All language subtitles for Extraordinary.Birder.with.Christian.Cooper.S01E05.720p.WEB.h264-EDITH

CHRISTIAN: Damn,
look at all those Ravens!

I'm Christian Cooper
and I am a birder.

Oh, that was cool.

My dad was a biology teacher
and gave me my first pair of

binoculars when I was
about ten years old and

I never put them down.

Wow, not something
I've seen in my life.

Now I'm traveling the globe
to explore the world of birds.

That's amazing,
it's like a cloud.

And their relationship with us.

Those of us who
don't have wings.

Oh yes, oh!

And along the way,

I'll show you what I
adore about these crazy smart...

Your first look at
the outside world.

Dazzling...

It's fantabulous!

And super-powered
feathered creatures.

The things I do for the birds.

CHRISTIAN: Washington DC,
our nation’s capital.

Most people know it
for the politics...

Oui, the politics!

But the district has so
much more to offer than that!

Over 700,000 people
call this city home and

while it's jam-packed
with what you'd expect...

Monuments and landmarks...

It's surrounded by nature.

Nestled right between the
Potomac and Anacostia Rivers,

there are gardens and
parks and forests...

Tons of green!

And where there's
green there are birds!

I'm here in spring...

When this city becomes a
bustling hotbed for our

feathered friends and
over 300 species can be

found hanging out.

But you know that old
saying "spring has sprung...

And love is in the air"?

Well, nothing could be more
true because spring is when

nature gets frisky, and that
especially applies to birds,

who rush back north full of
hormones with a need to breed.

I can't wait to see some of the nesting
birds and the newest additions,

the brand-new babies,
who call DC home.

When spring is in full bloom,

there's no better place
to see DC come alive than

than at the National Arboretum,

it's nearly 500 acres of
lush woods and gardens just

three miles from the capitol.

So you have a family of
bald eagles in the actual

District of Columbia?

DAN: Yeah. It's pretty cool.

CHRISTIAN: I'm meeting
wildlife biologist

Dan "The Birdman" Rauch.

He looks after a pretty
special couple that's recently

had a new addition
to the family.

DAN: At the National Arboretum,

they have over
400 protected acres,

they are right next to the
Anacostia River so there's

plenty of places for
them to fish and hunt.

So they're kind of
in the perfect spot.

And also the last Bald Eagle's
nest before they disappeared

from the District for 50
years was right here in 1947.

CHRISTIAN: Oh, wow.
DAN: That's a nice view.

CHRISTIAN: Wow, that's a nest!
DAN: That's a big nest.

CHRISTIAN: There's a
reason why the bald eagle

is our nation's symbol.

Just look at it,

with its signature
white head and yellow beak,

piercing eyes,
and razor-sharp talons,

it symbolizes
strength and freedom.

It's one of the largest
birds in north America.

It had almost disappeared
from the lower 48 states

by the mid-1900s, but
since DDT was banned 1972,

they've bounced back,

and now there are
over 71,000 nesting pairs

in the contiguous
United States.

DAN: This family's been
here since 2015 they're

not the original pair.

We started off
with Mr. President and

the first lady.

Right now, we have Mr. President
who was the male and

Lotus is the female.

Usually, bald eagles will,

they'll pair up for life and
if the nest is not successful

or something happens
they will find

another mate if they need to.

CHRISTIAN: So Lotus came in and
displaced the First Lady?

DAN: Yeah so when she came in,
it was a much younger bird,

much younger, she came in
she was a four-year-old.

CHRISTIAN: Wow.

DAN: So that was their first
year together they did not have

an egg and now this
their second year and

she's a first-time mom.

CHRISTIAN: In anticipation of
the bald eagles coming back

to the arboretum,

nest cams were
installed to give scientists

and bird fans all over the
world an up close and personal

look at this majestic duo,

kind of like their own
version of a reality show.

DAN: They paired up
really well immediately.

They went right
to nest building,

and in the end of March,
she laid two eggs.

The first egg, DC-8,

didn’t survive the
hatching process.

It’s a really rough process,

a lot of eggs don’t
make it through.

They’ve got to push
their way out of the shell.

But DC-9 did hatch
on March 28th.

The Bald Eagle goes from
hatching to full-grown in nine

or ten weeks and we are
right in the middle of that.

Mr. President is an
excellent provider.

That chick has not
been wanting for food.

It hasn’t moved around a whole
lot the first couple of weeks

because all of that energy
is going into growth.

And very soon the chick should
be standing up testing out

those new wings.

So it is a wobbly kind of
teenager deal just learning how

to stand up.

CHRISTIAN: Gawky and...

DAN: Yeah very gawky,
yeah very definitely in

the teen years.

Ya know, not sure of itself,

stumbling around a little bit.

It’s in mid, ya know,

the feathers are
starting to come in.

CHRISTIAN: The flight feathers.
DAN: The flight feathers.

CHRISTIAN: And so how long
will it be before DC-9 flies?

DAN: She's about
five weeks now,

so maybe another five weeks.

There we go, now you can
see that's Mr. President.

CHRISTIAN: Oh yeah, that's
Mr. President right there.

DAN: And there's DC-9.

CHRISTIAN: Oh my goodness.

DAN: So later on this week DC-9 is
getting a vet check and getting banded.

