A Big Year can be an all-consuming birding challenge or simply a reason to pay closer attention to birds near home. In episode 09-38 of The American Birding Podcast, host Nate Swick talks with Owen Reiser about the Reiser brothers’ unusually improvised Big Year and the documentary Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching. Their story moves from a question about a family bird guide to a year that involved buying a van, traveling, identifying birds and making a film. The conversation’s most useful idea is that birding does not require an extreme itinerary: you can pursue a demanding list or go outside with binoculars and enjoy whatever appears.
Episode 09-38 at a glance
| Detail | What is established |
|---|---|
| Episode | 09-38 of The American Birding Podcast |
| Host and guest | Nate Swick interviews Owen Reiser |
| Publication date | September 18, 2025, according to the American Birding Association episode description |
| Runtime | 42 minutes, according to the Apple Podcasts listing |
| Main subject | The Reiser brothers’ Big Year and the documentary Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching |
| Related publication | The official episode description mentions a companion book; its exact retail listing and current availability are not established here |
Reiser is interviewed as the director of Listers. The episode is not a rules manual, a score report or a scientific study. It is a personal account of entering birding, taking on a demanding year and later finding pleasure in less competitive outings.
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What “Big Year” means in this episode
“Big Year” is used here for a year organized around finding and identifying birds, with the possibility of extensive travel and record keeping. Birders can approach that idea competitively, trying to see as many species as possible, or personally, using a year-long goal to create structure and motivation. The interview does not establish one universal rule set, geographic boundary or scoring system for every Big Year, so it is best understood as a format rather than a single standardized event.
The competitive end of the spectrum
At the demanding end, a Big Year can shape nearly every decision: where to travel, how long to stay, which reports to follow and whether a potential sighting is worth the time and cost. Travel becomes a central part of the activity. A vehicle, fuel, lodging, food, weather and access to suitable habitat all affect what is possible. A birder also needs a consistent way to record observations so that sightings can be reviewed later.
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The personal end of the spectrum
A Big Year does not have to mean constant motion. Someone might set a target for a county, a state, a neighborhood or simply a number of outings. The useful feature is the time frame: a year gives you repeated chances in different seasons and makes ordinary walks feel purposeful. The episode’s invitation is deliberately broad—make time for a Big Year if you want, or begin by noticing birds in a local park.
How the Reiser brothers entered birding
Reiser recalls that the brothers’ interest began with curiosity about a family bird guide. His brother Quentin found the guide and wondered how anyone learned all the birds shown in it. That question became an entry point into identification and, eventually, a much larger project. This is an interview recollection, not an independently verified chronology of every step in their trip.
The brothers also describe having little initial planning. Reiser says they bought a van before starting the year, a choice that illustrates both the improvisational character of their effort and the practical demands of moving between birding locations. The account does not provide a complete itinerary, budget, mileage total or species tally, so those details should not be inferred from the film’s premise.
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Why the origin story matters
Many new birders begin with the same kind of uncertainty: a guide contains more names and illustrations than they can absorb, and identification seems like a specialized skill. The brothers’ experience shows that you do not need to know every bird before you begin. A question, a guide and repeated attempts to match what you see with what is printed can be enough to start.
What Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching is about
The documentary follows the Reiser brothers’ Big Year and the extreme side of listing birds. In this context, “listers” refers to birders who keep track of the species they have identified. The film’s premise places the logistical and competitive demands of a major year alongside the more approachable experience of everyday birding.
The podcast conversation uses the film to examine who gets to feel welcome in birding. You do not need to imitate the brothers’ travel, purchase a vehicle or turn every outing into a score. Their story supplies a dramatic example, while the message around it is intentionally accessible: birding can happen in a neighborhood, on a routine walk or in a nearby park.
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The companion book
The American Birding Association’s official episode description says a companion book accompanies the film. The materials for this episode do not establish the book’s precise title, edition, seller or current availability. Treat any listing you encounter as something to verify separately rather than assuming it is still in print or offered in the same format.
