Threatened: a podcast about answering the call to protect the birds and places we love

Threatened transports you to some of the most beautiful and remote places around the globe, where birds are calling humans to take action. These stories about the enduring connections between birds, people, and landscapes are for the bird-curious, conservation-conscious, and travel-starved. Join host Ari Daniel for an escape to the natural world -- and a glimpse into the lives of people working to protect it.

Season 3 will launch Tuesday, July 12 with a new episode every week. These five episodes explore the unique ecology and conservation of the Hawaiian Islands. Of the 44 endemic bird species in Hawai‘i, 33 are endangered. The good news: people are helping these birds fight for survival. Threatened Season 3 dives deep into how humans are answering the call to protect the birds of Hawai‘i, and how the lives of these birds are connected with the lives of Hawaiian people. Access press materials, podcast artwork, promotional images, and other information about the series at BirdNote.org/threatened/media. Threatened is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts – and on BirdNote.org. The show has been downloaded over 70,000 times and has a global listener base.

Episodes include:

• Protecting Palila: in the season premiere we travel to Hawai‘i to meet a unique group of birds called honeycreepers. There were once over 55 species of honeycreepers, but over half of them have gone extinct. One of them, the Palila, is still holding on. What do we need to do to protect it?
• The Mosquito Problem: how do you fight a disease carried by mosquitoes as climate change helps them spread? Avian malaria could wipe out whole species of birds, and people are going to great lengths to stop it. There’s hope on the horizon. Scientists believe they have a way to wipe out the mosquitos first. But will it come in time for the honeycreepers?
• Rewriting the Story of Extinction: in 1823, a young princess was presented with an incredible gift, and a choice: protect the Native Hawaiian way of life, or embrace the teachings of newcomers. Today, the gift resides in a museum, and its story tells of tragedy and hope, the duality of life, and maybe a different understanding of our current extinction crisis.
• Saving the Alalā: Hawai‘i has its own species of crow, the clever and charismatic Alalā. But the species hasn’t been able to survive in its shrinking native habitat. The only reason the Alalā still exists is because of captive breeding programs. Reintroducing them to the wild is fraught with challenges, but it’s needed for the continuation of the species and for the health of the forest itself.
• Hope for the ‘Ua‘u: we end our season with a little seabird that’s making a comeback. The Hawaiian Petrel, or ‘Ua‘u, was once written off as going or gone from the islands. But after recent discoveries of remnant colonies, we see how some human intervention with the right tools can make a huge difference for birds and protect a population on the brink.