You want to come?

CHRISTIAN: Oh, cool.
Absolutely.

I've seen a baby bald
eagle up close...

Time to check that
off my bucket list,

but now that I'll
be helping band one?

Yeah, I guess that means I'll need
a bucket list for my bucket list.

While Mr. President and
his family might be stealing

the spotlight at the arboretum,

there's another raptor
that's making a splash in

the rivers that
surround the city, because,

well, it's a master at fishing,
the osprey.

DAN: One of the things I do is
monitor the Osprey populations

for the district.

There’s some right over here.

CHRISTIAN: Let's check them out.

Yeah, I can see...

Oh, oh he's diving,
diving, diving...

DAN: There’s one
going down for a dive.

And it’s in.

CHRISTIAN: Impact!

The Osprey is nicknamed the
"Lone Ranger" of raptors because

of their signature mask-like
band across their eyes.

Appearances aside,

they are the
"bomb.com" of fishing raptors.

While the female
guards the young,

the male heads out and is able
to snag a fish 70% of the time,

that's like having a batting
average of 700, not bad!

Plenty of food means happy
parents, and you got it,

happy baby ospreys!

It's all about the seafood.

It doesn't want anything but fish
and it's expert at catching them.

Here comes another one.

DAN: Absolutely, there
are actually four of them now,

that’s five.

So this must be a
major fishing spot.

I call Ospreys the
“original surfers.”

The way they position
their fish it looks like

they’re riding it because
they have a special ability

to swing one of
their toes around,

with the claws on each side
they can pull that fish out

and they can ride it.

It easier to grab something
really slippery and slimy

like a live fish.

You know, Osprey
don’t weigh a whole lot.

They’re only four, maybe
five pounds and it makes it

a whole lot easier to
have the fish looking the

same way you are,

one foot in front,
one foot in the back,

and they will hang eight because
they've only got eight toes.

Populations have
really come back.

In the 60s there
weren’t that many.

We were down to
1,400 maybe down in the

Chesapeake Bay region

and now we’re
about 12,000 pairs.

So, it’s really a
conservation success story.

CHRISTIAN: What changed?

DAN: A lot of our pesticides
and bio-accumulating

contaminants have been banned,

so the numbers have shot way up.

CHRISTIAN: Because of
folks like Dan,

the raptors are making
a comeback in DC,

and for this birder,

or any bird lover
for that matter,

nothing could be better.

Nice, oh!

Back in the heart of the city,

there's a spot during springtime
that's kinda like bird central,

the National Mall.

To us humans, it's all
about the monuments.

But the birds could care
less about that stuff because

the mall is filled with
ponds to bathe in,

trees to rest in and
grassy lawns chock full of

big fat worms.

TYKEE: The National Mall
is a huge birding hot spot.

CHRISTIAN: I'm meeting
up with Tykee James,

the DC Audubon
Society president,

and fellow bird-nerd,

who's going to show
me some of the birds and

bird action here on the mall.

What kind of United States
is this that we've got Canada

geese calling on the lawn?

TYKEE: Well, it just means
that we work really friendly

with our partners
across the border.

CHRISTIAN: Oh ok.

(Tykee laughs).

I'll buy that.

TYKEE: And among different
birds with nationalities

attached to their name,
the American Robin...

CHRISTIAN: Yes!

TYKEE: Is actually the special
bird that I want to show you.

CHRISTIAN: I am all in for
the American Robin,

it is like one of our
most iconic species.

You can’t miss ’em,
they’re on the lawns,

they’re in backyards,
it’s got so many great things

going for it.

TYKEE: There’s a couple that’s
just moved into DC recently.

CHRISTIAN: Alright.

TYKEE: Actually, they’re
right over here we can go

check them out.

CHRISTIAN: Excellent.
TYKEE: All right.

CHRISTIAN: You can always
hear robins around

"chee-ring chee-ring, cherrio."

Like that?

TYKEE: Right. Yes.

CHRISTIAN: Most people take the
American robin for granted because,

well, they're everywhere...

But, really, what many see as
an ordinary bird is actually

kinda cool, especially
when it comes to hunting.

TYKEE: Robins are really
good at getting worms.

Part of the reason is
their eyes are on the side

of their head.

Makes it a lot easier for
them to look for a worm,

look for a worm here,

they can see it actually
move through the ground and

then just quickly
get those worms.

For robins, nest building is
kind of like apartment hunting;

they want to look for
proximity to restaurants,

they want to look for proximity
to leisure activities.

If you're a robin then you're
looking at this entire lawn as

a buffet of worms.

TYKEE: So, there's this robin,

recently picking up
little nesting material,

and formed a little spot.

CHRISTIAN: Oh, I see it.
TYKEE: Yes.

CHRISTIAN: In there on that biggest
kind of almost horizontal limb.

TYKEE: Yes.

I’m gonna just try to peek
to see if there’s any eggs in

there by taking a picture.

CHRISTIAN: Each spring, when
nature reminds these amorous

little robins "yo!
It's baby-making time",

the females get to
work building their nests.

They use their wings to press
against a pile of dry twigs and

grass to create a cup shape,
the end goal?

To fill it with their
own "robin blue" eggs.

