x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Science of Birds

Ivan Phillipsen

The Science of Birds is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology. It"s a fun resource for any birder or naturalist who wants to learn more about ornithology. Impress your birding friends at cocktail parties with all of your new bird knowledge! Hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a professional birding guide and passionate naturalist with a PhD in Zoology.

science nature

All Episodes

28:38

How Do Birds Sleep?

The Science of Birds ·

2020/10/22

SummaryWhen 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 discuss the most important functions of sleep in birds. Then we get into the evolution of sleep in birds.Along the way, we’ll talk about the similarities and differences of sleep between birds and mammals like us.Last, we cover where and how birds sleep, regarding location, posture, etc.Links to Some Things

en-us

29:55

The Biggest Global Threats to Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/10/13

en-us

36:47

Hummingbirds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 8SummaryThe 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 hummingbirds rock stars of the avian world.In this episode, we focus entirely on the hummingbird family, Trochilidae. I’ll first give you an overview of hummingbird evolution. Then, we’ll discuss their present-day diversity and distribution.Then we dive into an assortment of fun topics about

en-us

23:46

Vision in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 7SummaryIt 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 of a bird’s eye.Then, we’ll look into (see what I did there?) how birds perceive color and their visual acuity.And last we’ll talk about the difference between monocular and binocular vision in birds.Research CitationsWild hummingbirds and ultraviolet colors (Stoddard et al. 2020. PNAS)Seemingly

en-us

19:31

Bird Songs - Part 2

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 6SummaryThis episode is Part 2 of 2 about Bird Songs. In the last episode, Part 1, we talked mostly about the “how” and the “who” of bird songs. We haven’t really talked about the “why,” the purpose of all these vocal sounds. This episode begins by looking at the functions of bird songs and calls.Then we get into variation in bird songs, at several levels, including among species and among geographic regions.You’ll also learn about some interesting subtopics like the dawn chorus and female

en-us

21:42

Bird Songs - Part 1

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 5SummaryThis episode is Part 1 of 2 about Bird Songs. The voices of birds dominate nature’s soundscape. Bird songs and calls can be heard in almost every environment on the planet. In this episode, I’ll cover the characteristics of bird songs and how they are produced. We’ll also get into the question of whether bird songs are learned or instinctual.Research CitationsWillow and Alder flycatcher study proving their songs are innate (Kroodsma. 1984. The Auk)Links to Some Things Mentioned in

en-us

31:50

Migration in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 4SummaryThe annual long-distance movements of birds are amazing feats of endurance and navigation.Learn about the various forms of migration and other annual movements in birds. We’ll cover many concepts related to migration, including timing and orientation, staging areas, and flyways.Research CitationsThe Beijing Cuckoo ProjectLinks to Some Things Mentioned in this EpisodePfeilstorch‍Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

en-us

23:55

The Biodiversity of Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 3SummaryBirds are an incredibly successful and diverse group of animals. In this episode, you’ll get an overview of the origin of avian species diversity and its present-day distribution across the planet.I offer some definitions of ‘biodiversity’ with respect to birds. We’ll discuss why this diversity is important.Links to Some Things Mentioned in this EpisodeClements Checklist of the Birds of the WorldResearch Citations‍Genetic research leading to the species split between the Winter Wren

en-us

23:04

Competition Between Bird Species

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/22

Episode: 2SummaryLearn about the ways that different bird species compete with each other over food and other resources.I first talk about the concept of the ecological niche, since this is so important to this episode's topic.Then, I get into the different forms of competition between bird species and present the possible outcomes of that competition. Lastly, I briefly touch on the general approaches that scientists take in studying interspecies competition in birds.Links to Some Things

en-us

25:07

The Origin of Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2020/09/19

Episode: 1SummaryLearn about the deep evolutionary origin of birds and follow their history up to the great extinction that happened 66 million years ago.First, I discuss what we mean when we say “bird.” What characteristics separate modern birds from other animal groups?Then I discuss the evidence—both historical and recent—that scientists have used to determine the evolutionary history of birds. Finally, we arrive at the answer of where birds fit on the tree of life.Research CitationsDiscovery of

en-us

130 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter