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

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

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

en-us

39:37

Bird Habitat: Temperate Grasslands and Prairies

The Science of Birds ·

2022/11/22

This episode—which is Number 64—is all about the importance of temperate grasslands as habitat for birds.When we say “temperate grasslands,” we mean those generally occurring in the middle latitudes.Temperate grasslands exist in several parts of the world. Some of them cover vast areas. Here in North America, we have the Great Plains as a “great” example.The steppes of Mongolia and the Pampas of South America are similarly vast temperate grasslands.Many, many bird species around the world depend on

en-us

49:51

The Common Raven

The Science of Birds ·

2022/11/07

This episode—which is Number 63—is about the Common Raven, Corvus corax. This species is also known as the Northern Raven.Few bird species in the world are as geographically widespread as the Common Raven. And few are as familiar and iconic. This is a really amazing bird.Ornithologists and other scientists have studied ravens extensively, so we know quite a lot about this species.Today, we’ll look at the basic traits of the Common Raven as well as its behavior, habitats, diet, reproduction, and

en-us

34:41

Biogeographic Realms and Their Unique Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/10/13

This episode—which is Number 62—is all about the major geographic divisions among birds across the planet.Why are bowerbirds found only in Australia and on the islands of New Guinea? Why are the birds you see in India so different from those in China? Does North America have any unique, endemic bird families?Questions like these fall within the domain of biogeography. Biogeography is the study of where living things are found and why they’re found there—both in the present and the past. Today, we’ll

en-us

38:15

Ostriches

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/29

This is Episode 61, and it’s all about Ostriches. These are the birds in the avian family Struthionidae.Ostriches are among the most recognizable and charismatic birds. No living bird is bigger than an ostrich. If you’ve ever seen one up close, you know how impressive these giants can be. They’re amazing.So I’m excited to dig into their biology with you today. You probably know a thing or two about Ostriches already, but let’s see if we can get a deeper understanding of them. We’ll look at their

en-us

47:35

Feeding Wild Birds: Pros and Cons

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/15

This episode—which is Number 60—is about Feeding Wild Birds. As in, humans providing supplemental food for wild birds.This typically involves a contraption called a birdfeeder. When you or I hang up a birdfeeder, we’re feeding wild birds intentionally. This intentional feeding is what today’s episode is about.Millions and millions of people all around the world feed wild birds intentionally. At such a massive scale, you have to imagine this would affect birds significantly, and in many ways. And it

en-us

45:30

Ask Me Anything About Birds - Aug 2022

The Science of Birds ·

2022/09/01

This episode—which is Number 59—is a bit different. Today, I’m going to be answering questions from my listeners. More specifically, these questions come from my supporters on Patreon. I have several “tiers” or “membership levels” on my Patreon page. Each level comes with perks. One perk for the “Helpful Hornbill” and “Awesome Osprey” tiers is getting to submit questions for episodes like this.So, today, we’ve got a fun grab-bag of questions to ponder.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of

en-us

44:07

Wrens (Family: Troglodytidae)

The Science of Birds ·

2022/08/18

Today’s episode—which is Episode 58—is all about birds in the family Troglodytidae. These are the wrens.Wrens are small, perky songbirds, most of which are some shade of brown. All the species in this family of birds are found in the New World—In North, Central, and South America. All of them, that is, except for one species found in the Old World.In this episode, we'll cover many aspects of wren biology: their behavior, voices, diversity, evolution, conservation, and breeding.~~ Leave me a

en-us

30:28

Flocking Behavior in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/08/07

en-us

136 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