Anybody can see this,

anybody can watch
this miracle of life happening

in their own yard
and that's amazing to me.

Oh cool!

TYKEE: And I was with them when
they just started building it

and wow that’s...

CHRISTIAN: I mean talk
about robin’s egg blue.

TYKEE: Yeah.
CHRISTIAN: That is, wow.

Robins are spectacular.

The ways that robins hunt,

their vocalizations
are incredible,

so there's all kinds of
things to learn from them.

That's why they're so much fun.

But the American robin
isn't the only bird out on

the National Mall.

It's like the birds of
spring called a convention...

And everyone showed up!

A former president made a list
of over 90 different species

he saw in DC
while he was in office.

And we're headed out to see
as many of those as we can.

TYKEE: Oh my gosh, flying over!

CHRISTIAN: Yep, yep, yep.

CHRISTIAN: We’re about to
start a birdwatching hunt on

the National Mall.

We have a list, so we
won’t be just winging it.

TYKEE: In 1908, so
over 100 years ago,

with the local Audubon Society,

President Theodore Roosevelt
compiled a list in the same way

that I would do a
checklist for my backyard,

he did one
for the White House.

CHRISTIAN: If anything, President
Roosevelt would have called himself an

outdoorsman before
calling himself president.

When he wasn't
running the country,

he was out bird watching,
and he documented 93 birds

he had seen in the city.

Well, we can check
off American Robin.

TYKEE: Yes, we can.

CHRISTIAN: It's time to see how
many birds we can find on

Teddy's list out
here on the mall.

(Sparrow call)

Just heard a Song Sparrow.

TYKEE: Oh!

CHRISTIAN: American Crow.

Oh, and I just heard a
Red-Winged Blackbird.

All black like the
American Crow but smaller with

a red patch on the shoulder
that “oh-ka-ree” that’s the

Red-Winged-Blackbird.

Oh, Chimney Swift!

Flying cigar!

TYKEE: “Uh-uh.” I just heard
the call of the Fish Crow.

Cause I was gonna ask you,
what’s the difference between

an American and Fish Crow?

CHRISTIAN: So,
this great debate,

American Crow
versus Fish Crow,

they look identical.

You can't tell them
apart by looking at them.

So the only way you can tell is
if it goes "kaw-kaw-kaw" it's

an American Crow but if it goes
"nih-nih" it's a Fish Crow.

I don't know about you but I
bird a lot by ear and we have

the fountain going, we've
got the airplanes flying by...

TYKEE: Yes, yes.

CHRISTIAN: We've got
traffic noise, and you have to

filter all that out and
zero in on the birds.

TYKEE: Yes. And that airplane,
I know that call.

That’s specifically
the Northern Gashawk.

(groans).

CHRISTIAN: I knew you
were going there.

Blue Jay!

TYKEE: Oh wow, yeah
that’s a really good look at

a Blue Jay here.

CHRISTIAN: The really interesting
thing about the Blue Jay is

that he didn’t look that blue
and that’s cause it’s a gray

sky cause there is no blue
pigment in birds’ feathers.

The only reason it looks
blue is the way the feathers

refract the light.

So if there’s not good light
blue doesn’t look blue in birds.

TYKEE: Huh.

CHRISTIAN: And of course,
it wouldn't be springtime

if we didn't see...

Ducklings!

TYKEE: No way.
CHRISTIAN: Ducklings!

TYKEE: There’s ducklings?
CHRISTIAN: Ducklings!

We've got a bunch of Mallards.
That's the...

Mallard has a green head and
a white ring around the neck.

And that's the most common
duck that you'll see,

but these Mallards
have ducklings already.

TYKEE: Yes.

CHRISTIAN: Which is
totally adorable.

Oh, it's actually a crow
chasing a Green Heron.

That's a Green Heron.

TYKEE: Wow.
CHRISTIAN: Nice.

Alright so good we got
Green Heron to add to the...

Yeah, we gotta catch
our list up-to-date.

That's a Great
Crested Flycatcher.

It goes "vreep" and that
it goes "vrip-vrip-vrip."

TYKEE: Well looks
like we got it, huh?

That was a great call for
the Great Crested Flycatcher.

CHRISTIAN: Excellent.

You've gotta give Washington
points for being iconic.

TYKEE: Great Blue Heron.

CHRISTIAN: No. Where?

TYKEE: Flying.
Up high left.

CHRISTIAN: Ah! Good spot.

We've arrived at the steps
of the Lincoln Memorial,

it's a good time to call
it a day and count all the

birds we've seen.

I've got 17.

And for ya know a short
walk on the Mall on a not

great weather day for it,
I'd say we did pretty well.

TYKEE: Yeah, alright.
CHRISTIAN: Alright.

TYKEE: Well, we
saw a lot of birds,

wanna go check out the sights?

CHRISTIAN: Sure, let’s do it.

TYKEE: Okay. Lincoln Memorial.

What a day.

CHRISTIAN: You couldn't ask for
a more dramatic backdrop.

These iconic monuments that are
sort of fixed in the American

imagination and then to be
looking at birds all around em.

This was the quintessential
American experience,

it's "America plus".

It's time for an early night
because tomorrow Tykee's taking

me out into the wilderness,
quite literally.

Tykee, it is absolutely
gorgeous here.

