Today I had the good fortune to catch a wonderful program on PBS called “Bird Tales.” You can watch it on your computer or check your local PBS station for a schedule of showings.

In a series of stories, “Bird Tales” shows how your everyday birds connect with the world at large. Here’s a preview of the program:

http://player.pbs.org/viralplayer/2244975485

Watch Bird Tales | Preview on PBS. See more from WENH.

You will meet Donald Kroodsma, a songbird expert who has devoted his life to not only recording bird songs but interpreting what the birds are communicating through their songs.

He chronicles how a young bird grows from a baby’s babble to the full song of the adult. He talks about birds who have migrated from other parts of the world and demonstrate that by the extra sounds they include in their songs that are native to the countries they migrated from.

You will also meet a team of classroom teachers and instructors from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC who expose school children to birds in their natural setting. They are shown where these birds migrate and follow up by connecting with school children in the migration-bound countries who see these same birds (through the process of bird banding).

We are introduced to a young man of sixteen, Abraham Hunter, who has taught himself how to paint birds and landscapes strictly through perseverance and his keen powers of observation. Some of his paintings were chosen to be reproduced as stamps to raise awareness about wildlife.

There is much more to see in this wonderful program which you can view in its entirety online. I have included it here for your enjoyment.

Have birds made an impact on your life? Share your bird stories with us!

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