Shows / Tweet of the Day
Tweet of the Day
Discover birds through their songs and calls. Each Tweet of the Day begins with a call or song, followed by a story of fascinating ornithology inspired by the sound.
Episodes
- Tweet of the Day
Sophie Pavelle on the Skylark
Nature writer Sophie Pavelle describes why the skylark has become an iconic avian muse. From Shakespeare and Wordsworth to First World War battlefields, the…
- Tweet of the Day
Horatio Clare on the Herring Gull
Writer Horatio Clare describes why he finds the herring gull to be a fascinating and surprising bird, from their use of vomit in courtship, to how to deter…
- Tweet of the Day
Isabella Tree on the Common Whitethroat
Common whitethroats arrive back at the Knepp Rewilding Project in West Sussex just as the hawthorn begins to bloom. Its numbers have increased there nearly…
- Tweet of the Day
Anita Sethi on the Dunlin
On a summer walk in Upper Teesdale on her way to the great Cow Green Reservoir, nature writer Anita Sethi realises she is lost. Without her map, she turns to…
- Tweet of the Day
Juliet Vickery on the Willow Warbler
Each year, CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology, Juliet Vickery, waits eagerly to hear the beautiful song of the willow warbler, which migrates from…
- Tweet of the Day
George McGavin on the Hoopoe
Entomologist George McGavin remembers the first time he saw a hoopoe, an occasional visitor to the UK. The hoopoe is largely insectivorous, and watching it…
- Tweet of the Day
Isabella Tree on the Turtle Dove
In early summer at the Knepp Rewilding Project in West Sussex you're almost guaranteed to hear a turtle dove, one of the UK's rarest birds. Conservationist…
- Tweet of the Day
Liz Berry on the Rock Dove
Poet Liz Berry writes about her love for feral pigeons or rock doves, and how they rule the roost in Birmingham.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio…
- Tweet of the Day
Horatio Clare on the Grey Heron
The writer Horatio Clare reflects on the many tales told about the grey heron. They were seen as birds of augury by the Romans, or with a religious bent by the…
- Tweet of the Day
Anita Sethi on the House Sparrow
As a child growing up in Manchester, nature writer Anita Sethi used to dream of becoming a bird and flying away to the hills and moors beyond the city. Always…
- Tweet of the Day
Isabella Tree on the Cuckoo
Conservationist Isabella Tree tells the story of a remarkable cuckoo called Sayaan, who in April this year returned to her home and rewilding project at Knepp…
- Tweet of the Day
Roland Arnison on the Storm Petrel
We join explorer Roland Arnison on a kayaking expedition to the outer Hebrides on a quest to record the call of the storm petrel. These small and elusive…
- Tweet of the Day
Mike Dilger on the Whimbrel
For Naturalist Mike Dilger the whimbrel has just as much star power as the curlew. He likes to spot whimbrel on the Severn estuary as they migrate north on…
- Tweet of the Day
Juliet Vickery on the Woodcock
The CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology, Juliet Vickery, describes an encounter with a patrolling male woodcock 30 years ago, watching it circle its…
- Tweet of the Day
Isabella Tree on the Nightingale
Author and conservationist Isabella Tree began inviting friends over to hear nightingales at Knepp, her home and rewilding project in West Sussex, 15 years…
- Tweet of the Day
Jack Baddams on the Spotted Flycatcher
Ornithologist Jack Baddams remembers chancing upon his first spotted flycatcher nest at Creswell Crags in Derbyshire. He became hooked on them after that, and…
- Tweet of the Day
George McGavin on the Swift
Entomologist George McGavin worked at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History for 25 years, where each year he looked forward to the return of swifts…
- Tweet of the Day
Liz Berry on the Kingfisher
Poet Liz Berry has been sailing the Shropshire Union canal on a narrow boat since she was young. She describes the canal winding out of Wolverhampton into…
- Tweet of the Day
Roland Arnison on the Fulmar
Explorer and wildlife filmmaker Roland Arnison has been kayaking along Scotland's west coast on a quest to record the sounds of seabirds. Of all the many…
- Tweet of the Day
Polly Atkin on the Grey Wagtail
