It's our final episode...but only for this season, don't worry 😉

We're chatting about birding festivals near and far, the multinational process of declaring a species extinct, and (literal) nightmares about birding tours.

Don't miss out on: 

• Alvaro's upcoming tours
• Hillstar's newest tours and pelagics 
• Tours and articles on Nighthawk 
• All the great content on the Ladera Sur website

And with that, we're off on our winter break from podcasting! Follow Life List on Facebook and Instagram, sign up for our newsletter, and we'll see you here in 2025.

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Jocotoco Conservation works in the field throughout Ecuador and the Galapagos to conserve birds, wildlife, and habitats. Today, George is digging into their efforts and goals.

Learn more about Jocotoco Conservation here. 

Topics in this episode include:

• Discovery of the Jocotoco Antpitta: Jocotoco Conservation's origin story
• Saving Spectacled Bears: Jocotoco's efforts to protect spectacled bear habitats in Ecuador
• Galapagos Tortoise Conservation: On-the-ground work preserving Galapagos tortoise populations
• Reintroducing Native Finches: Programs to reintroduce and support finches in Galapagos and mainland Ecuador
• Protecting the Chocó Region: Unique bird species and conservation efforts in Ecuador’s Chocó forest
• Rare Paramos Wildlife: High-altitude paramos habitat and its rare bird species
• Amazon Rainforest Restoration: Forest restoration to support diverse Amazonian birdlife
• Species of Concern: Spotlight on Ecuador’s rare and endangered bird species protected by Jocotoco
• Key Conservation Sites: Jocotoco's critical reserves, from the Andes to coastal dry forests

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Welcome to our 100th episode! We're celebrating by chatting about some listener favorites - and ours! - as well as all that's changed in the birding world since we started Life List. 

Thanks for being a part of our podcast family!

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

This week, we're not just talking about Amar's highly anticipated book, The Gull Guide—we're chatting about the discoveries and controversies that led to what we currently know about gulls, the unknowns that still exist, and how to fall in love with these mysteries birds along the way. 

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Alright, we're back! George and Alvaro talk about unusual sightings and behaviors they've seen so far this fall along with takeaways from afar from the AOS conference.

• If you haven't already, be sure to read The trials of John P. McCown by Steve Hampton. 

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

We're continuing conversations with our listeners on the air as we share updates from our home fronts. We have lots of links to share this week!

• Check out Ed Yong's account of his recent pelagic experience with Alvaro's Adventures in his newsletter
• While you're at it, make sure to read An Immense World by Ed Yong
• We get tons of questions about thermal scopes. This article by one of our listeners, Jonathan Ley, is a thorough comparison of brands and models. 
• Here's a fresh Certificate of Appreciation from the USGS to George for reporting a banded Ruddy Turnstone—on a birding trip with Mollee eight years ago! 
• If you know a conservation or community science organization that wants to get the word out to birders, Nighthawk is partnering with the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival to display their information for free at the event. Details and sign up here. 

And don't forget to share your favorite guests with us! We'd love to hear from you. 

Our hearts go out to all affected by Hurricane Helene. 

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

George is just back from the Pantanal, and today, we're chatting about that. But first...

• The oldest photo in eBird? Looks like it's this (now extinct) Laughing Owl!
• And check out this illustration of the species on Birds of the World (sign-in required). 
• George has two trip reports from Brazil. Check out Safari Brazil: The Pantanal and Brazil's Atlantic Forest: Itatiaia National Park. 
• And peep the Spotted Bamboowren while you're at it! 

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

We're back with a listener question episode! 

• We mention Project Phoenix—check out the details here. 
• Subscribe to our newsletter and send us your questions below ⬇️⬇️

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

This week, we're joined by Lillian Stokes and Matt Young to share in the laughs, research, and stories behind their jam-packed new book, The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada. Learn more and preorder it here before the book is published on September 17!

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

We're three busy birders this week with tales ranging from the backyard to the wonders of the deep oceans. Grab a drink and enjoy this classic Life List chat with us—tangents and all.

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Phil's been there, done that, and has the stories to prove it. This week we chat about his recent oceanic expeditions and upcoming book.

• Have a taste of western Australia and the Lesser Sundas via Phil's recent eBird trip report
• Get notifications for Habitats of North America, coming out this winter
• Order Habitats of the World: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists, and Ecologists

Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com.

Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.