I Saw A Bird
From bird art to bird music, hummingbirds to owls, bird migration to environmental justice, and much, much more, tune into I Saw A Bird!
Throughout 2020 and 2021, while people across the country and globe were staying home to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, APP launched I Saw A Bird to bring a bit of the bird world indoors for everyone, no matter where they are. This Zoom and Facebook Live show highlights funny, engaging, educational, and sometimes weird bird-related topics and discussion, all while fostering a sense of community for everyone who found joy in birds while stuck at home.
Each month, APP’s senior producer of visual storytelling Christine Lin and senior director of bird-friendly communities John Rowden (previously: chief network officer David Ringer) welcomed celebrities and guests to offer a fresh look at the world of birds and birdwatching. Now that the show has ended, you can still watch all of our full episodes—and find ways to take action to protect birds and the places they need—below!
Do One Thing
Each episode featureda 'Do One Thing' segment, where we shareddifferent ways to take action to help birds. You can keep up with the latest conservation news, updates, and actions to take by:
- to our email list
- Liking us on
- Following us on
- Following us on
- Following us on
Episodes
From bird art to bird music, hummingbirds to owls, bird migration to environmental justice, and much, much more, you can rewatch each of our episodes below.
Episode #1-- Spring Migration
April 7,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Saturday Night Live’sMelissa Villaseñor joinsKenn Kaufman, Purbita Saha, and APP's Jenny Bogo,to talk bird migration and other bird facts.
Episode #2 -- Native Plants
April 15, 2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Emmy-nominated actress and bird enthusiast Lili Taylor, and APP’s Jenny Bogo, Sabine Meyer,John Rowden and Marcos Trinidad, talk plants for birds.
Episode #3 -- Celebrating Earth Day
April 22 ,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Special guests include esteemed APP scientist and professor at Texas Tech University, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, APP's Dr. Brooke Bateman, Dr. Jill Deppe, DominicArenas, and Roslyn Rivas. The grouptalked all thingsmigration, APP science, and Earth Day!
Episode #4
April 29,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Special guests includeTony- and Emmy-award winning actress, wildlife advocate, and APP board member Jane Alexander,Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Dr. Adriaan Dokter; multimedia journalist and documentary filmmaker Morgan Heim; and APP's Dr. Nat Seavy, Sabine Meyer, and Preeti Desai.
Episode #5
May 6,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
This week, bird expert, Kenn Kaufman sharesamazing migration facts and answers bird questions! Additionally,take a virtual tour of the APP Mural Project and get an inside look at Krikey’s gaming app, Wingspan.
Episode #6
May 13,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
This week featuresa special message from legendary conservationist, humanitarian, and crusader for the ethical treatment of animals Dr. Jane Goodall. Additionally,have your bird questions answered by APP scientists Mikko Jimenez and Chad Witko; and meet some birds from APP Center for Birds of Prey.
Episode #7
May 20,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Advertising executive and APP board member Jeff Goodby joins us this week; along with APP's Diego Ochoa and Jeff Wells, with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative's Shaunna Morgan Siegers, for a close up on APP’s International Alliances Program; and members of the "Galbatrosses"—APP's Dr. Brooke Bateman, Stephanie Beilke, Martha Harbison, and Joanna Wu—to talk about I Saw A Female Bird Day.
Episode #8
May 27,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
This week features an interview withjournalist Brentin Mock and a roundtable discussion with APP on Campus student leaders.Also, watch an exclusive clip from our interview with Dr. Jane Goodall!
Episode #9
June 24,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Learn what to do if you find a baby bird away from its nest with Rita McMahon from Wild Bird Fund! Meet some of the organizers behind the first ever Black Birders Week and hear how APP celebrates Pride with our inclusive birding events, Let’s Go Birding Together!Oh and check out this sneak peek of APP magazine'sSummer issue.
Episode #10
July 29,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
This month,David Sibley discusseshis new book,What It's Like to Be a Bird, and takes audience questions; we take a deep dive into the2020 APP Photography Awards with the judges; and playStump the Expert with bird experts Kenn Kaufman and Purbita Saha.
Episode #11
August 26,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Astronaut and APP board member Dr. Kathryn Sullivan joinsus this week;Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Dr. Kevin J. McGowan and APP’s Chad Witko answerfall bird migration questions; andAPP's Joseph Manson and Angel Poetalk tips and activities for back-to-school season.
