Trailblazing Talkin’ Birds 1,000th episode to air Sunday August 25, 2024

One of North America’s oldest radio shows and podcasts about birds and birding celebrates a milestone 19 years in the making

BOSTON, MA, July 24, 2024 – Talkin’ Birds, a radio show and podcast about birds and conservation, will air its 1,000th show on Sunday August 25, 2024. Created and hosted by Ray Brown, this weekly 30-minute show has tens of thousands of listeners across North America and the world.

Episode #1 of Talkin’ Birds aired on April 3, 2005 – the brainchild of Ray Brown, who had worked in radio across New England for decades. Since then, Ray has been in the studio on Sundays for more than 19 years, sharing conservation news, interviewing expert guests, hosting the live Mystery Bird Contest, and enjoying banter with backyard birding expert Mike O’Connor. Other features over the years have included the Bird Word of the Day, young birder reports, audio postcards, book reviews, and reports from the Talkin’ Birds Science Corner. The show is broadcast live from WATD on the South Shore of Massachusetts at 9.30 a.m. Eastern on Sundays, and airs on 14 other radio stations across the Northeast. All episodes are live-streamed and released as podcasts through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other podcast platforms.

Listeners are invited to become Talkin’ Birds Ambassadors to spread the word about the show, and about birds and conservation. With 880+ Ambassadors and counting – including at least one in every U.S. state and in seven Canadian provinces, and countries as far afield as Finland, Nigeria, and Australia – these volunteers are a testament to the broad appeal of the show.

“When we started the show on a single radio station, we didn’t know if the first episode might be the last,” reflects Ray Brown. “But listeners responded with enthusiasm right from the start. I look forward to every Sunday to learn from the amazing birders and conservationists we welcome as guests, and to hear from our wonderful listeners all over the U.S. and beyond.”

Legendary birder, author, and frequent guest Kenn Kaufman exclaimed (about our 900th show), “What a remarkable record of informing and inspiring the public about the amazing world of birds. Everyone involved in birdwatching and bird conservation owes you our thanks.”

Show #1,000 will celebrate Talkin’ Birds contributors and listeners, and feature audience favorite Mike O’Connor and international bird tour leader David Clapp, along with Talkin’ Birds team members Debbie Blicher and Freya McGregor.

Contact: Outreach Coordinator Freya McGregor at freya@talkinbirds.com. Learn more at talkinbirds.com