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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.

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All Episodes

51:04

Saving Bird Species From the Brink of Extinction

The Science of Birds ·

2023/10/09

This is Episode 84. Our topic today is the challenge of saving bird species that are very close to extinction. Species like the Spix’s Macaw, which have tiny global populations—whether in the wild, or in captivity.Other familiar examples are the California Condor and the Whooping Crane, whose populations bottomed out at 22 and 23, respectively. Rigorous conservation programs have since given these two North American species a fighting chance at long-term survival.This episode is about species that

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61:42

Quails of the New World

The Science of Birds ·

2023/09/25

This is Episode 83. It’s all about birds in the family Odontophoridae. These are the New World quails.Why is this the family of "New World" quails?Because there’s a whole mess of birds we call quails that live in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. But those birds all belong to the pheasant family, Phasianidae. New World quails are shy birds ground-dwelling birds that walk or run around in the daytime, looking for tidbits of food in the leaf litter.If they sense any kind of stranger

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51:46

Tracking Methods: How We Know Where Birds Go

The Science of Birds ·

2023/09/14

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39:41

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

The Science of Birds ·

2023/08/17

This is Episode 81. It’s all about birds in the family Nectariniidae. These are the sunbirds and the spiderhunters.If you live in or have gone birding in places like Africa, India, Southeast Asia, or Indonesia, you’re probably familiar with sunbirds. Consider yourself lucky.But if you have no idea what a sunbird or a spiderhunter is, or if you have only a vague idea, I’m excited to introduce you to this group of wonderful birds today.Links of InterestThese sunbirds keep singin' their song

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51:31

Earthbound: How Birds Become Flightless

The Science of Birds ·

2023/08/03

This is Episode 80. It's all about flightless birds, and about the evolutionary processes that lead to flightlessness.Flightlessness in birds is, in my opinion, a fascinating scientific topic. And so here we are with this episode.Alive on the planet today, there are about 60 bird species that can’t fly. That’s only about 0.54 percent of the world’s approximately 11,000 species.It turns out there were way more flightless bird species out there before humans started exploring and colonizing every

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47:04

Red-tailed Hawk

The Science of Birds ·

2023/07/18

This is Episode 79. It's all about the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).This is one of North America’s most common raptors. We find these birds from sea to shining sea across the continent.The Redtail is a generalist predator. It can eat many kinds of prey and thrive in a broad range of habitats. Besides seeing these birds along the highway, you’re likely to spot a Red-tailed Hawk circling in the sky over a field, soaring or flapping slowly.In this episode, I cover the key traits of the

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43:02

Parental Care: How Birds Raise Their Young

The Science of Birds ·

2023/06/22

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63:13

Seabirds

The Science of Birds ·

2023/06/09

This is Episode 77. It's an overview of seabirds. Some might call them Oceanic birds or Marine Birds.How do we define what is or isn’t a sea bird?Well, it depends on who you ask. There’s no one definition, since “seabird” is an informal term, rather than a scientific one. It doesn’t correspond to a single taxonomic category, or to a single evolutionary lineage.Here’s what the authors of the book Oceanic Birds of the World have to say about it:“To our mind, true seabirds are birds of the ocean,

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36:21

Answers to Your Questions About Birds - Vol 3

The Science of Birds ·

2023/05/17

In this episode—which is Number 76—I’ll be answering some interesting questions sent to me by my listeners. Questions about birds, of course.The questions in today’s episode came from not just any old listeners, but from my supporters on Patreon. At the two higher tiers of support, one perk for my patrons is the chance to send me questions for these “Ask Me Anything” episodes. So if you’d like to ask your own question for a future episode, consider becoming a supporter of this show on

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42:34

Shrikes

The Science of Birds ·

2023/05/08

This is Episode 75. It’s all about shrikes—birds in the family Laniidae.These are true songbirds—members of the avian suborder Passeri within the order Passeriformes—even though they act (and sort of look like) tiny falcons or hawks.Shrikes are sit and wait predators. They typically sit upright on an exposed, conspicuous perch and then wait for something tasty to come along. Some small animal, like a Vesper Sparrow, a rodent, lizard, grasshopper, and so on.Shrikes are such cool birds that they have

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31:52

Where Does Bird's Nest Soup Come From?

