Uploaded April 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On April 26th, Audubon's 229th birthday, we remember the making of The Birds of America and JJ's flowing golden locks of hair.
NEW! Subreddit: reddit.com/r/thebrainscoop
Facebook: facebook.com/thebrainscoop
Producer, Writer, Creator, Host:
Emily Graslie
Producer, Editor, Camera:
Tom McNamara
Theme music:
Michael Aranda
Created By:
Hank Green
Production Assistant:
Katie Kirby
Special thanks to Christine Giannoni, Head of Library Collections, for all of her outstanding help with this episode, and for leading the Turning of the Page every week. We appreciate it!
Filmed on Location and Supported by:
The Field Museum in Chicago, IL
(http://www.fieldmuseum.org)
Thanks to Evan Liao, Barbara Velázquez, Seth Bergenholtz, and Katerina Idrik for translating this episode!
On April 26th, Audubon's 229th birthday, we remember the making of The Birds of America and JJ's flowing golden locks of hair.
NEW! Subreddit: reddit.com/r/thebrainscoop
Facebook: facebook.com/thebrainscoop
Producer, Writer, Creator, Host:
Emily Graslie
Producer, Editor, Camera:
Tom McNamara
Theme music:
Michael Aranda
Created By:
Hank Green
Production Assistant:
Katie Kirby
Special thanks to Christine Giannoni, Head of Library Collections, for all of her outstanding help with this episode, and for leading the Turning of the Page every week. We appreciate it!
Filmed on Location and Supported by:
The Field Museum in Chicago, IL
(http://www.fieldmuseum.org)
Thanks to Evan Liao, Barbara Velázquez, Seth Bergenholtz, and Katerina Idrik for translating this episode!
![Sooty Birds Share Dirt on Air Pollution [60 Second Specimens]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C8QYVny_j88/mqdefault.jpg "Sooty Birds Share Dirt on Air Pollution [60 Second Specimens]
Every specimen has a story; these dirty birds helped scientists answer questions about levels of air pollution in the United States over a period of 135 years.
More 60 Second Specimen stories:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL8_5VpX9Txpke4mWgBrsHVgNLeunW-XY
Sources/Articles:
Bird specimens track 135 years of atmospheric black carbon and environmental policy: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/10/04/1710239114
The Dirty Secrets Saved in Dead Birds Feathers New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/10/science/birds-air-pollution.html
Sooty birds reveal hidden US air pollution BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41557157
Dirty birds show just how catastrophic air pollution used to be Washington Post https://wapo.st/2MFIYHZ
Thanks to Ben Marks and Shane DuBay for their help with this video!
Created by:
Emily Graslie Brandon Brungard Sheheryar Ahsan
This episode is filmed at and supported by The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois.
http://www.fieldmuseum.org")
