Life List: A Birding Podcast

Ranking history

About the show

Latest episodes

• Rare birds, late summer pelagics, and weird wildlife encounters

  September 20, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

  George and Alvaro catch up on current birding conditions, starting with an unusually warm West Coast pelagic season and the bird shifts that seem to be following it. They also swap stories about viral bird media, misidentification noise…

• Top US destinations for breeding birds: Maine and Montana with Joshua Covill

  September 16, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

  First things first: Listen to this entire episode by subscribing to our Life List Patreon!  Here's a piece of our newest bonus content—just listen to the first minute of this podcast episode to hear about what you get. You can view Josh's…

• It’s bird taxonomy season! Splits and lumps with Marshall Iliff

  August 31, 2026 · 1 hr 20 min

  We're back with a perennial favorite episode: Digging into some of the most noteworthy changes in species with this year's AviList taxonomy update! Listen in to hear what's changing and get a preview of how your life list might grow as a…

• Galapagos in an El Niño year, Colombia birding, and snorkeling for birders

  August 17, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

  We're catching up on tales from the field as we return home between birding tours.  Donate to #BirdersTogether to support Colombians in the aftermath of the recent earthquake: https://vaki.co/vaki/birders-together Get more Life List by…

• Pollinators for birds: Tips and traps with Doug Tallamy

  August 1, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

  We're excited to be joined by Douglas Tallamy, author of many bestsellers including Bringing Nature Home and Nature's Best Hope, and the founder of Homegrown National Park. We chat about why pollinators are important for birds, the…

• Advanced birding: How to study birds you've already identified

  July 19, 2026 · 58 min

  George and Alvaro are catching up on their recent birding, and new things they've discovered along the way. We hope this inspires you to take a closer look (or listen) at common birds around you — even if you've already identified…

• What bird conservation successes can teach us with Scott Weidensaul

  July 5, 2026 · 1 hr 19 min

  As is the case with many beautiful things in this world, some of the biggest successes in conservation result from the toughest challenges that birds and wildlife face. Pulitzer-prize finalist Scott Weidensaul is with us today to share…

• Interpreting migration data, cataloging our backyards, and El Niño predictions

  June 22, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

  Mollee, Alvaro, and George are catching up in a classic hangout episode. Join us in conversations about why we call this podcast Life List, the birds and other wildlife in our home patches, and a preview of what might come from El Niño in…