The young radio makers from NTR, EO, KRO-NCRV, BNNVARA and the Caribbean Network believe bird migration is a subject worth staying up late for. They invited Theunis Piersma to the studio, and he was happy to give up a night’s sleep for the occasion.

In the two-hour conversation, punctuated by music from Nynke Laverman, presenter Renette Kwakkenbos and Theunis mark the difference between knowing and understanding. They guide us through exciting developments in migratory bird research, such as the possibility of fitting birds with tiny transmitters. Theunis also explains how he and his fellow researchers discovered that black-tailed godwits learn their migration routes from experienced godwits and other birds, and why becoming a spoonbill is not as easy as it looks.

A moment from the conversation:

Theunis: “Everything in the world is constantly changing: the amount of food, the level of danger, and whether the conditions are right for breeding. What migratory birds have effectively worked out is how to follow the good conditions throughout the year. And because they are such strong flyers, they can do this over enormous distances.”