TYKEE: I will have to agree.

CHRISTIAN: We're 60 miles
north of DC on the Potomac River

near West Virginia.

Tykee's heard about a secret
spot where the springtime

nesting action is
off the charts.

So you're going to take us to
this island of magical birds.

JEFF: That’s what
we’re gonna do.

CHRISTIAN: Excellent.

Jeff Kelbee is a local river
guide who knows about a massive

great blue heron rookery on a
secret island just downstream.

Sounds like the pentagon,
but for birds.

JEFF: Yeah, we’re
gonna head that way.

Down about four miles and
it’s about 200 breeding pairs.

TYKEE: Ooh.

CHRISTIAN: I’m
eager to get there.

TYKEE: Yeah, yeah, yeah,
let's get some jackets on.

CHRISTIAN: Let’s do it.
JEFF: Let’s do it.

CHRISTIAN: The only way to get to it
is by rafting down rushing rapids,

something I feel tottttaaaallly
comfortable doing.

So why are they nesting on
this island as opposed to any

of the other trees around?

JEFF: I suspect it’s
because it’s isolated.

There’s not a lot
of human habitation.

It’s surrounded by
national parkland.

CHRISTIAN: Okay, yeah, I’m
excited about this island,

but with all of the birds
right in front of us,

I feel like a kid
in a candy store.

TYKEE: We’ve got
our first Bald Eagle.

Oh, we got a perch.

CHRISTIAN: Yep, Bald Eagle
just perched on a branch.

TYKEE: Yeah.

CHRISTIAN: There's
swallows all around us.

JEFF: So that bird
with the blue top?

CHRISTIAN: That’s a Tree!
JEFF: That’s a Tree Swallow.

CHRISTIAN: That's a Tree
Swallow! We got our first Tree!

Good spotting!

Suddenly, I feel the speed of
the water start to pick up and

that can only mean one thing...

JEFF: We’re heading
towards rapids. Yep.

In about two miles the rapids,

the river drops 32
feet in the next two miles.

CHRISTIAN: 32 feet?
JEFF: It’s a lot of drop.

CHRISTIAN: How
enticing for us all.

(Christian screaming)

I gotta be honest, I don't swim.

Being on the water isn't
exactly my happy place,

so this is gonna be
an interesting test

of my composure.

TYKEE: The birds can just
chill on any of these.

CHRISTIAN: Yeah, the birds
are above the rapids.

We are on the rapids.

(both laugh).

CHRISTIAN: This is the difference
between being a bird...

TYKEE: And a bird-er.
CHRISTIAN: And being a bird-er.

TYKEE: Hold on to
your binoculars.

This is perilous.

CHRISTIAN: Woah no!

(screams).

CHRISTIAN: I'm on the
mighty Potomac,

on my way to a secret
island that's been taken over

by great blue herons.

TYKEE: Hold onto
your binoculars.

CHRISTIAN: Oh no, no!

Woo-hoo!

JEFF: Good job guys.

CHRISTIAN: I am perched between
Maryland on one side and

West Virginia on the other,

going down the rapids
and I’m kinda loving it.

It’s cool.

JEFF: So we are
approaching Harper's Ferry.

Harpers Ferry is well known as
the place where John Brown...

CHRISTIAN: Abolitionist.

JEFF: An abolitionist created
an insurrection with his family

and tried to take over
the Harpers Ferry armory.

CHRISTIAN: This is part of
what sparked the Civil War.

JEFF: It’s part of what
sparked the Civil War.

Exactly.

So October 16 to 18 he staged
an insurrection in 1859.

Predated the Civil War.

CHRISTIAN: So people like Tykee
and me are free because of

something that started here.

JEFF: Exactly.

TYKEE: Took work.

JEFF: Alright, guys
take a look downstream.

And if you look through
right underneath the bridge,

is the head of the island,

the island is a mile
and a quarter long.

And that’s where the
rookery is, on that island.

TYKEE: Wow.
CHRISTIAN: Beautiful.

Jeff wasn't kidding, there are
great blue herons everywhere!

They're massive, super
elegant-looking birds,

and have long legs that would
make a supermodel jealous.

They're found in most wetlands
all over the us because they're

extremely successful hunters.

And that beak?

That's used to snatch
and sometimes even skewer

unsuspecting fish.

When it comes to making babies,

great blue herons
nest in a community,

or what's called a
rookery way up in the treetops.

It's like a giant
maternity ward...

But in the sky.

JEFF: When I land here it
reminds me of like we’ve

arrived in Jurassic Park.

It’s so isolated and there’s
all these big birds here.

You look through the tree
canopy you can start to see the

nests up in that Sycamore.

CHRISTIAN: Oh yeah.

I can start to see one,
two, three, four...

I can see four or
five nests just from here.

TYKEE: Wow.

CHRISTIAN: Alright, well,
get so I can get...

TYKEE: Alright, let's...
JEFF: Let me hop off here.

CHRISTIAN: The rookery
above us is buzzing,

and it’s almost impossible
to take it all in.

JEFF: These nests
are all in Sycamores.

There’s I think seven
or eight trees and they go

diagonally down this
way through the island.

There’s more on that one.

That tree there.

Oh, you can see that bird
though pretty well from here.

