Finally, a Bird-Themed Spotify Playlist (No, It’s Not a Bunch of Bird Calls)

It's no coincidence that the avian-themed songs on biologist Amanda Gallinat's playlist echo the order of a field guide.

When Amanda Gallinat went looking for an avian-themed Spotify playlist, she came up empty. So the biologist made her own.听

Gallinat studies ecological and evolutionary drivers of species assembly鈥攚here plants and animals live now, why, and where are they likely to be in the future. During a long stretch of computer-based work, she found herself missing the connection to birds she鈥檇 previously had as a graduate student, when she spent countless hours outside observing interactions between birds and fruit trees in New England. Now, stuck inside, she realized that she could get her bird fix in a different way, by immersing herself in music inspired by the animals.听

鈥淭here are a lot of different ways to connect with birds,鈥 she says. 鈥淎s someone who is not a musician, it was nice to tap into some of the enthusiasm that artists have for birds.鈥澨

Gallinat鈥檚 penchant for organization influenced the eclectic she created: She scoured the musical landscape for tunes to arrange in phylogenetic order. Take 鈥淪now Grouse,鈥 by Swedish Sami artist听. 鈥淚t鈥檚 maybe my favorite song on the playlist and I would never have found if I wasn鈥檛 looking for something to fill the grouse section,鈥 she says.听

Peruse Gallinat鈥檚 birdy playlist below. Got one of your own? Share it in the comments.