We have published two new episodes of OutBirding: Thrashers of Arizona - Part I & II (with Micah Riegner and Dave Stejskal).

The fascinating thrashers of the family Mimidae reach their peak diversity in the US state of Arizona and adjacent Mexico. In part one of a two part series, Micah Riegner and Dave Stejskal investigate Arizona's desert thrashers, with deep dives into vocalizations, habitat, movements, and more. Part I covers LeConte's, Bendire's, and Curve-billed thrashers. Part II covers Crissal and Sage thrashers.

The 63rd episode of OutBirding is now online.

Monsoon rain in Northern Arizona this summer led to the discovery of an ephemeral birding hotspot - John Lake Playa. In this episode, John Coons and friends share some of the excitement about finding an excellent new local birding patch. They also investigate the food chain supported by John Lake—with some interesting discoveries!

We published this new episode of OutBirding with Field Guides on 5 July 2021. Check out this trailer for a short preview of the show.

In 2013, the bird long known as "Sage Sparrow" was split into two species, Bell's Sparrow and Sagebrush Sparrow. In this episode, Micah Riegner visits breeding Sagebrush Sparrows near Fredonia, Arizona and discusses the identification and natural history of these intriguing songbirds.

Our 50th episode of OutBirding with Field Guides has arrived - watch the episode trailer for a first look.

Costa's in the Kofas

Costa's Hummingbirds time their breeding season to coincide with the early spring bloom of the desert Southwest. For this episode, Micah Riegner takes us to the remote Kofa Mountains of western Arizona to show us some tantalizing slow-motion video of these purple-gorgeted wonders—including the dazzling breeding display. Along the way, we'll get to see some of the other wildlife residing in this stark yet beautiful landscape. 

This short trailer will give you a first look at our new episode from OutBirding with Field Guides. Subscribe today for the full episode and access to our entire video library.

It’s spring in the desert, and Micah Riegner is spending time surveying for thrashers in some wild places in Arizona. In this week’s episode, Micah combines his scientific pursuit of thrashers with his artistic passion, and he takes us along for the ride. Join in as Micah uses his field experience to inform his sketching process and the brushstrokes that eventually shape his beautiful watercolor painting.

Please enjoy a first look at our new episode from OutBirding with Field Guides. The full 27-minute episode is available to OutBirding subscribers.

Curve-billed Thrasher Call Types with Richard Webster

Get ready for a deep dive into some field ornithology for birders! Chris Benesh sits down with Richard Webster in Portal, Arizona to discuss the biogeography of Curve-billed Thrashers in the United States desert southwest. Richard has spent many hours audio recording thrashers where the eastern and western subspecies groups meet, and he shares some of the things he’s discovered with this concerted birding effort.

Our trailer gives you a first look at our new OutBirding episode.

This episode of OutBirding with Field Guides showcases two different Mexican treats from the Camp Kitchen: Rajas con crema and guacamole. Dave Stejskal and John Coons share their tips and tricks so that you can have success with these easy and delicious recipes in your own camp kitchen. Dave and John also take us birding around Flagstaff, Arizona: if you thought you’d never salivate and think about gull identification at the same time, you might be surprised. Get your grocery list ready - you’re going to want to make a few batches of rajas and guacamole after you watch this!

Check out the trailer for a peek at our new episode and accompanying bonus piece.

In this episode, we switch passions slightly and focus on herping! Micah Riegner and friends set out to track down an impressive diversity of rattlesnakes (and other reptiles) in the varied habitats of central Arizona. In addition to seeing these beautiful and exciting animals up-close, we learn a lot about their biology and natural history along the way. Watch out - some remarkable camouflage awaits you! 

But wait, there's more!

Dan Lane has been birding up a storm this year around his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Even though he's seen an amazing array of rare species, he still takes time to closely observe the common residents of his backyard. In this week's bonus piece, Dan shares an ingenious feeding strategy of one particular Northern Cardinal.

Our short trailer gives you an overview of this two-part conversation - this week, we are publishing the conclusion, Part 2. 

The Thick-billed Parrot is a globally Endangered species inhabiting the Sierra Madre Occidental of northwestern Mexico. The northernmost nesting population is only a few hours’ drive south of the US border, and the parrots used to occur regularly in some of the “sky island” mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.  To gain historical perspective on the first ecological studies of Thick-billed Parrots in the Sierra Madre and also the saga of the US population, Bret Whitney, Micah Riegner, and Rose Ann Rowlett invited some of the early researchers to give their first-hand accounts of these little-known chapters in North American ornithology. This episode, which is Part 2 of a two-part series, highlights the USFWS effort to reestablish a population of Thick-billed Parrots in Southeast Arizona.

This trailer gives you a short overview of the full 26-minute episode.

In our first identification-focused video, Chris Benesh and Dave Stejskal take a deep dive into the world of the "yellow-bellied" kingbirds of the southern and western US. Several species of flycatchers in the genus Tyrannus can be confused in the field, so Chris and Dave break down the best ways to identify these handsome songbirds by sight and sound. In addition to discussing helpful videos, photos, and audio recordings from the field, they strive to simplify this oft-challenging group to give you straightforward tools you need to identify kingbirds.