In the Garden of the Caracaras: Jonathan Meiburg

Jonathan Meiburg has traveled the world as a musician with the bands Loma and Shearwater. But before he joined these bands, he was caught by another muse. After he graduated college, Meiburg got a fellowship to spend a year traveling to the most remote corners of the globe. On that journey he encountered a species of bird that has captivated his imagination for almost three decades.

In his recent book, A Most Remarkable Creature, Meiburg tells the story of the Striated Caracara, perhaps the most intelligent bird in the world. He takes us through South America, from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana, in search of these birds. Along the way, he reveals the wild, fascinating story of their history, origins, and possible futures.

Meiburg has appeared on our show before, in episode 1618, “The Liturgical Archipelago.”

In 1997, Jonathan Meiburg received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to travel to remote communities around the world, a year-long journey that sparked his enduring fascination with islands, birds, and the deep history of the living world. Since then, he's written reviews, features, and interviews for print and online publications including The Believer, The Talkhouse, and The Appendix on subjects ranging from a hidden exhibit hall at the American Museum of Natural History to the last long-form interview with author Peter Matthiessen. But he's best known as the leader of the band Shearwater, whose albums and performances have often been praised by NPR, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Pitchfork.