The Art of Bird Love: Understanding Behavior and Conservation Through the Lens of Wenfei Tong

Welcome back to another episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series! Today, we're joined by Dr. Wenfei Tong, a conservationist, wildlife biologist, writer, nature photographer, artist, and educator. Wenfei holds a PhD in evolutionary biology from Harvard University and serves as the science editor at Cornell University. In this conversation, she shares her journey through birding, nature, and science communication—including her work at Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Conservation Media unit, where she helps create impactful conservation stories.

We dive into Wenfei’s passion for birds, the inspiration behind her books like "Bird Love" and "Understanding Bird Behavior," and how observing bird behavior offers insights into nature, human relationships, and personal growth. Dr. Tong discusses how birds and their songs connect her to places all over the world, from Singapore to upstate New York, and how simple acts of slowing down, listening, and appreciating birdlife can create meaningful moments for everyone.

Along the way, you’ll hear stories about her travels, the role of creativity and family in her life, and the power of technology—like apps Merlin and eBird—to foster greater stewardship and appreciation of the outdoors.

DISCUSSION

00:00 "Bird Love with Dr. Tong"

04:59 Snowfall, Silence, and Cardinals

09:45 "Birds Root Me Everywhere"

19:11 "Understanding Behavior Through Evolution"

23:04 "Perspective Through Bird Love"

25:54 "Connecting Through Bird Behavior."

29:34 "Merlin: Democratizing Bird Appreciation."

31:24 eBird: Giving Back to Birds

36:02 "Bird Watching Over Photography."

43:44 Birds as Memory Placeholders

46:10 Ephemeral Beauty in Nature

LEARN MORE

To learn more about Wenfei and her work, visit her portfolio site at https://www.wenfeitong.com/ and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wenfei.tong/

Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

NEXT STEPS

Visit us at https://outdooradventureseries.com to like, comment, and share our episodes.

KEYWORDS

Wenfei Tong, Bird Love, Understanding Bird Behavior, Merlin Bird ID, Red Cliffs Audubon, Howard Fox, Outdoor Adventure Series

#WenfeiTong #BirdLove #UnderstandingBirdBehavior #MerlinBirdID #RedCliffsAudubon #HowardFox #OutdoorAdventureSeries #PodcastInterview

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