The Science of Birds

Birds in the family Scolopacidae include all the world’s sandpipers and birds such as godwits, curlews, snipes, dowitchers, willets, stints, and more.

We know these as familiar ‘shorebirds.’ They haun…

Our understanding of bird brains and intelligence has grown tremendously in the last couple decades.

Thanks to countless scientific studies, we now know that many bird species are highly intelligent. …

The Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) is a charming bird found in the arid southwest of the United States, as well as in Mexico and down to southern South America.

This bright red flycatcher…

Join Ivan as he wades into the conservation quagmire surrounding house cats and their effects on wild birds.

First, we’ll look at the status of house cat and feral cat populations around the world. Ho…

All about the ‘true’ finches, the species belonging to the family Fringillidae. 

These small songbirds are found in many places around the world. Most of them specialize in eating seeds. 

Not every bir…

Winter can be a cold, dark time when food is scarce. Birds fight to stay alive during this season by using a variety of behavioral and physiological adaptations. Many of these are the same things you…

Kingfishers—all the birds in the family Alcedinidae—are the focus of this episode. There are many species of these charismatic birds living across the world.

Learn about their key features, global dis…

Despite much of human civilization grinding to a halt in 2020, research on birds continued to be published in scientific journals.

Through this research, we learned many new things about our avian fri…

This episode focuses on the biological family Anatidae. This family includes the over 150 species of ducks, geese, and swans in the world.

First, we highlight the key features shared by these birds, …

Sometimes birds of many feathers flock together. Mixed-species foraging flocks are seen in forests all across the world. Different combinations of species are found in each region.

First, we talk abou…

This episode is all about the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), of the family Falconidae.

Learn about this incredible bird's key features, its global diversity, feeding behavior, and more.

Links of …

The definition of ‘species’ isn’t as simple as you might think. In this episode, we look at the methods ornithologists use to identify and name bird species. And we discuss the challenges they face i…

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Pelicans are large, peculiar waterbirds with a unique way of feeding. Using their long bills and throat pouches, they scoop up fish and other prey from water. Some pelican species plunge dive …

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The feather is one of the most iconic symbols of nature. Feathers are indispensable to birds, serving many critically important functions. 

In this episode, we explore those functions after loo…

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Brood parasitism is a strange and fascinating behavior that we see (in one form or another) in several hundred bird species.

This is where a female lays an egg in the nest of another bird. The …

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Learn about the amazing birds in the family Picidae—the woodpeckers. These charismatic birds have a suite of adaptations that make them excellent at the job of excavating wood. 

In this episode…

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When birds disappear at night, where do they go and what are they doing? Most of them are sleeping, of course. But sleep in birds differs greatly from what you and I do.

In this episode, we dis…

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Birds around the world are in trouble. Their populations have suffered major declines in the last 50 years.

What does the latest research tell us about the causes of these declines? What are th…

Episode: 8

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The remarkable behavioral and anatomical features of hummingbirds are what make them so endearing to us. The way they fly, their colors, and their penchant for flowers have all made …

Episode: 7

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It can be argued that, of all the animals, birds are the best at seeing stuff. Most species have an excellent sense of sight.

In this episode, I’ll first introduce you to the anatomy …