Falconry, fashion and threat: a history of people and birds

From Darwin’s pigeons to peregrines on Parliament, birds have always been more than background noise. They’ve shaped science, symbolism, status and the very landscapes we live in.  

In this episode, Amy chats with three passionate bird enthusiasts: English Heritage’s Dr Louise Crawley, head gardener and bird obsessive Anthony O’Rourke, and zoologist and broadcaster Megan McCubbin. Together, they explore our long, tangled relationship with birds: from Victorian taxidermy and medieval falconry to folklore, fashion and the fight for biodiversity today. 

Along the way, there are moon-flying woodcocks, pigeon-breeding experiments in a country kitchen, and a powerful reminder that heritage sites aren’t just windows into the past but vital refuges for wildlife right now. 

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