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The Birding Life Podcast Network

The Birding Life Podcast Network

272 episodes

The Birding Life Podcast Network brings you a mix of shows all about African birding and nature. We're here to connect you with birds, the great outdoors, and the amazing people we meet along the way. Tune in and join us on our adventures!

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 10 - The Story Behind the Bitou Birding Festival

    · 41 min · S15 E10

    In this episode we highlight a birding event that has been growing into something very special, the Bitou Birding Festival in Plettenberg Bay. The festival runs from 23 to 30 October and brings together great birding,…

  2. YWP Podcast - Season 7 Episode 5 - The Shot That Isn’t Worth Taking: Wildlife Photography Ethics

    · 1 h 18 min · S7 E5

    Wildlife photography gives us an incredible opportunity to connect people with the natural world, but where do we draw the line between capturing a moment and interfering with it? In this special panel discussion, we…

  3. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 9 - Making the Most of Your Local Patch

    · 41 min · S7 E6

    Today's episode is going to be a little bit different. Normally, I have a guest joining me on the podcast, but today I've decided to do something that I've actually been putting off for quite some time, and that is…

  4. SnA Youth Birders Podcast - Season 1 Episode 4 - Juan van den Heever - From Photography to Environmental assessments

    · 40 min · S1 E4

    Juan van den Heever is a wildlife photographer, birder and conservationist who has made quite a name for himself in the world of wildlife photography. Having been named a runner-up in the prestigious Wildlife…

  5. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 8 - Learning to Listen: How Sound Recording Changes Your Birding

    · 54 min · S15 E8

    In this episode of The Birding Life Podcast, I sit down with Barry Forbes for a conversation about sound recording and the way it can completely change how we experience birds. Rather than a formal interview, this…

  6. YWP Podcast - Season 7 Episode 4 - From the Field to the Future with Joshua Winter

    · 35 min · S7 E4

    With the chaos of putting together the final bits and pieces for the YWP Exhibition later this month, Gabby found time for a quick catch-up with a familiar face to the Birding Life, Joshua Winter. It’s been a busy…

  7. TBL Podcast - The Big Year of African Sounds: The Story So Far

    · 1 h 12 min · S15 E7

    In this week's episode we are going back to a project that we first spoke about right at the beginning of the year, the Big Year of African Sounds. The idea behind the project is simple, but incredibly important.…

  8. SnA Youth Birders Podcast- Season 1 Episode 3- Tristan Spurway- From Bird Call ID to Rarity Hunting This Summer

    · 58 min · S1 E3

    Tristan is the host of the SnA Youth Birders podcast and forms a core part of the Admin team of the SnA Youth Birders group itself. He is a rising star on the social media front and aims to be a bird show host and a…

  9. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 6 - Inside the King Shaka Bird Radar Project

    · 49 min · S15 E6

    If you are a birder from KwaZulu Natal, you will probably know Mount Moreland. During summer, an estimated three million Barn Swallows gather there to roost in the reedbeds, creating one of the great birding spectacles…

  10. YWP Podcast - Season 7 Episode 3 - Wildlife, Science & a Little ZooLogic

    · 1 h 04 min · S7 E3

    What happens when three young scientists with a shared fascination for the natural world come together? You get ZooLogic ZA. In this episode, Gabby sits down with Devon, Ross and Strijdom to talk wildlife, science,…

  11. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 5 - Themba Robin: Birds, Birders and Comedy

    · 1 h 01 min · S15 E5

    This week's episode is a little bit different, and a lot of fun. My guest is Themba Robin, a South African comedian, content creator, actor, MC and voice artist, known for his satirical takes on everyday South African…

  12. SnA Youth Birders Podcast - Season 1 Episode 2 - Anton Schultz- A Young Big Year

    · 1 h 04 min · S1 E2

    Anton is well-known for his incredible Big Birding Year in 2019 where he managed to see over 800 bird species. Today we sit down and look back at that big year- his highs, his lows, his lifers and his dips. Anton…