Episode #12
September 30,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Join science writer and artist Rosemary Mosco to hear about the funny side of the natural world; learn about this year's hawkwatch season from Panamá APP Society's Rosabel Miró and Florida Keys Hawkwatch's Rafael Gálvez; and tune into a special panel discussion in honor of Latinx Heritage Month with APP board member Sara Fuentes, and APP's Nadia Rodriguez and Refugio Mariscal.
Episode #13
October28,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
In this special Owl-oween episode, we are joined by APP Pennsylvania’s Carrie Barron, Center Manager at the John James APP Center at Mill Grove, and her special guest Oden the Great Horned Owl. Then, we will get a first-hand look behind the science of owl banding with Sean Graesser and Tyler Christensen, co-founders of Wild Bird Research Group. Finally, we’ll look back on Indigenous Peoples’ Day and take a look forward to the future of Indigenous conservation with APP’s Bradford Kasberg.
Episode #14
November18,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
Birds have provided us with so much joy throughout 2020 and as winter approaches, we turn our spotlight to some of the ways you can enjoy and protect birds—all from the comfort of home. In this episode, our experts guide you through the dos and don’ts of bird feeding, share simple tips for making your home bird-friendly, and provide an overview of America's most important bird protection law—the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—and the actions you can take to protect it.
Episode #15
December 16,2020, at 7:00 pm ET
We take a look back at some highlights from the year, including a new clip from our interview with the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall, snippets from our favorite panel discussions, a surprise "Stump the Expert" round, and so much more.
Episode #16
January 27, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
Our first "I Saw A Bird" episode of 2021 was filled with fun! Faraaz Abdool previewedhis new book “Casual Birding in Trinidad & Tobago," Tania Romero from the APP Center at Debs Park guided us through some Birding 101 tips, and finally,we tooka deep dive into bird photography with APP Photography Awards grand prize winner Joanna Lentini and remembered some of our favorite award-winning photos.
Episode #17
February 24, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
This month science educator and co-creator of AsapSCIENCE, Greg Brown, joinedus to talk about how he got into birds during the pandemic. Award-winning journalist Allison Keyes also joined andsharedinsights into her research about unsung naturalist Harriet Tubman. And finally, we went'back to the basics' with Birding 101 tips from Program Manager for Urban Conservation at APP Mid-Atlantic, Keith Russell.
Episode #18
March 31, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
Spring is in the air! Founder of, Charlie Annenberg, kicked things off with a look at their Sandhill Crane and other live bird cams. We alsotalkedabout baby owls with Katie Warner and Laura VonMutius from the Center for Birds of Prey in APP Florida. We followed that up with a conversation with APP’s Martha Harbison and Joanna Wu, both members of The Galbatross Project, a team that got its start competing in the World Series of Birding by only counting female birds. Finally, actor and writer Elena Passarellojoined us to talk about the world’s oldest known wild bird, Wisdom, a Laysan Albatross who at 70-years-old hatched a new chick last month.
Episode #19
April 28, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
We broughton a new co-host along with Christine Lin starting this month—senior director of bird-friendly communities, Dr. John Rowden! In this episode, we explored native plants and PROs with APP’s Plants for Birds Partnerships Manager Marlene Pantin, DrPH.; Chapter Leader of the Mesilla Valley APP Society in Las Cruces, NM, Elaine Stachera Simon; and Campaigns & Policy Manager from APP North Carolina Zach Wallace. Then we held a discussion on bird photography ethics with wildlife photographers Faraaz Abdool, Liron Gertsman, and Melissa Groo. Finally weplayed a round of Stump the Expert with Kenn Kaufman and Purbita Saha.
Episode #20
May 26, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
June 30, 2021 at 7:00 pm ET
In this final episode, we learned about the importance of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with Arctic Slope Environmental Justice Organizer for Native Movement Nauri Toler and Executive Director of APP Alaska Dr. Natalie Dawson. Then, for Pride Month, we cranked up the volume on some avian-inspired music with non-binary queer singer-songwriter Stephan Nance. After that we hosted a discussion on equitable access to the outdoors through the Environmental Justice for All Act with APP Government Affairs Coordinator Tykee James. And finally, we dove into all things seabirds with the Director of Conservation Science at APP’s Seabird Institute Dr. Don Lyons and Eastern Egg Rock Island Supervisor Kay Garlick-Ott.
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Credits
Executive Producers: Preeti Desai, Christine Lin
Producers: Liz Muñoz Huber, Estefania Palacio, John Rowden
Title Sequence: Mike Fernandez
Special Thanks: Daniel Burns, Nicole Bush, Nick Mason,Robert Quinn, David Ringer, Elizabeth Sorrell, David Yarnold
(Previous Executive Producer: Elizabeth Sorrell)