In 2023, ABA Area birders welcomed Chihuahuan Meadowlark to the official ABA Checklist, and subsequently to many life lists. Previously considered a distinct subspecies of Eastern Meadowlark, the split was the result of work done by Dr. Johanna Beam while she was an undergraduate researcher. Informed by her background as a birder, Johanna used museum specimens, audio recordings, and genetic tools to inform the eventual split. She joins host Nate Swick to talk about how it's done, and what other potential new species might be out there. 

Also, the ABA announced our 2026 Community Weekend schedule. We hope to see you out there!

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Birding editor Ted Floyd returns for another episode of random birds. This time around, the random number generator wants passerines, and Ted and host Nate Swick must oblige. We cover the ABA's Bird of the Year for 2026, and a number of other grassland species. 

Also, the ABA Checklist Committee's recent update suggests a new direction for the ABA Checklist, at least partially. 

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This episode brought to you by All4Birding

It's the first This Month in Birding panel of the new year, and Nate welcomes a crew of birders featuring Mollee Brown, Frank Izaguirre, and Jordan Rutter to discuss predation of penguins, evolving junco bills, and weird bird stuff in our houses. Plus, is pishing an ethical birding practice?

Links to items discussed in this episode:

Penguins Become Prey for the Pumas of Patagonia 

Without campus leftovers to pick through, the beaks of this bird changed shape during the pandemic

Bias in density estimates from avian point-count surveys: Prospects for post-hoc corrections using calibration data

Woman's viral "bird theory" about white people has everyone checking their homes

2025 was an exciting year for rare bird sightings in the ABA Area, with two first ABA records and a fascinating array of interesting and unexpected records from all corners of the US and Canada. North American Birds editor Alex Lamoreaux and writer and teacher Tim Healy join host Nate Swick to have some fun remembering the highlights of last year.

Check out the 2026 Bird of the Year merch available NOW at aba.org/store

Science writer Ed Yong was an invaluable resource for many of us navigating the strange pandemic landscape. His writing about Covid-19 at The Atlantic earned him a Pulitzer Prize, but left him looking for an outlet to recalibrate after that anxiety-ridden period. Inspired by his own writing in his book, An Immense World, he turned to bird-watching despite not expecting to be any good at it. It has turned into a passion, a way to explore both his home and the wider world, and an inspiration for his writing. 

Also, Nate shares his experience wrangling endemics in Puerto Rico. 

2026 is officially the year of the Horned Lark!

This dapper little songbird can be found just about everywhere in the ABA Area, and we're excited to put a spotlight on it this year as our Bird of the Year for 2026. As is tradition, the species is featured on the January issue of the ABA's Birding magazine, depicted by Indiana artist Kristina Knowski, who bird art afficianados might know from her work as artist in residence for the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. 

And it's not just the magazine, we will have a whole range of fun Horned Lark merch, including the return of our Bird of the Year t-shirts, at the ABA shop!