Birds
A life time of bird watching, Peter Kaestner's story
There are birders and then there's Peter Kaestner. He's a retired US diplomat who holds the world record for seeing the most bird species, 9,856 birds. A duck on the back of our 10 dollar note was his… Audio
The Great Ireland vs New Zealand Bird-off: Part 2
The Great Ireland vs. New Zealand Bird-off returns for part 2 to decide once and for all which island nation boasts the best birds. Our avian aficionados return to argue their case in front of judge… Audio
Our Changing World – Feathers will fly: Bird-off part 2
It's time to ruffle some feathers: Our avian aficionados are back for part 2 of the Great Ireland vs. New Zealand Bird-off. Claire Concannon judges two bird nerds' top selections across multiple… Audio
The great Ireland vs. New Zealand bird-off: Part 1
Welcome to the great Ireland vs New Zealand bird-off. Two islands, a world apart – but which country has the better birds? Two bird nerds champion their nation's birds across four categories in an… Audio
Our Changing World – Feathers will fly: Bird-off part 1
Two islands, a world apart. Ireland vs. New Zealand – which nation has the better birds? Feathers will fly as two bird nerds argue for their treasured birdlife in the inaugural bird-off, judged by… Audio
Breakthrough in saving the kakapo from extinction
A scientific breakthrough has given hope to conservationists fighting to save the critically endangered kakapo. Dr Joseph Guhlin, a postdoctoral researcher with Genomics Aotearoa speaks to Jesse. Audio
Rhys Buckingham and the bird that doesn't want to be found
For over 40 years, Rhys Buckingham has been in search of the bird that doesn't want to be found. The orange-wattled South Island kokako, also dubbed the 'grey ghost' is assumed to be extinct by the… Audio
Takahē dreamers
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of the takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with former Our Changing World presenter and takahē superfan Alison Ballance to chat about her new… Audio
Our Changing World – Takahē tales
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the rediscovery of takahē. Claire Concannon sits down with takahē superfan and former Our Changing World producer Alison Ballance to discuss her new book… Audio
The Week in Detail: Bank fraud, broken roads and the kākāpō
The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio
The charismatic kākāpō is booming, but its friends need help
Having kākāpō in the North Island wilderness again is an historic win for our native manu, but conservationists say other species are at risk of falling through the cracks. Audio
The petrel patrol
Every year, tens to hundreds of seabirds fall out of the sky across Auckland city. Disoriented by the bright lights, Cook's petrels crash-land and collide with buildings – but a dedicated group of… Video, Audio
The wisdom of owls
Science writer Jennifer Ackerman's essays specialising on creatures in the avian world have appeared in a range of publications including : The New York Times, Scientific American, and National… Audio
Positive emotions in animals
Rats giggle. Dogs wag their tail. How do other animals express joy? You can't ask them, so researchers have to find other sneaky ways of figuring out animal emotions. Professor Ximena Nelson is… Audio
Our Changing World - Positive animal emotions
Kea are renowned for their intelligence and playfulness – but how do they express joy? Studying animal emotions can be tricky – you can't just ask them how they're feeling – but Professor Ximena… Audio
Birds of a feather to gather at Bird NZ Annual Conference
Local bird enthusiasts in Taranaki are getting in bird watching practice ahead of a big conference next week. Around 160 scientists and dedicated birders will gather to learn to learn a variety of… Audio
The Week in Detail: Aotea restoration, KiwiRail off the track, and workplace dangers
The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio
Kiwi return to the wilds of Wellington
The birds are back. After a long absence, 11 kiwi have returned to the outskirts of Wellington with a little help from some human friends. Veronika Meduna heads into the field to see how the work of… Audio
Our Changing World – Return of the Kiwi
Kiwi have returned to the wild in Wellington after a long absense. Veronika Meduna heads out into the field to see how Capital Kiwi Project's mahi is paying off. Audio
The unwelcome visitors
The Rotopiko peat wetlands are a haven for rare and threatened wildlife. But when a flock of introduced birds numbering in the hundreds of thousands moves in – threatening the very nature of this… Audio