98: Peter Kaestner: The First Birder to See 10,000 Bird Species in the Wild 🐦

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re joined by legendary birder Peter Kaestner—the first person in history to see more than 10,000 bird species in the wild.A lifelong birder and former diplomat, Peter shares incredible stories from decades of birdwatching across the globe, including birding adventures in remote regions, discovering a new bird species, and traveling through Colombia during the height of Pablo Escobar’s influence. His career in diplomacy gave him access to some of the most extraordinary birding experiences imaginable, and this conversation is packed with unforgettable stories, bird science, humor, and insight.Field Museum ornithologists and curators of birds John Bates and Shannon Hackett join RJ and Amanda Pole to explore global birding, rare birds, bird identification, international bird travel, ornithology, and what it takes to become one of the greatest birders in history.Peter’s passion, curiosity, humility, and storytelling made this one of our favorite conversations we’ve ever recorded—and honestly, none of us wanted it to end.If you love birding, birdwatching, world birding, rare birds, wildlife travel, ornithology, bird behavior, conservation, and fascinating bird stories from around the world, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.Here are links to our social and YouTube pages, give us a follow:YouTube InstagramTikTokBlueSky