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Taking the Bus for Birds
Avoiding a potential car trip helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
© Nick Athanas
By carrying more people in a single vehicle, mass transit can use less energy than cars. Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help the hundreds of bird species put at risk by climate change. Not to mention, you can do a little birding on the commute – on the way to the bus or train stop, and on the ride itself.
BirdNote®
Taking the Bus for Birds
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
[Ding-ding! of Light Rail train; the train then departs]
When taking public transportation you might read a book or listen to a podcast. But what if you used your commute to do a little birding? On the way to the bus or train stop, you might see a Common Grackle hopping along the curb…
[Common Grackle calls]
…or hear a House Finch belting it out from a street tree.
[House Finch singing]
If the light rail goes over a river or passes by the shore, keep an eye out for gulls, herons, and birds that go diving for fish.
[Laughing Gull calls]
And on the ride, you can also take comfort in knowing that you’re helping birds by using public transportation and avoiding a potential car trip.
[Sound of a bus motor idling; pneumatic bus door opening; fades into interior sound of bus ride]
By carrying more people in a single vehicle, mass transit can use less energy than cars. Taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can help the hundreds of bird species put at risk by climate change.
Not to mention, while driving a car, you can’t just relax and tune in to the birds all around you.
[Laughing Gull calls]
For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.
This episode is dedicated to Kit Ellis of Gig Harbor, Washington — with thanks for her generous support of BirdNote.
###
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. Common Grackle ML213616 recorded by Bob McGuire, House Finch ML548503201 recorded by Jeff Ellerbusch, and Laughing Gull ML525955691 recorded by James Rensen.
Bus sounds recorded by dobroide and gezortenplotz on Freessound.org.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote July 2024/2026
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# actions-09-2024-07-23 actions-09
Ariana Remmel
Narrator
Conor Gearin
WriterSights & Sounds
