Birding the gender gap

鸟瞰性别鸿沟

The Documentary Podcast

2025-08-14

29 分钟
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During the annual World Series of Birding in New Jersey, US, teams compete to see who can identify the most bird species in 24 hours. For team Galbatross the goal is different and much harder - they only identify female birds. This self-imposed restriction is a form of activism, calling into question centuries of ornithology that has focused primarily on male birds, with their bright plumage, elaborate dances, and loud songs. We follow team Galbatross as they attempt to break their own record for the most female birds spotted during the World Series of Birding. We also hear from scientists and birders alike about how we got where we are, and how expanding science to be more inclusive of species of all genders can change our perspective on ourselves and the environment.
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  • This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

  • All right, if people can take their seats, we'll get started.

  • We're sitting in a hotel ballroom in a small beach town on the northeast coast of the United States.

  • It's Sunday morning.

  • It's also Mother's Day in the US.

  • But the 200 odd people gathered today are not here to clink their glasses and give their mums flowers.

  • They're here... for an awards ceremony.

  • It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 42nd Annual World Series of Birding Awards Brunch.

  • How about a big round of applause for everybody here?

  • The World Series of Birding is an annual tournament held in Cape May on the southern tip of the state of New Jersey.

  • It's a 24-hour race where teams compete to identify the greatest number of bird species.

  • The tournament had finished just 10 hours earlier and awards were given out in a whole range of categories.

  • The overall winners ended up spotting almost 200 different bird species.

  • But one of the biggest cheers of the morning was given to a team that barely got a fifth of that total.

  • One of their members got up to the microphone near the end of the ceremony.

  • Hi everyone, my name is Stephanie Bilkey and I'm a member of the Galbatrosses.

  • The Galbatrosses are one of just a few all-female teams,

  • and they were not expecting to win the World Series of Birding.

  • In fact, the last time they competed, in 2019,

  • they were second to last behind a team called Tiny Tots, made up of literal toddlers.