How to Fall in Love with Birding

Dec 3, 2025

Join journalist Ryan Goldberg, an expert on urban nature and author of Bird City, as he dives into the enchanting world of birding. He shares the story of his 'spark bird' that ignited his passion and discusses the surprising diversity of birds in cities like New York. Delve into how birding surged during the pandemic and the rise of inclusive, youth-driven birding clubs. Ryan also explores how technology, like the Merlin app, is reshaping the birding experience while emphasizing its role in enhancing mindfulness and community connections.

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ANECDOTE

Spark Bird That Changed Everything

Ryan Goldberg's spark bird was an Eastern Towee that sang from a cedar and stopped him in his tracks.
That single encounter sent him home searching for birding spots and launched his birding life.

INSIGHT

Cities Create Migration Hotspots

Coastal cities funnel migrating birds into remaining green spaces, creating exceptional birding hotspots.
Ryan calls this the 'Central Park effect' where parks and cemeteries concentrate huge numbers of migrants.

ANECDOTE

Cemetery Rewilding Boosted Birding

Greenwood Cemetery noticed many visitors were birders and rewilded parts of its landscape to support birds.
Ryan notes the cemetery's horticultural decisions made it an even better birding spot.

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Do you need an episode that's the equivalent of a big, deep, inhale and exhale? GREAT NEWS, TEAM, WE HAVE THE EPISODE FOR YOU. Journalist and urban birder Ryan Goldberg joins me to talk about the recent spike of interest in birding (particularly amongst young people), but we go a lot deeper than "wow seems like millennials are taking up old people hobbies." We talk about the intergenerational magic of birding clubs, bird list gamificiation (and how to avoid it), and how apps like Merlin have changed birding culture. But the real heart of this episode is what makes people fall in love — and stay in love — with a hobby that's really, at heart, about listening. I'm not a birder, so this episode will be accessible to anyone in my shoes (or who's birding-curious) — and if you are a birder, get ready to nerd out. I hope your blood pressure drops a few points while listening, because my mine sure did while recording.

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Show Notes:

Buy Bird City here!
Learn more about Ryan's work here — also noting two upcoming events (learn more on his website)

An Eastern Towee in action (with its call!)
A lovely birding guide to Central Park
Join the Brooklyn Bird Club!
All about the Merlin app
Black Birders Week!
Feminist Bird Club
The Macaulay Library of Bird Songs
The hungover birdwatcher

We're currently looking for your questions for future episodes about:

WEIRD ENGLISH WORDS (where do they come from!) with Colin Gorrie, who writes explainers like this one on the word DOG
Questions About How to Respond When People Ask/React To the Knowledge That You're Not Having Kids
The Wild Largely Unregulated World of IVF (and IVF Bureaucracy)
Audiobooks!!! (with MVP audiobook narrator Julia Whelan)
'90s Movie Soundtracks
How we think about the morality of money and taxes — who should pay taxes, who shouldn't, who "deserves" money, who doesn't, how we came to decide that religious organizations shouldn't pay taxes (and how that belief is changing), SO MUCH
PEOPLE'S NAMES and what they signify (and how it changes with time)
Anything you need advice or want musings on for the AAA segment. You can ask about anything, it’s literally the name of the segment
As always, you can submit your questions (and ideas for future eps) here

For this week’s discussion: Tell me about your experience with birding culture — or something about this episode that made you want to get into it! (I bet it was me laughing like a 5 year old about birds named tits)