles.Common Grackles are typically found in most of Canada and the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and are present year-round in the south-eastern half of that range.For this Species in Focus episode I’ll be sharing a spring walk at Fifty Point Conservation Area in Grimsby, Ontario in March 2022 and at Valens Conservation Area in March 2023.CreditsSongbirding: Species in Focus is a Songbirding Studios production.Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.The Songbirding cover art (Blackburnian Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062Creative Commons music is from Universfield.Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

Here in the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies, the birds are our hosts. We are their guests.Premieres March 2, 2026.CreditsSongbirding: Kananaskis Country is a Songbirding Studios production.Recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.The Songbirding cover art (Townsend's Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/Creative Commons music is PlainGrey by Blue Dot Sessions: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/362688Learn how to support the show at https://songbirding.com/support

The Christmas Bird Count is a census of birds in the western hemisphere that is held between December 14 and January 5 each winter.It was devised originally as an alternative to the 19th century tradition of hunting birds at Christmas, and has evolved to become the longest running citizen science project.There are tens of thousands of participants - seeking out and counting tens of millions of birds each year.2025 will be the 126th year of the Christmas Bird Count. If you don’t already participate in one, as of this episode’s release, you still have time to find and join a count local to you.This episode was recorded during the 48th Cambridge Christmas Bird Count in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.CreditsSongbirding is a Songbirding Studios production, and was recorded, engineered, narrated and created by Rob Porter.The Songbirding cover art (Blackburnian Warbler) is by Lauren Helton: https://tinylongwing.carbonmade.com/projects/5344062Creative Commons music is by Scott Buckley.For more information about the Christmas Bird Count, see: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count