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The Five Birds You’re Scared Of
Reminding yourself where you are on the food chain
© Dr Ashok Kolluru
Author and bird enthusiast Ashley C. Ford says that it’s good to have a list of at least five birds that you’re scared of — like the six foot tall cassowary — just to keep you honest. “It's very important to humble yourself and to understand where you actually lie on the food chain,” she says. But despite the goose’s mischievous reputation, she’d never have them on her list. “I grew up in the Midwest,” she says. “And I know personally I'm not scared of no goose.” Hear more of Tenijah Hamilton’s conversation with her birding heroes, Ashley C. Ford and Tracy Clayton, on the Bring Birds Back podcast.
BirdNote®
The Five Birds You’re Scared Of
Adapted from the Bring Birds Back podcast
This is BirdNote.
[Cassowary growl]
Author and bird enthusiast Ashley C. Ford says that it’s good to have a list of at least five birds that you’re scared of. You know, like the six foot tall cassowary. Just to keep you honest.
Ashley C. Ford: Because I think first of all, it's very important to humble yourself and to understand where you actually lie on the food chain. You should know your fears. Interrogating your fears is already good for you and interrogating, um, the birds that you are personally afraid of. Um, I think that's, you know, that's the key word there. When I talk about having a bird list, I always call it a personal bird list. Yo bird list doesn't have to look like my bird list. Other people had their own personal reasons like, oh, I got bit by a goose when I was five.
[Canada Goose honk]
Ashley C. Ford: And it's like, yeah, that's really sad. But like, geese are not on my bird list, cause I grew up in the Midwest. And I know personally I'm not scared of no goose.
[Music: “Goosebusters”]
Ashley C. Ford: That's the kind of life that I've lived. So a goose is not on my bird list. A goose could never see my bird list. Okay.
[“Goosebusters” lyrics: “I ain’t afraid of no goose!”]
What birds are on your top five list? Let us know on social media, AT BirdNote Radio.
Hear more of my conversation with my birding heroes, Ashley C. Ford and Tracy Clayton, on the Bring Birds Back podcast. Listen in your podcast app or at BirdNote dot org. I’m Tenijah Hamilton.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Southern Cassowary Xeno Canto 132934 recorded by M. Anderson, and Canada Goose ML 212509691 recorded by J. Holmes.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2022 BirdNote October 2022
Narrator: Tenijah Hamilton
ID# PodBBB-16-2022-10-27 PodBBB-16
Tenijah Hamilton
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