TYKEE: Oh wow.

CHRISTIAN: Yeah, we’re getting a
view of the Great Blue Heron

like I have never seen before.

Wow.

It is so strange to be
seeing a Great Blue Heron

from this angle.

Beautiful.

JEFF: I count 18 up there.
CHRISTIAN: 18 nests? JEFF: Yeah.

CHRISTIAN: Oh wow,
look at all of this.

TYKEE: Oh wow.

CHRISTIAN: It is like finding
the “Lair of the Pterodactyls.”

TYKEE: Oh Woah.

We’ve got folks flying left,
we’ve got folks flying right.

CHRISTIAN: I’m loving the
frame of the low green and

then you have those
beautiful white Sycamore

branches which are
almost bare you know framed

against the blue sky and
that’s where the nests are.

Almost like there’s a
cathedral holding the nests up

towards the sky.

It’s gorgeous.
I’m loving it.

TYKEE: Okay, poet.

CHRISTIAN: Yeah well, you know.

What you're getting when
you bird is not just the bird

but you're getting
the bird in context.

You're getting the bird with
the sky and with the branches

that are holding it up to
that sky with its nest up there.

You're just getting all these
wonderful things all at once

and it's just it's a
tremendous total

sensory all-around experience.

TYKEE: I actually
don't know which one...

CHRISTIAN: We’ve got
some action going on.

TYKEE: Yeah, we’ve got a
lot of the swooping in,

and I’m definitely seeing
some faster flying.

CHRISTIAN: That’s cause there’s
a Bald Eagle up there.

TYKEE: Oh, yeah there it is.

Giving everybody a...

CHRISTIAN: A little scare.

Bald eagles are known to
go after small birds, so,

it's no wonder these
herons group together.

There’s strength in numbers,
and the young stand a better

chance of making it!

JEFF: An egg.
TYKEE: Wow.

JEFF: Check it out.

We were wondering if we
were going to find an egg.

TYKEE: Oh, there we go.

CHRISTIAN: Very cool.

So we’re presuming this is
a Great Blue Heron’s egg.

I mean what else
would it be, right?

JEFF: We are directly
underneath the nest.

Yeah, it looks like
maybe it's hatched.

It’s a hatched egg.

CHRISTIAN: Cause if it fell and
broke it would splatter.

Wow. Look at that.

This was a lot of fun.

What makes the rookery
special is it hasn't been

inhabited by man.

That means that the wildlife
here has had a chance to make

it their own.

Awesome.

This place is pristine,
untouched, truly special.

For my next stop,

I'm heading out
to the DC suburb,

Laurel, Maryland,

to meet my friend
Rodney Stotts.

He's found a way to give some
of the region's at-risk birds

and at-risk teens a fresh
start at the same time.

Hey Rodney.

RODNEY: Chris, Chris, Chris,
what’s going on buddy?

What’s happening with you today?

CHRISTIAN: Well, not much except
I'm getting to meet this guy

for the first time.

RODNEY: This fellow
here is Mr. Hoots.

He's a Eurasian Eagle Owl,
they're found in the Northern

parts of Europe,
Asia, and Africa.

CHRISTIAN: He’s beautiful.
Can I hold him?

RODNEY: Sure sure, I want you
to get the chance to meet him.

Go, step back for me?

CHRISTIAN: Yep.
RODNEY: Good boy.

You good? Okay.

Put that on your left hand.

CHRISTIAN: Yep.

Rodney grew up as a troubled
kid on the streets of DC,

but when he was in a
youth work program,

he discovered the
world of raptors,

and it changed his life forever.

RODNEY: Keep your hand
straight out like this for me.

CHRISTIAN: Got it.
He is 100% magnificent.

The Eurasian eagle owl,

with its bright orange
eyes and feathery ear tufts,

is a true
marvel of nature.

It has a wingspan that
ranges from five to six feet

that helps make it a silent
nighttime hunter.

When it comes to their diet,
they're not picky.

They eat everything
from insects to rodents to

fish and reptiles.

Even other birds.

They're about as formidable
a predator as there is.

But for Mr. Hoots,
it's a different story.

RODNEY: He's about
27 years old now.

He was a show bird and
he injured his left wing

to a point that can
never be released.

He can't hunt.

This is my son,

this is a bird that I’ve
loved for 20-plus years

that’s been there
with me through thick, thin,

you name it, he’s been there.

Man, we eat dinner together,
he can have a mouse,

I have a steak.

When he sits up he’ll hug me.

Go on and put your
arm around me.

Gives me kisses.

Cuddles with me.

Like I said, he’s my son.

My little fat boy,
ain’t that right fat man?

I’m an animal junkie.

I’m not a big people person.

The animals really was a big
part of changing everything.

CHRISTIAN: And so falconry was
a part of changing how your,

the direction of your life.

RODNEY: Yes.

CHRISTIAN: Because before that
the direction was not so great.

RODNEY: I would have
ended up one of two places

that I know for sure:
Dead or in jail.

RODNEY: I would have
ended up one of two places

that I know for sure:
Dead or in jail.

CHRISTIAN: I'm in
Laurel, Maryland

where master falconer
Rodney Stotts is explaining

how raptors gave him a
whole new lease on life.