  13. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 4 - Eddie Germiquet: Every Bird Name Has a Story

    · 47 min · S15 E4

    We identify birds by name, we learn them by name, and we talk about them by name. But how often do we stop and ask where those names actually come from, what they mean, or what stories sit behind them? My guest today…

  14. YWP Podcast - Season 7 Episode 2 - Creating Content in the Wild - Nardus Taljard

    · 1 h 16 min · S7 E2

    Nardus Taljard has built an impressive online community around something he genuinely loves, wildlife, Kruger and the stories that unfold in the wild. But what does it actually take to turn that passion into a…

  15. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 3 - Finding Kenya's Lost Red Weaver

    · 1 h 09 min · S14 E3

    My guest today is Kenyan birder, guide and ornithologist James Apolloh Omenya, who was part of an expedition into the Boni Forest region of Kenya in search of two of the country’s lost birds, the Red Weaver and the…

  16. SnA Youth Birders Podcast - Season 1 Episode 1 - Daniel Engelbrecht - The Bird Man from Limpopo

    · 1 h 00 min · S1 E1

    Welcome to episode one of the SnA Youth birders podcast! This podcast has been created to share birding with a younger generation and to help those parents that are raising young naturalists. We chatted with one of…

  17. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 2 - What Is a CAR Count and Why Should Birders Care?

    · 49 min · S15 E2

    Today we are chatting about a citizen science project that has been running for more than 30 years and has become an incredibly valuable source of information about some of South Africa’s large terrestrial birds. I am…

  18. YWP Podcast - Season 7 Episode 1 - The Wild World of Tony Park

    · 59 min · S7 E1

    What happens when a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa becomes a lifelong obsession - and ultimately the backdrop to an extraordinary writing career? Internationally bestselling author Tony Park joins Gabby Sykora for…

  19. TBL Podcast - Season 15 Episode 1 - Tristan Spurway - The Sound of a New Generation

    · 58 min · S12 E1

    Welcome to Season 15 of The Birding Life Podcast, Africa's biggest birding podcast. It is great to be back and kicking off another season of conversations with the people who make the birding world what it is. And for…

  20. YWP Podcast - 2026 World Ranger Day Special with Saving the Wild's Jamie Joseph

    · 24 min · S6 E7

    On this special World Ranger Day edition of the podcast, Gabby sits down with conservation activist and Saving the Wild founder Jamie Joseph for one of the most powerful conversations we have had. While rangers…

  21. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 10 - More Than a Million Bird Sightings: The Story Behind Bindo

    · 58 min · S14 E10

    One of the things that has changed dramatically in birding over the last few years is the role that technology plays in helping us enjoy birds, keep records, contribute to conservation, and connect with other birders.…

  22. YWP Podcast Season 6 Episode 5 - Chacma Baboons, Human Conflict and the Meaning of Coexistence with Dr Paula Pebsworth

    · 48 min · S6 E5

    In this episode, Gabby is joined by primatologist Dr Paula Pebsworth from the Chacma Baboon Project for a thoughtful conversation about one of southern Africa’s most intelligent, adaptable and often misunderstood…

  23. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 9 - Return of the Oystercatcher: Stories of Hope in a Changing World

    · 1 h 17 min · S14 E9

    There are some guests who simply make you think differently about birds, conservation, and our place in the natural world. Today's episode is a special one because it marks Episode 200 of The Birding Life Podcast.…

  24. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 8 - The Wildlife Photographer's Guide to Better Birding

    · 1 h 04 min · S14 E8

    One of the things I love about birding is that there are so many different ways to enjoy birds. Some people love chasing rarities. Some people love atlasing. Some people enjoy bird photography. Others simply enjoy…

  25. YWP Podcast - Season 6 Episode 4 - Small Actions, Big Impact: The Fight for Pangolins

    · 52 min · S6 E4

    Today, Gabby Sykora is joined by Dr Kelsey Skinner, Executive Director of the African Pangolin Working Group, for a powerful conversation about conservation, perseverance, and one of the world's most threatened…

