It's back! We've called upon guests from across Canada to help answer your birdiest questions!

Do the Northern Lights impact migratory birds? How do Surf Scoters digest whole clams? What does the "cheeseburger" song of the chickadee really mean? We answer these questions, and many more!

A special thanks everyone who sent in questions, and to our experts guests who have so wonderfully helped to answer them!

If you loved this episode, please consider donating to Birds Canada to support the show and bird conservation in Canada. And continue learning with some of the other episodes we talked about:

• Episodes: Did a chickadee steal my hotdog? Experts answer your questions.
• Exploring Bird Sounds with Dan Mennill
• The Wake-up Call: Chimney Swift
• The Superhero Senses - of birds! featuring Andrew Iwaniuk

If you want to spend more time enjoying birds this winter, join Project FeederWatch!

Dan Mennill is a Professor of Ornithology at the University of Windsor. He studies acoustic communication in wild animals, especially the songs of birds. He has helped pioneer many new recording and playback technologies for field research. He has published more than 180 papers, and supervised over 40 graduate students.

Nelsy Niño is a a Colombian biologist and anthropologist, and a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Windsor. Her research focuses on bio- and eco-acoustics, as well as sound in general, sharing knowledge in the field with local communities.

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. Andrew studies how and why brain anatomy varies within and across species, focusing primarily on birds. He recently published the book, Bird Brains and Behaviour: A Synthesis with MIT Press.

Tyler Hoar has been leading the Winter Finch Forecast since 2020. He has studied and worked with many species, including shorebirds, raptors, parrots, and passerines. His work has taken him from the high Canadian Arctic south to the deserts of Arizona and the rainforests of the Caribbean.

Doug Tozer is the Director of Waterbirds and Wetlands with Birds Canada. His academic and professional career has focused on developing workable conservation solutions for birds, and raising awareness of the importance of these animals; through programs such as the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program, Canadian Lakes Loon Survey, and Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Program.

Jody Allair is an avid birder and naturalist who enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world. He is the Director of Communications at Birds Canada and has written numerous articles on birds, birding and connecting with nature. You can find him on BlueSky and Instagram at @JodyAllair.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator.

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Canada's largest city attracts a surprising diversity of bird species - and peeping at them from along the shores of Lake Ontario: countless birders.

Among these birders, you'll find Jean Iron, Mark Peck and Nancy Barrett - three of Toronto's well known faces in the birding community. They share their favourite birding stories, explain the science behind why Toronto is a hotspot for birds, and relish in the community and friendships they've made through birding. Plus we hear about their new book, and give away a few copies!

Donate to Birds Canada for your chance to win a copy of Toronto's Birds: 100+ species photographed in the GTA . Go to birdscanada.org/donate and mention the podcast in the comment field.

When you order from birdsandbeans.ca/warblers, Birds and Beans donates to this podcast - thank you for supporting us, and our migratory birds!

We mentioned lots of volunteer opportunities in this episode:

• Project FeederWatch (runs all winter, from Nov 1-April 30)
• Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb 13-16, 2026)
• Christmas Bird Count (Dec 14-Jan 5)
• Hawk Watch (look for groups near you, they're all over Canada)
• Toronto Whimbrel Watch
• Toronto Ornithological Club and Ontario Field Ornithologists

Mark Peck was the Collections Specialist in Ornithology at the Royal Ontario Museum for 41 years until his retirement in 2024. He is the author of Bird Eggs: A Young Naturalist’s Guide, is Vice-President of the Ontario Field Ornithologists, who awarded him the Distinguished Ornithologist Award in 2024, and is a longtime member of the Toronto Ornithological Club. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Nancy Barrett worked as a medical transcriptionist for 31 years at a community hospital. She belongs to several bird and nature organizations, including as a member of the board at THE TOC (Toronto Ornithological Club), OFO (Ontario Field Ornithologists), and is the VP at the Friends of Sam Smith Park.

Jean Iron was President of the Ontario Field Ornithologists for nine years and editor of its newsletter for fourteen; she received its Distinguished Ornithologist Award in 2016. She is an Honorary Member of the Toronto Ornithological Club, and has authored many articles about birds, illustrated with her own photos, and leads tours for birding clubs and at birding festivals. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.

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Discover the unique ways that birds understand the world through their senses! Some birds have bendy beaks, some swivel their eyes, and others sense magnetic fields. Andrew Iwaniuk is an expert on bird brains, and he helps us explore specialized bird senses and how their brains work!

Send us your bird questions! We'll answer them in our end of year episode.

• Email podcast@birdscanada.org
• Send Birds Canada a message on Instagram, Facebook or Bluesky
• Or leave us a voicemail at 519-586-3531, extension 128

Big thanks to Birds and Beans for supporting the podcast! When you order from birdsandbeans.ca/warblers, Birds and Beans donates to this podcast. Thanks!

Get a copy of Andrew's book, Bird Brains and Behavior: A Synthesis

Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. Andrew studies how and why brain anatomy varies within and across species, focusing primarily on birds. His lab houses the world’s largest bird brain collection and he has published over 100 scientific articles, contributed to National Geographic magazine and Earthsounds documentary series, and recently published the book, Bird Brains and Behaviour: A Synthesis with MIT Press.

Andrea Gress (she/her) secretly thinks Piping Plovers are better than all the other birds...studied Renewable Resource Management at the University of Saskatchewan. She pivoted towards birds, after an internship in South Africa. Upon returning, she worked with Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan, and then as the Ontario Piping Plover Coordinator. Years of sharing her love of plovers with beach goers has turned into a full time communications role with Birds Canada.

Support the show