RODNEY: So with the birds,

I started realizing
that lifestyle that you

were leading, you aren’t
going anywhere with it.

CHRISTIAN: I'm fascinated that
Rodney and I ended up in

something of a similar
place coming to it from two

completely different angles.

You know, I grew up bougie
in suburban New York,

you know Rodney
grew up in DC on the streets,

and yet somehow through our
various different experiences,

we both end up at a
place where birds are central

to our way of seeing the world,

and appreciating the world,
and loving the world.

To be this close to an animal
like this I can see why these

animals changed your life,

gave you something
to really hold on to

in tough times.

Now, with Mr. Hoots
by his side,

Rodney's running a
program with at-risk youth,

using his passion for birds to
help teach teens the importance

of wildlife conservation...

RODNEY: Fat boy, step up.

CHRISTIAN: And give them
a sense of greater purpose.

RODNEY: We bring young people up
and teach them raptor education,

environmental science.

They get to learn how
to build the aviaries and

get a sense of
pride in doing something.

So around back we're
building a flight cage.

So once a bird has been
injured, gets surgery,

they need a place that they
can get the apathy out of their

wings and strengthen
their wings back.

CHRISTIAN: And you’ve got a new
group of students coming today.

RODNEY: Yeah, we get about
20 to 25 young people.

You want to go check it out?

CHRISTIAN: Please.
RODNEY: Let’s go.

CHRISTIAN: Alright.
RODNEY: Come on fat boy.

CHRISTIAN: Fat boy.

RODNEY: You want
to lead the way?

Come on.

CHRISTIAN: It’s a big space.

RODNEY: You need a big
space for big birds to fly.

RODNEY: How y’all doing today?

GROUP: Good.

RODNEY: Now first of all I’d
like to say thank y’all man

because what you guys will be
doing over the next five months

up here with this program
and working with these

birds of prey
means a lot to me.

The things that
you learn up here,

you can use them later and
really go far in life man.

So y’all ready to go to work?

GROUP: Yes sir!

RODNEY: Alright,
let’s get to work.

CHRISTIAN: What
can I do to help?

I am horrible with
a hammer and a nail,

but doing it with the kids,
that was infectious.

I am very, very committed
to seeing the next generation

taken care of.

Making sure that regardless
of their background they

get the chance to see nature
and be aware of birds.

Rodney because of
his unique experience,

he’s able to not only help bring
the birds back to the world,

but he’s bringing the
kids back to the world.

Well done.

Just a few more finishing touches
and these cages'll soon be ready,

marking a fresh start
for some birds,

and hopefully a fresh
start for some teens as well.

It's almost time to head
back to the arboretum for the

banding of the baby eagle,

but I have one more stop
that's just a little further

outside of the city.

Every spring, west of
DC in rural Virginia,

there's a group of birds,
grassland birds,

that make their way to the farm fields
of the countryside to do one thing,

get busy, and have babies.

But the fields that give these
randy songbirds a place to nest

and raise their chicks
also make them vulnerable

to predators and human activity.

Amy Johnson and her team from
the Smithsonian's National Zoo

and Conservation Biology
Institute are on the case

here at Oxbow Farm.

So, this is your office.

AMY: Yeah, one of them.

Unfortunately, grassland birds
have declined more than any

other group of birds in all of
North America and that’s really

due to agricultural
intensification.

CHRISTIAN: What exactly
are you studying here to try

to reverse that?

AMY: These farm fields are crucial
for sustaining populations.

So we’re working directly with
private landowners and farmers

to look at how their
management practices are

influencing the populations.

Like, like their
nesting success.

CHRISTIAN: Grassland birds
like the eastern meadowlark and

the red-winged blackbird
rely on farm fields for nesting.

The grasses are
everything to them,

it’s where they
hunt for insects,

woo prospective mates,
lay eggs, and, ultimately,

have babies.

But the grasses also help
to camouflage their nests,

and sometimes, too well.

If the farmers don’t know
the bird nests are there,

the eggs and chicks
can be destroyed when the

grasses are mowed.

AMY: So these birds are
nesting directly on the ground.

And so this rope will just drag
along the tips of the grasses

and then if we come close
to a nest a female may

flush up and indicate
that there’s a nest there.

CHRISTIAN: Amy and her team
are doing what they can to

help locals understand
how to protect these species.

By encouraging farmers to
shift the timing of mowing

during nesting season by
just a few weeks,

baby birds’ll have time to
grow up so they can safely

leave the nest.

So, we are going nest searching.

AMY: Once people realize
that birds are nesting here

they start to think
differently about how they

manage these fields.

So we could be finding any
kind of bird nest in here.

We know there's red-wing
blackbirds nesting, there's

eastern meadowlarks and...

(gasps).

CHRISTIAN: Nest?
AMY: Nest.

CHRISTIAN: I'm at
Oxbow Farm in Virginia,

helping to search for grassland
bird nests on the ground,

and it looks like we may
have just struck gold.

Nest?

AMY: Nest!
CHRISTIAN: Ah!

AMY: It looks like
there’s eggs in it.

CHRISTIAN: Ooh!

AMY: So we’re going
to mark this nest.

CHRISTIAN: Okay.

AMY: Yeah, this is a
Red-Winged Blackbird nest.