Non-fiction writer Polly Atkin tells the story of a magical moment when a grey wagtail joined her swimming by a waterfall in a tree-lined gorge.Produced by…
- Tweet of the Day
Jo Wimpenny on the Red Kite
The zoologist and writer Jo Wimpenny shares a story of a close encounter with a red kite in the Chiltern Hills, which swooped in to steal some food. This has…
- Tweet of the Day
Jack Baddams on the Siskin
For ornithologist and wildlife researcher for BBC's Springwatch, Jack Baddams, March is 'siskin season'. As a licenced bird ringer, he puts ID rings on wild…
- Tweet of the Day
Mike Dilger on the Cetti's Warbler
Naturalist and TV presenter Mike Dilger remembers spending a bird breeding season 30 years ago surveying the Cetti's warbler. The Cetti's has a secretive…
- Tweet of the Day
Juliet Vickery on the Dipper
CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology Juliet Vickery fell in love with dippers while studying them during her PhD in south-west Scotland. She finds them…
- Tweet of the Day
Roland Arnison on the Manx Shearwater
In 2024 and 2025 expedition leader and film-maker Roland Arnison kayaked along the west coast and isles of Scotland to find and record the sounds of seabird…
- Tweet of the Day
Horatio Clare on the Buzzard
The writer Horatio Clare remembers the buzzards of his childhood, which soared above his home in the Black Mountains in south Wales.Produced by Sophie Anton…
- Tweet of the Day
Liz Berry on the Wren
Poet Liz Berry lived near the Wren's Nest Nature Reserve in the Black Country for years, but it was only recently that she stopped and listened to a real wren…
- Tweet of the Day
Hannah Stitfall on the Long-tailed Tit
Every Spring wildlife filmmaker Hannah Stitfall heads out to look for long-tailed tits. She hopes to film them building their nests - intricate, domed…
- Tweet of the Day
Polly Atkin on the Long-eared Owl
The non-fiction writer Polly Atkin is particularly fond of owls. Tawny owls surround her home in Grasmere in Cumbria, and she has observed the wintering of…
- Tweet of the Day
George McGavin on the Gannet
As a child, the entomologist George McGavin found a dead gannet on the beach, and set about extracting the skull for his collection. He was fascinated to…
- Tweet of the Day
Juliet Vickery on the Brent Goose
CEO of the British Trust for Ornithology Juliet Vickery is particularly fond of brent geese, having studied them on the Norfolk coast for three winters. They…
- Tweet of the Day
Horatio Clare on the Rook
The writer Horatio Clare has a message from the rooks, pointing out the ways they differ from crows.Produced by Sophie Anton for BBC Audio in Bristol.This…
- Tweet of the Day
Tolga Aktas on the Jackdaw
Conservation biologist Tolga Aktas shares his fascination with watching jackdaws. He was struck by the contrast between its black plumage and piercing pale…
- Tweet of the Day
Polly Atkin on the Short-Eared Owl
The poet and non-fiction writer Polly Atkin observes the wintering of short-eared owls in Cumbria. They are the UK's most nomadic owl, with residents joined by…
- Tweet of the Day
Liz Berry on the Robin
For poet Liz Berry, December is the robin's month, when our hearts are warmed by its singing under frosty streetlights. She wonders if its midwinter song is…
- Tweet of the Day
Horatio Clare on the Pheasant
The author and journalist Horatio Clare reflects on the cultural history of the human relationship with pheasants. Its Latin name Phasianus Colchicus links the…
- Tweet of the Day
Paul Farley on the Starling
In the season where starlings gather to murmurate in our winter skies, poet Paul Farley is admiring this dazzling bird up close. Every spring a pair of…
- Tweet of the Day
Amy-Jane Beer on the Carrion Crow
When nature writer Amy-Jane Beer moved to her current home, it seemed like the perfect rural dream. However, there then came an insistent knocking sound every…
- Tweet of the Day
Polly Atkin on the Tawny Owl
The home of poet and non-fiction writer Polly Atkin is surrounded by tawny owls. They are the most common owl in Britain, ranging from 20,000 to 50,000…
- Tweet of the Day
Paul Farley on the Shelduck
Poet Paul Farley welcomes the return of the shelduck to our shores, back after their summer migration to the Wadden Sea. These vast mudflats off the coast of…
