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Spark Bird: Em De Blas and the Vermilion Flycatcher
Tuning into to the beautiful song of a distinctive red bird.
© Mark Bramhill
Em De Blas has years of experience leading bird outings with Chicago BIPOC Birders, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and The Urban Birding Festival. But their birding journey first started when Em was 19 years old and visiting family near San Luis Potosí in Mexico. In this episode, Em shares how a Vermilion Flycatcher sparked their passion for watching and listening to birds in nature.
BirdNote®
Spark Bird: Em De Blas and the Vermilion Flycatcher
Written by Ariana Remmel
This is BirdNote.
Em De Blas has years of experience leading bird outings in Chicago. But Em first started birding when they were 19 while visiting family near San Luis Potosí in Mexico.
Em De Blas: My mom had gifted me a pair of binoculars because that's something outdoorsy people like. And I had always been an outdoorsy person. So I was just outside of my abuelita's house and the first bird that perches up is this bright red, tiny little bird that's flying a very specific way. And I get my binoculars on it and I'm like, "Oh, wow. Cool."
[Vermillion Flycatcher]
It was a Vermilion Flycatcher – a red bird totally unlike the Northern Cardinals they knew from Chicago. And that got Em curious.
Em De Blas: I was also thinking to myself, well, I know that birders like to hear them as well. Maybe they have their own unique calls. So I go on Google and I'm like, "Vermilion Flycatcher bird song…"
[Texting sounds]
Em De Blas: …and it's a very, very beautiful whistle. And it is very distinct.
[Vermillion Flycatcher]
Em De Blas: So the next day I get out there and I listen for that specific sound and I hear it all over, and it gives you this added layer to how you experience nature. And then I was like, okay, well then what does the Curve-billed Thrasher sound like?
[Curve-billed Thrasher]
Em De Blas: What does the White-wing Dove sound like?
[White-winged Dove]
Today, you’ll find Em sharing their joy on bilingual outings with Chicago BIPOC Birders, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and The Urban Birding Festival.
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Curve-billed Thrasher ML415538001 recorded by Paul Marvin. Vermilion Flycatcher ML188210 recorded by Bob McGuire. White-winged Dove ML4037 recorded by Robert C. Stein.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2026 BirdNote September 2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# sparkbird-30-2026-09-03 sparkbird-30
Ariana Remmel
Writer NarratorSights & Sounds
