Radio and PodcastRadio and PodcastLive Radio & Podcasts
Laura Erickson's For the Birds cover
Science & Medicine

Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Laura Erickson

"For the Birds" began airing on KUMD in Duluth, MN, in May, 1986, and is the longest continually-running radio program about birds in the U.S. Hundreds more episodes are available for free a...

Episodes

20 of 298 episodes

Schrödinger’s Birds, Part 2

Laura talks about the still controversial question about whether Ivory-billed Woodpeckers are extinct or not. The recordings used are the Iv...

6:56Oct 29, 2026

Schrödinger’s Birds, Part 1

Dead or alive? When critically endangered species are on the verge of extinction, there's a murky period between certainty that a species ex...

6:09Oct 28, 2026

So what DID we see in Florida?

When Laura was in Florida this month, it was a family trip, not a birding one, but she saw plenty of birds.

6:21Oct 27, 2026

Florida: The Exotic, the Tragic, and the Flamboyant

Laura spent last week in Florida celebrating one son's birthday. In this program, she talks about some notable birds she did not see.

6:36Oct 22, 2026

Ginormous Bird Migration Day

Laura reminisces about the largest migration day she ever witnessed.

6:41Oct 7, 2026

The Cutest Queue of All

In a world of chaos and randomness, chickadees create order and fairness.

8:16Oct 6, 2026

September!

September is securely in first place (in an 8-way tie), as Laura's favorite month. What makes it so special?

6:19Sep 29, 2026

About that banded female bird...

Laura got a lot of information about that banded female Pileated Woodpecker visiting her yard this week, along with photos!

6:57Sep 23, 2026

When Humor Doesn't Land

Some things are no laughing matter. A reader of Laura Erickson's blog, which serves as a transcript to this radio program/podcast, took legi...

4:06Sep 21, 2026

Surprising Discovery about My Female Banded Pileated Woodpecker

The band on the Pileated Woodpecker who just showed up in Laura's yard is at least 15 or 20 years old, but that doesn't mean the woodpecker...

5:41Sep 18, 2026

Detaining Migrants in Duluth--Avian Version

The licensed government agents detaining avian migrants deal with them much more kindly than do those detaining human beings. (This one may...

6:20Sep 17, 2026

Texas, Part 2: Whooping Cranes and More!

Russ wanted to make absolutely certain that Laura saw Whooping Cranes on their trip to Texas. Sure enough!

4:44Sep 16, 2026

Discovering Texas with Russ

Laura went on her first planned birding trip, the itinerary including the best birding hotspots of the area, in 1978,

7:23Sep 15, 2026

Turning my universe right-side up.

Childhood dreams sometimes do come true.

6:55Sep 10, 2026

Piping Plovers nesting at Wisconsin Point!

This summer, for the first time in almost half a century, a pair of Piping Plovers nested along Wisconsin Point in Superior. This was both p...

6:42Sep 9, 2026

Botflies

True botflies don't bother birds in Canada or the northern states, but that doesn't mean Laura hasn't been thinking about them lately.

7:57Sep 4, 2026

Blowflies and other external parasites

Why should you clean out your bird house after the baby birds leave?

4:53Sep 3, 2026

Savoring and Wondering

Taking time to savor a wild creature can be very rewarding.

7:53Aug 31, 2026

Neighborly Exchanges

My daughter lives next door to one of my good birding friends, so we let each other know about good birds.

6:31Aug 27, 2026

Feeding peanuts and corn safely.

A great many birds love peanuts and corn, but there are several very important caveats about offering it to them.

7:15Aug 26, 2026