About this podcast
I began my birding journey in 2012 having never picked up a pair of binoculars. I decided to learn by doing an ABA,(American Birding Association), Big Year and finished with 600 species. 10 years later, in 2022 I did a Canada Big Year, and counted 456 species.
Now I get to talk to the birders of the Big Year, from Sandy Komito who was the first birder to do two Big Years, to Eve Morrell who was only the second woman to see more than 760 species in the continental ABA Area and provincial Big Year Birder, Karen Miller, who still holds the New Brunswick, Canada provincial record of 303 species.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 38 episodes
- Season 4, Episode 7: Riley Black and the Origins of Birds · 1 h 20 min · Episode 33Birds are dinosaurs. I’ll say that again. Birds are dinosaurs. Yes, birds, in fact, split off from a common non-avian dinosaur long before the asteroid hit 66 million years ago…
- Season 4, Episode 6: Ellen and Jerry Horak's 2025 Canada Big Year · 52 min · Episode 32Welcome birders to fall migration and a new episode of The Big Year Podcast, with me your congenial host, Robert Baumander. It’s the time of where the phrase, “there’s no birding…
- Season 4, Episode 5: Tarik Shahzad's Cook County Big Years · 48 min · Episode 31It’s my birthday and I’ll bird if I want to bird if I want to. You would bird too - if it was you. Welcome to the birthday edition of the Big Year Podcast. Well, the only thing…
- Season 4, Episode 4: Back on the Road, Again · 41 min · Episode 30Yes, once again, I am back on the road again. Welcome back to the Big Year Podcast, I remain and am still Robert Baumander and you’re well, you. And thanks for being you and…
- Season 4, Episode 3: Tobin Brown’s Nebraska Big Year, and a Whooping Craine update · 38 min · Episode 29A hardy welcome to summer birding and the return, after a break for migration, of The Big Year Podcast. Seems silly of me to tell you the title of the show, since you must have…
- Season 4, Episode 2: Canadian Astronaut Roberta Bondar, and A Space for Birds · 1 h 10 min · Episode 28The year was 1969. I was a month shy of my ninth birthday. It was way past my bedtime, though it was only 10pm. In my memory of the event, it was the middle of the night. Along…
- Season 4, Episode 1: Josh van der Meulen’s 2012 Ontario Big Year · 58 min · Episode 27The Big Year Podcast April 1, 2026 It is April 1, 2026, I’m Robert Baumander and welcome to season 4 of The Big Year Podcast. My 4th season? Really? So glad to be back again…
- Season 3, Episode 8: Ellen and Jerry Horak's Big Years · 38 min · Episode 26Welcome to another episode of The Big Year Podcast. I’m your host and guide to the world of Big Year birding, Robert Baumander. It’s December 1, 2025 and you’re listening to the…
- Season 3, Episode 7: Liam Ragan’s Victoria Island, BC Big Year · 1 h 3 min · Episode 25It’s a rainy day in Birderland. It’s October 30, 2025 and I am writing this on night before Halloween. I won’t claim that this is going to be a spooky episode, but there are one…
- Season 3, Episode 6: On the Road, Again · 38 min · Episode 24It was the perfect way to begin The Big Year Podcast On the Road, Again, with discovery of a very rare bird, right here in my backyard, near Cambridge, Ontario. A young birder by…
- Season 3, Episode 5: 2012 Ontario Big Year with Andrew Keaveny · 59 min · Episode 23Welcome all to The Big Year Podcast. I’m Robert Baumander and you’re, well, you. It’s the end of July, 2025, and you know what that means? Certainly an all new episode of the Big…
- Season 3, Episode 4: Ingrid and Ethan Whitaker's Lower 48 Big Year · 54 min · Episode 22Happy Canada Jay Day. It’s July 1, 2025 and for most people it’s a holiday and a chance to barbecue, picnic, get away from the house and watch or set off fireworks after dark…
- Season 3, Episode 3: Alberta Bider and Guide, Gavin McKinnon · 38 min · Episode 21Well, thank you once again for joining me on the Big Year podcast. As May turns to June, spring migration is coming to a close. I've been busy all the merry month of May, birding…
- Season 3, Episode 2: Natasza Fontaine and Robert Gundy Florida Big Year and Artist of the · 59 min · Episode 20Happy Podcast day, one and all! Welcome to back to The Big Year Podcast. Thank you once again for joining me. It’s April 15, 2025 and spring migration is well underway here in…
- Season 3, Episode 1: Jean Iron · 50 min · Season 3 Episode 1In the premiere episode of season 3, my guest is Jean Iron, one of the most prolific and well respected birders in Ontario.
- Season 2, Episode 9: The Season Finale · 43 min · Episode 19It is December of 2024 and we’ve come to the end of another season of The Big Year Podcast. Welcome one and all as we look back on another year of birding or are looking forward…
- Season 2, Episode 8: Josh Gant, 2020 Ocean County, NJ Big Year · 47 min · Episode 18Well, it's Friday, November 7, 2024. I'm now five weeks late for my latest podcast, this episode with Joshua Gant, which was supposed to have appeared on October 1st. Well, I got…
- Season 2, Episode 6: Marcus Legzdins and his 2023 HSA Big Year · 37 min · Episode 16Welcome, birders and non birders who have to put up with the birders in their lives, to the Big Year Podcast, with me, the one, the only,(thankfully), Robert Baumander. As I sit…
- Season 2, Episode 5: Trailblazing Extreme Birder Lynn Barber · 45 min · Season 2 Episode 15Today’s episode, features a trailblazer, who was the first woman to do a full out ABA Big Year and has been an inspiration to women in the birding world ever since she saw 723…
- Season 2, Episode 4: Brett Forsyth's 2022 Human Powered Green Big Year · 40 min · Season 2 Episode 4Brett Forsyth joins me to talk about his 2022 Self-powered Ontario Big Year