So you can see there’s
two baby blue eggs.

They look like they’ve
been dipped in chocolate.

They’re stunning.

So we’ll mark a
tall piece of grass.

So maybe we’ll mark
right around here.

If you look at a
field like this,

you know we’re going around
and doing these nesting surveys

and this field is not mowed.

A field like this could produce
hundreds of young every year

that are able to contribute
to the population.

CHRISTIAN: We're not going
to stop farming,

we can't stop farming,

but we can tailor our practices
just a little bit so that the

birds have a better chance to survive
so that finding the nest is crucial.

It's also cool as heck.

Amy's top priority is to
make sure the fields are safe

for the baby birds to live...

but she also monitors the
habitat use and migration

strategies of the adult
birds with GPS tagging.

But in order to do that,
we first have to catch them.

AMY: Just give it
a little shake.

CHRISTIAN: Oh!

AMY: There you go, Perfect.

CHRISTIAN: Today, we’re
tagging eastern meadowlarks,

because it’s the middle of
mating season when the males

are singing and trying to
talk the ladies into making

some babies with them.

AMY: So this is our decoy,
Maury, the Meadowlark.

CHRISTIAN: Your
petrified Meadowlark.

AMY: And he helps draw in
some of the Meadowlarks.

Male Meadowlarks are very
territorial so we put out a

caller and what this does
is it plays a Meadowlark song

and that will draw in male
Meadowlarks who have already

established territories here.

And it should bring
them into the nets.

CHRISTIAN: With Maury now
stepping on the local's turf,

this is like DEFCON 5,

and any nearby male
eastern meadowlark will be

ready to defend its territory.

AMY: Okay, so now
we just walk away quietly.

Now we wait.

CHRISTIAN: In springtime,
male eastern meadowlarks are

like the Pavarotti's
of grassland birds.

they use their songs to
seduce potential mates,

and it's hard work!

some might need to sing one
song over 100 different ways

to seal the deal with
one of the females.

AMY: A meadowlark
just flew over...

CHRISTIAN: Oh!

AMY: And he's probably
just assessing the situation

and trying to figure
out if this Maury character

is really a threat.

CHRISTIAN: Come on.
Yes, he's in! Go!

Alright.

With the meadowlark captured,

it's time for a quick health
check with Amy's team members,

Bernadette and Amy.

Awww.

BERNADETTE: He’s a big one.

CHRISTIAN: He’s a beauty.

BERNADETTE: So we have
a weight of 115.8 grams.

BOTH: Okay.
CHRISTIAN: Got it.

Okay, this is like some
Meadowlark massage technique

that I’m unfamiliar with.

(laugh).

BERNADETTE: So I’m just
blowing on the bird so I can

see under his feathers.

I’m looking to see
how much fat he has if

he’s replacing feathers.

CHRISTIAN: Oh cool!

BERNADETTE: And next,
we’re going to look at CP.

So CP is Cloacal Protuberance,

and so males their
cloaca swells during the

breeding season.

CHRISTIAN: Ah!

BERNADETTE: So it’s an
indication that he’s got

a female and he’s
been getting busy.

CHRISTIAN: Okay!

BERNADETTE: I’m just gonna
blow here down on his belly

to look at his cloaca.

CHRISTIAN: This is a
little intimate.

BERNADETTE: It is.

So it’s
actually quite swollen so

we’ll call that a two.

CHRISTIAN: He’s getting busy.

(laughter).

BERNADETTE: So all of these
measurements together, you know,

indicate that he’s heavy enough that
we can put a GPS tracker on him.

CHRISTIAN: The tracker will let
Amy's team follow the bird’s

movements around the farm
during the breeding season.

It’ll also help them track
where the birds migrate to

after breeding season.

So it’s good that this little
guy has had plenty of action

because there’s zero
chance he’s getting any

privacy anytime soon.

AMY: So this tag is getting
attached with a leg-loop

harness is what it’s called.

And so it fits around the
thighs of the bird and sits on

like the rump basically.

AMY: So you can see
how small that tag is.

BERNADETTE: So this bird's
ready to go back to his ladies.

CHRISTIAN: Shall we send
him off to his, his friends...

His special friends?

BERNADETTE: Alright just grab
the bird around...

Yep, around his neck like that,
you’re gonna hold him.

CHRISTIAN: Okay.

BERNADETTE: Perfect.
And hold there tight.

And then to release you’re
just going to open your hand.

CHRISTIAN: The fact that here at
Oxbow Farm they've dedicated so

much of it to research that
they've changed their practices

to facilitate and
help the birds,

that's epic and it's something
that hopefully other farms in

the region and across the
country will start to emulate.

Springtime in DC is all
about the baby birds.

They rule this time of year.

So, I'm heading back to the
National Arboretum to take part

in the banding of one of
the biggest baby birds in town,

DC-9.

Hey guys.

DAN: Hey Chris.

CHRISTIAN: Getting this chick
down from a nest way up in the

treetops will require a
professional, definitely not me.

So, Dan brought in biologist
and climbing specialist

Jim Campbell-Spickler
to get the job done.

DAN: Well, Jim is
the eagle whisperer.

So what we’re going to do is,
DC-9 is up there in the nest.

CHRISTIAN: Okay.