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The episode supports a useful comparison without claiming that either approach is the “correct” form of birding.
| Dimension | Competitive or extreme approach | Casual local approach |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | A year-long project can make bird identification and finding new species a major daily priority. | An outing can be as short as the time available, with no annual target. |
| Travel and logistics | Long-distance movement, a vehicle and rapid decisions may be part of the plan; the brothers recall buying a van. | Walk from home, visit a nearby park or use another familiar local place. |
| Record keeping | Lists and notes help track progress and support a competitive goal. | Record only what you find useful, or keep no formal list. |
| Goal | Maximize discoveries or complete a demanding personal challenge. | Spend time outdoors, learn a few birds and enjoy observation. |
| Pressure | Time, money, weather and the need to reach specific places can add stress. | Flexibility makes it easier to stop, change plans or simply watch. |
Neither column describes a universal rule book. The interview presents these as different ways to relate to the same activity. A person can also move between them: pursue a structured goal during migration seasons, then take unplanned walks when the pressure stops being enjoyable.
How to get started without copying an extreme itinerary
If the episode makes you curious about birding, begin with a manageable routine rather than trying to reproduce a film subject’s year.
- Choose a repeatable place. Start with a neighborhood street, local park, school grounds where access is permitted or another nearby area. Returning to one place helps you notice which birds appear at different times.
- Use one identification aid. The brothers’ story began with a family guide. A printed field guide, a reputable identification app or a library book can serve the same basic purpose. Focus on a small group of common birds instead of trying to memorize an entire guide.
- Bring optional binoculars. The conversation mentions binoculars but does not identify a model or claim that any product was tested. They can make distant birds easier to see, but they are not a prerequisite for taking a first walk.
- Observe before you label. Note size, shape, colors, behavior, habitat and the sound you heard. If you are unsure, write “unknown” and compare the details later rather than forcing a confident identification.
- Keep a simple record if it helps. A date, place and short note are enough. A list can support a personal goal, but the episode does not require list keeping for casual birding.
- Set a goal that fits your life. You might take one walk a week, learn five familiar species or revisit the same park through the seasons. Make the target adjustable so that weather, work and family commitments do not turn the hobby into a burden.
- Share sightings carefully. If you discuss a bird with other birders, distinguish what you observed from what you are guessing. That habit is useful whether you are casually learning or maintaining a serious list.
What the episode says about enjoyment after the Big Year
One of the conversation’s strongest contrasts is that the brothers now enjoy being outside without having to list every bird. Reiser describes the pleasure of simply taking binoculars outdoors and enjoying the experience. That change does not invalidate the Big Year; it shows that an intense project can coexist with a slower relationship to the hobby afterward.
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For a beginner, this is an important permission slip. You can care about accurate identification and still leave your notebook at home. You can pursue a list for a season and then take a walk with no numerical objective. The value of a sighting is not limited to whether it advances a competition.
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Who Owen Reiser is in this conversation
Owen Reiser appears as the director of Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching and as a participant in the brothers’ Big Year story. The episode focuses on his account of discovering birding, preparing for the year and thinking about the activity’s different levels of intensity. It does not provide a broader biography, professional credentials beyond the film role, or independently audited results, so those should not be attributed to him based on this episode alone.
How to listen and what to expect
Episode 09-38 was published by the American Birding Association on September 18, 2025. Apple Podcasts lists it at 42 minutes. Expect an interview rather than a step-by-step field course: the discussion covers the brothers’ origin story, the film, the van and the tension between competitive listing and ordinary outdoor enjoyment.
Because the episode includes an informal personal recollection, details such as exact wording, sequence and emphasis belong to the recorded conversation. The quoted line below preserves the transcript’s informal style; punctuation may differ from the audio:
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Questions to ask before choosing your own birding goal
- Do I want a challenge that measures progress, or do I mainly want time outdoors?
- How much travel, expense and planning can I sustain for a year?
- Would a local target make the project more realistic than a broad geographic one?
- Will keeping a list increase my enjoyment, or make every outing feel like a test?
- What will I do when weather, access or uncertainty prevents a planned sighting?
Answering those questions first prevents the word “Big” from dictating a scale that does not suit you. The Reiser brothers’ story is compelling precisely because it is extreme, but the episode keeps returning to the idea that the doorway into birding is much smaller.
Bottom line
“A Dirtbag Big Year” is both a story about an improvised, demanding birding project and an argument for making birding accessible. Owen Reiser’s account connects a family guide and a beginner’s question with a van-based year and a documentary about extreme listing. You can appreciate that ambition without treating it as a requirement. Start where you are, use whatever identification help you can access, and decide whether your next outing needs a list—or simply a place to sit and watch.
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