  26. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 7 - The Future of Birding is Here - Liam Botha & Connor Barr

    · 1 h 02 min · S14 E7

    If you're listening to this episode on the day it is released, tomorrow is Youth Day in South Africa. It is a day when we celebrate the young people of our country, and for this episode, I wanted to hand over the…

  27. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 6 - The Ultimate Guide to Birding Limpopo Pt 2

    · 37 min · S14 E6

    Welcome back to part two of our birding journey through Limpopo with Daniel Engelbrecht. In this episode, we continue our journey into some of Limpopo's most iconic birding destinations. We visit the forests of…

  28. YWP Podcast - Season 6 Episode 3 - Every Action Matters: Growing Hope with Roots & Shoots South Africa

    · 54 min · S6 E3

    In this episode Gabby is joined by Maru from Roots & Shoots South Africa, the youth program of the Jane Goodall Institute, for a conversation about hope, action, and the incredible role young people can play in shaping…

  29. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 5 - The Ultimate Guide to Birding Limpopo Pt 1

    · 51 min · S14 E5

    When many birders think about South Africa's top birding destinations, places like Kruger National Park, Cape Town, or Zululand often come to mind. Yet tucked away in the northernmost corner of the country lies a…

  30. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 4 - Byron Grobler. The Big Year Beyond the List

    · 58 min · S14 E4

    In today’s episode, I am joined by photographer, filmmaker, conservation storyteller, and birder, Byron Grobler. Byron is the founder of WildWild Journeys, and earlier this year he announced on his YouTube channel…

  31. YWP Podcast - Season 6 Episode 2 - Jamie Smart: Just 10 Years Old & Already Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year

    · 47 min · S6 E2

    At just 10 years old, Jamie Smart has already achieved something most wildlife photographers only dream of: being crowned Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum in London. But this…

  32. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 3 - Junior Gabela. Zululand, Birding and a Life in the Field

    · 40 min · S14 E3

    Junior Gabela is a name known to many South African birders. Those who have birded with him will tell you about his incredible birding skills and his ability to find some of Zululand’s most sought-after species. In…

  33. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 2 - Cameron Blair. Honeyguides, Cisticolas and a Curious Mind. Part 2

    · 41 min · S14 E2

    Last week, we kicked off this conversation with Cameron Blair, and if you listened to Part 1, you’ll know just how good that was. In this episode, we pick up where we left off and go even deeper. We continue unpacking…

  34. YWP Podcast - Season 6 Episode 1 - Taking Conservation to the Skies with Sacha Dench

    · 1 h 10 min · S6 E1

    In this episode of The Birding Life Podcast, we sit down with the incredible Sacha Dench -often known as the “Human Swan” - whose work has taken conservation storytelling to extraordinary heights. From flying…

  35. TBL Podcast - Season 14 Episode 1 - Cameron Blair. Honeyguides, Cisticolas and a Curious Mind. Part 1

    · 46 min · S14 E1

    A few months ago, on an atlas bash in the Free State, I met Cameron Blair. After some great evening conversations about birding, and especially his love for cisticolas, I knew I had to get him onto the podcast. We sat…

  36. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 10 - The Warbler Masterclass with Etienne Marais

    · 59 min · S13 E10

    In this episode, I chat with Etienne Marais. This is a really special conversation, and one that I think you are going to get a lot of value from. We recorded this episode in person at Zaagkuilsdrift Bird Sanctuary…

  37. TBL Youth Podcast - Season 10 Episode 3 - Erin King and Paige Tavendale: Stuck in Savuti

    · 31 min · S13 E10

    Join Erin and Paige as they detail there journey through Botswana and Zambia on Josh's wild birding holiday! Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices…

  38. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 9 - Saving the Secretarybird: A Conversation with Cassie Carstens Pt 2

    · 44 min · S13 E9

    This is Part 2 of my conversation with Cassie Carstens, the Secretarybird Project Manager at BirdLife South Africa. In the first episode, we explored Cassie’s journey into bird conservation, what shaped his passion…

