The Science of Birds

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

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

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

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