The Science of Birds ·

2023/04/14

This episode—which is Number 74—is all about edible bird’s nests and Bird’s Nest Soup.Edible bird nests are a traditional delicacy in east Asia. Especially in China. For centuries, wealthy Chinese people have consumed edible bird nests. Usually in the form of bird’s nest soup.Throughout much of recent history, this dish has been one of the most expensive foods in the world.No wonder people have called edible bird nests the “caviar of the east,” or “white gold.”Perhaps the primary reason people spend

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52:37

Cranes

The Science of Birds ·

2023/03/26

This is Episode 73. It’s all about birds in the avian family Gruidae… the cranes.These tall birds are charismatic and super interesting. It’s going to be fun to do a deep dive into all things crane today.Humans around the world have celebrated cranes for thousands of years, for their graceful beauty and their exuberant courtship dances. Across many cultures, cranes have inspired paintings, songs, dances, legends, martial arts, heavy construction machinery apparently, and the most iconic animal

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38:33

Hurricanes and Heatwaves: How Does Extreme Weather...

The Science of Birds ·

2023/03/13

This episode—which is Number 72—is about what happens to birds, not just in bad weather, but in really bad weather. We’re talking hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, maybe even the occasional sharknado, and so on.How do birds deal with all these natural disasters? We’ll get into that.We'll be talking mostly about the more immediate effects of storms and other extreme weather on the survival of individual birds and their populations.Birds are tough little buggers. They’re

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11:59

What's the Deal With Birds?

The Science of Birds ·

2023/02/23

This episode—which is Number 71—is about one particular scientific article. An article that’s near and dear to my heart.This study was published in 2020, in the Scientific Journal of Research and Reviews. You already know the title of the study itself. It’s the same as the title of this podcast episode… "What’s the Deal With Birds?"The study's author is Doctor Daniel T. Baldassarre. Listen to the episode to find out why I love this paper...Links of InterestLab Website of Dr. Daniel

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45:48

Great Blue Heron

The Science of Birds ·

2023/02/13

This episode—which is Number 70—is all about the Great Blue Heron. The scientific name for the Great Blue Heron is Ardea herodias.This species is one of the most familiar large birds in North America. So it was inevitable that I’d make a podcast episode about it.The Great Blue Heron is a beautiful, fascinating, and ecologically important bird.Links of Interest‘Great Heron’ sculpture by artist Dixie Friend GayGreat Blue Heron: Nesting and Mating Behavior [VIDEO]Great Horned Owl attacks Great Blue

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36:59

Bird Bones: The Avian Skeleton

The Science of Birds ·

2023/01/30

This episode—which is Number 69—is all about the avian skeleton. Bird bones.So this is an episode about some basic anatomy of birds.Bird bones and the avian skeleton are elegant, strong, and rigid. Let’s put on our x-ray goggles, and peer inside the body of a bird, to see what’s going on with all those beautiful bones...Links of InterestCranial kinesis in the skull of a Hyacinth Macaw [VIDEO]~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the

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50:23

Hornbills

The Science of Birds ·

2023/01/16

Today’s episode is number 68. It’s all about the family of birds called Bucerotidae. These are the hornbills.Maybe you’ve heard about hornbills and know a few facts about them. Or maybe you’ve never even heard about these birds. Either way, I think you’ll enjoy today’s podcast episode. Hornbills are just so cool!The family Bucerotidae includes several dozen hornbill species. But there’s a second, much smaller avian family that contains birds we also call hornbills. The name of that family is

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43:24

Awesome Things We Learned About Birds in 2022

The Science of Birds ·

2022/12/31

This is Episode Number 67. It’s the last episode of 2022, so that means it’s the Annual Review!We’re going to look back at 2022, at some of the most interesting scientific studies of birds that were published this year. Will this be a painstakingly thorough review of everything that scientists learned about birds in 2022? No. Not so much. The studies I’m telling you about today—while they did make it into the newsfeed—are just the ones that I found most exciting. Or at least interesting. I decided

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21:13

15 Simple (and Several Complicated) Ways You Can Help...

The Science of Birds ·

2022/12/15

This episode—which is Number 66—is all about the ways you can help birds. How you can make a difference in their conservation.It’s one thing to enjoy learning about birds in an objective, scientific way. They’re fascinating organisms.But does our interest in the biology of birds also come bundled with a care and concern for them? With warm and fuzzy feelings? I’d say heck yes, it does! For most of us, anyway, including yours truly.We want birds out there in the wide world to survive and thrive. For

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43:16

Waxwings

The Science of Birds ·

2022/12/04

This is Episode 65, and it’s all about waxwings—birds in the family Bombycillidae. The Cedar Waxwing is one species, and there are two others that we’ll talk about.These beautiful, elegant songbirds are loved by people across the Northern Hemisphere.Waxwings are easy on the eyes, for sure, and that’s great. I mean, personally, I think they’re just about the most gorgeous songbirds we have in North America. But their biology is also really interesting. So much of how waxwings live and behave is

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144 results

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