- Tweet of the Day
Roland Arnison on the Leach's Petrel
In 2024 and 2025 expedition leader and film-maker Roland Arnison kayaked along the west coast and isles of Scotland to find and record the sounds of seabird…
- Tweet of the Day
George McGavin on the Red-backed Shrike
Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes his lifelong fascination with the red-backed shrike. When George bought his first bird guide at…
- Tweet of the Day
Paul Farley on the Redwing
Poet Paul Farley muses on the autumnal arrival of redwings, small thrushes that migrate here from continental and northern Europe to spend the winter. Paul…
- Tweet of the Day
Hannah Stitfall on the Firecrest
As autumn ripens in Cornwall, wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter Hannah Stitfall goes out in search of the firecrest. For Hannah, the firecrest is a jewel of…
- Tweet of the Day
Jo Wimpenny on the Moorhen
Standing on a lake edge and eager to spot some wildlife, zoologist and author Jo Wimpenny is disappointed to just find a moorhen. But then she stops herself -…
- Tweet of the Day
Tolga Aktas on the Jay
Conservation biologist Tolga Aktas remembers his first encounter with a jay, in a busy park in south London. Even though jays are widespread in the UK, they…
- Tweet of the Day
Amy-Jane Beer on the Song Thrush
The song thrush's morning proclamations remind naturalist and writer Amy-Jane Beer that she's home. In this episode Amy describes how she finds the confident…
- Tweet of the Day
George McGavin on the Snowy Owl
Entomologist and wildlife presenter George McGavin describes a magical encounter with a snowy owl. The sighting happened while George was on a university field…
- Tweet of the Day
Hannah Stitfall on the Chiffchaff
For wildlife filmmaker and TV presenter Hannah Stitfall, the chiffchaff's song is the first sign of Spring. Each year in March and April she will spend hours…
- Tweet of the Day
Paul Farley on the Reed Bunting
In poet Paul Farley's house the reed bunting is known as The Vicar. For Paul, the way it finds a high place on the tip of a reed from which to call gives off a…
- Tweet of the Day
Jo Wimpenny on the New Caledonian Crow
If you were walking past the Zoology building at the University of Oxford in the mid-noughties, you might have heard an unusual bird call. It’s undeniably…
- Tweet of the Day
Amy-Jane Beer on the Reed Warbler
For naturalist and writer Amy-Jane Beer, the scratchy song of a reed warbler reminds her of a superstar DJ. In a marshy corner of a lake in Yorkshire she comes…
- Tweet of the Day
Tolga Aktas on the Wood Pigeon
For conservation biologist Tolga Aktas, a walk through the city is an opportunity to observe different species of pigeon. His favourite is the wood pigeon…
- Tweet of the Day
Anita Sethi on the Lapwing
Nature author and travel writer Anita Sethi describes a vivid experience of seeing - and hearing - lapwings while walking on the West Pennine Moors. While…
- Tweet of the Day
Satish Kumar and the Peacock
Satush Kumar was born in Rajasthan, India, where the Peacock, the Mayura, is a sacred bird and also associated with the monsoon. In India, it is believed that…
- Tweet of the Day
Satish Kumar on the Blackbird
Peace & environment activist, Satish Kumar has lived in Devon for many years. In his garden he loves hearing the sweet melodious calls from a blackbird singing…
- Tweet of the Day
Gillian Clarke and the Grey Heron
For Welsh poet and playwright Gillian Clarke she has had two close encounters with a grey heron, including the one in her garden reminding her of a Bishop…
- Tweet of the Day
Gillian Clarke on the Red Kite
Welsh poet and playwright Gillian Clarke first saw a red kite in the Welsh mountains as a child, a bird which now has expanded east and now Gillian regularly…
- Tweet of the Day
Geoff Samples Dupont's Lark
For wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample the strange sound of Dupont's lark is something of an enigma, as despite recording half a dozen birds he has never…
- Tweet of the Day
Geoff Sample's Orphean Warbler
For wildlife sound recordist Geoff Sample hearing the jazz like notes of the Orphean warbler on the island of Lesvos reminds me of the legend of how the bird…