  39. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 8 - Saving the Secretarybird: A Conversation with Cassie Carstens Pt 1

    · 51 min · S13 E8

    In this episode I bring you the first of a two part conversation with Cassie Carstens, the Secretarybird Project Manager at BirdLife South Africa. Before we begin, a big thank you to Summerveld Country Lodge for…

  40. YWP Podcast Season 5 Episode 3 - From Data to Decisions: Conservation, People & the Road Ahead with Brent Coverdale (Part 2)

    · 36 min · S5 E3

    In Part Two of my conversation with Brent Coverdale, we shift the focus from what is being done to what still needs to change. Building on Part One, this episode explores the challenges facing threatened species…

  41. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 7 - A Big Year and the Making of a Birder

    · 56 min · S13 E7

    In this episode I’m joined by Anton Schultz for an honest and wide ranging conversation about birding, passion, and personal growth. Anton’s journey began like many others. A love for nature as a kid, a family trip to…

  42. TBL Youth Podcast - Season 10 Episode 2 - The University of Edinburgh Ornithological Society: Part 2

    · 25 min · S5 E4

    Visit our online store to get your birding related merchandise at great prices https://www.thebirdinglife.com/online-store Intro and outro music by Tony ZA https://soundcloud.com/tonyofficialza Links from show:

  43. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 6 - Southern African Rare Bird Round Up 2025

    · 56 min · S13 E6

    In this episode we dive into the fascinating world of rare birds in Southern Africa. There is really only one person who could join me for this conversation, Trevor Hardaker. Together, we look back at some of the best…

  44. YWP Podcast Season 5 Episode 2 - Brent Coverdale: Protecting Species on the Brink (Part 1)

    · 49 min · S5 E2

    After sharing the stage with Brent Coverdale at the 2025 BirdLife South Africa Owl Awards, it felt only fitting to sit down and continue the conversation — not under the spotlight, but behind the scenes. In part one…

  45. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 5 - Ntsikeni Nature Reserve: Where Conservation Meets Community

    · 1 h 03 min · S13 E5

    In this episode, I’m joined by three special guests whose stories are all connected to one remarkable place. Ntsikeni Nature Reserve lies in southern KwaZulu Natal, between Underberg and Kokstad. Today we explore the…

  46. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 4 - Level Up Your Birding with Faansie Peacock Pt 2

    · 1 h 00 min · S13 E4

    In this episode, we bring you the second half of our two-part conversation with Faansie Peacock. In this episode, we dig even deeper into the topics that matter — from the ethics of birding, how we engage with rare…

  47. YWP Podcast Season 5 Episode 1 - When the Wild Pushes Back: Returning to a Wounded Kruger

    · 12 min · S5 E1

    As a new season of the YWP Podcast begins, Gabby returns to the Kruger National Park under very different circumstances. Recent floods have left parts of Kruger damaged, roads washed away, and access limited and this…

  48. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 3 - Level Up Your Birding with Faansie Peacock Pt 1

    · 51 min · S13 E3

    In this episode, we begin a special two-part conversation with Faansie Peacock — one of Southern Africa’s most passionate and prolific birders, authors, artists, and educators. Faansie has played a massive role in…

  49. TBL Youth Podcast - Season 10 Episode 1 - The University of Edinburgh Ornithological Society: Part 1

    · 22 min · S5 E4

    In today's episode, Josh has a chat to the the University of Edinburgh Ornithological Society's committee members Annie, Luke and Rory. They enchant him with tales of birding in Scotland and university life in…

  50. TBL Podcast - Season 13 Episode 2 - Exploring Kenya’s Wild Side: Josua Wenzel’s Birding Diary

    · 59 min · S13 E2

    In this episode, I’m joined by Josua Wenzel — a talented young birder and artist — as he takes us on a deep dive into his two-month birding and conservation trip across Kenya. From the cloud forests of the Taita Hills…

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