DAN: Jim’s going to go up
there and bring DC-9 down.

CHRISTIAN: Wow.

And to do that, you got to
go up into that nest which

is how high?

JIM: It’s about 80 feet.
CHRISTIAN: Better you than me.

JIM: Yes.

CHRISTIAN: Oh wow,
that is a long way up.

We're really bringing
DC-9 down for two reasons...

DAN: Good luck.

CHRISTIAN: One, banding
it'll give Dan and his team

a way to track the
bird's movements.

Two, it's a great time
to do DC-9's first and

only chick checkup to
determine its sex and

perform a small blood test
to check its overall health.

DAN: Well, you can
see the eagles are...

CHRISTIAN: Not happy!

They are nervous.

DAN: And they are definitely
watching Jim climb the tree.

♪ ♪

CHRISTIAN: I'm back at the
National Arboretum,

to help with the
banding of DC-9.

But Dan and I aren't the
only ones watching...

DAN: The eagles...

they’re keeping a close
eye on what’s going on,

I mean that is their nest,
that is their chick.

They’re going to be protective.

CHRISTIAN: You can hear them.

DAN: Now they’re
starting to vocalize.

CHRISTIAN: Wow...
DAN: Yeah.

CHRISTIAN: I’ve never heard
bald eagles make a sound before.

DAN: That is her first chick.

So you can see why
she’s a little concerned.

This is, this is her first baby.

CHRISTIAN: Yeah,
that's her child.

The parents are circling,
and I gotta admit,

I'm feeling a
little anxious too.

I just wish I could tell
Mr. President and Lotus that

this is for DC-9's own good.

DAN: Wanna see Jim?

CHRISTIAN: Oh, wow!

DAN: Uh, the chick now sees Jim.

DC-9 is making
himself look really big.

Kind of puffed up.

Look at me, I’m a big eagle.

CHRISTIAN: Don’t mess with me.

DAN: Yeah, don’t mess with me.

I don’t think Jim’s buying it.

CHRISTIAN: Once he
gets into position,

he’s going to wait
until that bird chills.

DAN: So Jim likes to
talk to his eagle chicks.

CHRISTIAN: Oh.

JIM: You look healthy.

This is your parents’ feathers.

CHRISTIAN: Jim soothes DC-9 by
speaking to it in low tones

with a calm voice.

DAN: He's the eagle whisperer.

Now, see, the chick
is perfectly calm.

CHRISTIAN: All right, so now it
looks like Jim is in the Zen phase.

DAN: He looks like he’s having
a wonderful conversation.

CHRISTIAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

DAN: It’s facing him, it’s got
the feet out, wings are down,

look they’re talking.

CHRISTIAN: The eagle's riveted,
Jim's a great conversationalist.

JIM: Okay, you ready?

CHRISTIAN: And then he's going to
put it in a bag, a bird-safe bag?

DAN: He's got a bird-safe
bag right around his waist.

CHRISTIAN: Ooh,
he’s got the bird!

DAN: Alright!

CHRISTIAN: DC-9 is in the bag.
Literally and figuratively.

As Jim makes his
way down with DC-9,

Dan and I prep the
banding station.

Jim, we slid into the
shade here so that the bird

is not stressed out from heat.

JIM: That's perfect.

CHRISTIAN: Contrary to
what many people think,

our human smell won't
spook DC-9's parents and

they'll be back by
its side soon enough.

JIM: Okay, you
ready to meet DC-9?

CHRISTIAN: Oh, wow.

JIM: You're adorable.

Let’s see if we can get
him or her to walk out.

This is their first
steps on the ground.

There you go.

CHRISTIAN: Wow, wow, hi!

Hello there, DC-9.

JIM: This eaglet appears to
be in really good condition.

This panting is normal
for a warm day like this.

Stress levels are really low.

CHRISTIAN: The idea that I’m
an arms-length away from a

bald eaglet is something
I’d never imagined

would be happening and
it’s unbelievably cool.

JIM: Okay, should we start?
CHRISTIAN: Let's do it. JIM: Okay.

CHRISTIAN: Make no mistake,

Jim and Dan
are the real experts here,

and they're doing the real work.

I'm just trying not to freak
out from excitement from

cradling this baby bald eagle.

We got you, little one.

I gotcha, you're good.

JIM: That’s it!

CHRISTIAN: I can feel his or her
breathing against my chest.

It's actually a calm,
soothing feeling.

Now that the band
is crimped in place,

it's time to draw some blood
and take some measurements to

determine DC-9's sex.

It's okay, you're good.

JIM: Small feather.
CHRISTIAN: You're good.

JIM: It’s most likely a boy.

CHRISTIAN: We have
ourselves a boy!

JIM: And that’s it!
Ready to go back in the nest.

CHRISTIAN: Alright.

This bird has become an icon
for Americans coast to coast.

So that makes this
family of birds a real

focal point of attention,
and that’s great.

A lot of our birds are in
a very precarious position.

You know, the bald eagles
were in a precarious position,

they're actually in
a better position now,

but that’s because of what
people have done to help them.

And we all have our role to
play in doing our little piece,

just like Dan, just like Jim,

to try to make everything
a little bit better so that

the birds have a
better fighting chance.

Captioned by
Cotter Media Group.