John James Audubon's drawing of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Elephant Folio, Vol. I, Pl. 66. Library of Congress image.

Across the country, volunteers are counting birds and reporting back to Audubon. It's all part of the Christmas Bird Count, going strong for more than 100 years. Researchers hope the results will tell them how birds are faring, and they're watching this year's count closely, since birds have weathered a record wildfire season and struggled to recover from the 2005 hurricane season.

This hour, we'll get an update on this year's count and hear how birds have recovered from Katrina and Rita. Plus, a tribute to the most common urban bird: pigeons. A new book says most of us underestimate the nature and abilities of these birds.

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Click here for Pigeon Pot Pie Recipe

Listen to the knock of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker:
Credit: Sound derived from a search for ivory-billed woodpeckers in the Florida panhandle, spearheaded by biologists at Auburn University in Alabama and the University of Windsor in Canada.

Guests:
Geoff LeBaron
Christmas Bird Count Director
National Audubon Society
Williamsburg, Massachusetts

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Peter Yaukey
Biogeographer
Chair, Department of Geography
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

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Andrew Blechman
Author, "Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and
Reviled Bird" (Grove/Atlantic Inc., 2006)
Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird" (Grove/Atlantic Inc., 2006)

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Anne Marie Cunningham