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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

21:51

Female Birdsong

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/19

This episode—which is Number 50— is all about Female Birdsong. Songs are one of the things we love most about birds. They define the soundscapes of the natural world. Even though humans have been surrounded by singing birds for millions of years, we still have some misconceptions about birdsong. Today’s episode is about a misconception of sex differences in birds… Of who sings and who doesn’t.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestThe Forgotten Female: How a Generation of Women

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52:02

Nests: Types, Construction, and Challenges

The Science of Birds ·

2022/04/06

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27:01

The Pecking Order: Dominance Hierarchies in Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/25

This episode—which is Number 48—is about the “Pecking Order” in birds. Or, to use the more technical term, dominance hierarchy. Our focus will be on dominance hierarchies that we see among birds within a single species. White-crowned Sparrows beating up on other White-crowned Sparrows, for example, as opposed to White-crowned Sparrows beating up on another species, like Lincoln’s Sparrow. The latter would be an example of interspecies dominance. But today, we’re talking about intraspecies dominance

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42:02

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Family: Laridae)

The Science of Birds ·

2022/03/10

This is Episode 47. It’s all about birds in the family Laridae. This is an ancient evolutionary lineage that originated over 70 million years ago, when the world was still ruled by dinosaurs.Besides gulls and terns, the family Laridae also includes the skimmers and the noddies.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestShoplifting gull stealing Doritos.Link to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

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19:21

Wallace's Line: Where Two Bird Worlds Collide

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/18

This episode—which is Number 46—is about a special place in the Malay Archipelago where two bird worlds collide. This region lies between Southeast Asia and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. And it’s crowded with about 25,000 islands, of all sizes.Specifically, we’ll be looking at a geographic feature called Wallace’s Line. More generally, today’s episode will touch on the topic of biogeography.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds

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49:08

Solving Bird Mysteries with Forensic Ornithology

The Science of Birds ·

2022/02/11

This episode is all about forensic ornithology. This is a field where specialists use scientific techniques to identify bird species from trace evidence. Evidence like maybe a bit of feather, a bone fragment, or a smear of blood. Forensic ornithology is used to solve intriguing wildlife crimes like smuggling and illegal hunting. But it’s also helpful in other situations that don’t involve criminal activity. We’ll get into that side of things too.Like a murder mystery novel, today’s subject is,

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18:50

Coffee and Bird Conservation

The Science of Birds ·

2022/01/20

This episode—which is Number 44—is about the relationship between coffee production and bird conservation. We'll get into how do different types of coffee cultivation affect birds, and the conservation benefits of Bird Friendly Coffee.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestSmithsonian Bird Friendly CoffeeBird Friendly Coffee [VIDEO]Coffee and ConservationLink to this episode on the Science of Birds websiteSupport the show

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38:47

The Common Loon

The Science of Birds ·

2022/01/13

This episode—which is Number 43—is all about the Common Loon, Gavia immer. People in Europe may know it as the Great Northern Diver.This bird is a symbol of the northern wilderness in North America. It’s closely associated with lakes and ponds in the boreal forests of the northern US and Canada.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~‍Links of InterestLoon scenes in the movie On Golden Pond [VIDEO]Why Hollywood Loves this creepy bird call [VIDEO]Loon Kills Bald EagleAnimation of Common Loon abundance

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37:44

Awesome Things We Learned About Birds in 2021

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/30

2021 is over, yo! So it's time for the Annual Review Episode! We’ll be looking back at some highlights of bird science in the year 2021. What fascinating things did ornithologists and other biologists discover about birds this year?I’ve picked 5 studies to highlight for you. These are stories that, in most cases, were interesting enough to make the news.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Links of InterestVIDEO: A snoozing fox meets a plucky little black-crested titmouseVIDEO: Tapaculos Hunt

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48:40

Swallows and Martins

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/23

This episode is all about birds in the family Hirundinidae. These are the swallows and martins.Other than when they’re nesting, swallows are in the air almost all day long. This aerial lifestyle and that high-speed, erratic flight pattern can make it hard for us earthbound primates to get close looks at swallows. But these flappy little birds definitely deserve our attention. They have many charms and talents that—with a little patience—we can learn about and see for ourselves.~~ Leave me a review

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49:09

Fire and Birds

The Science of Birds ·

2021/12/07

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43:03

Ask Me Anything About Birds - Nov 2021

The Science of Birds ·

2021/11/16

This is a special episode, and the first of its kind. I answer questions from my listeners. It’s a fun, mixed bag of bird factoids.Who were these lucky people who got to contribute to this episode? The specific listeners who submitted questions were my supporters on Patreon.Of course, the idea is that our discussion today will be interesting and informative to all of my listeners.This Q&A session covers things like bacterial diseases, bike helmets, lemon-scented juncos, and baby owls!~~ Leave me

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51:00

New World Vultures

The Science of Birds ·

2021/11/03

This episode is about the seven bird species in the family Cathartidae: the New World vultures and condors.This group includes species like the Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, and Andean Condor.Among these birds are some that people celebrate, or even revere. But others tend to get ignored, disparaged, or at worst, persecuted. I guess you could say our relationship with New World Vultures has been… complicated.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Support the show

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36:15

How Birds Fly

The Science of Birds ·

2021/10/20

Birds, probably more than any other aerial creatures, have amazed and inspired us with the grace and power of their flight. So just how do they do it?In this episode, we'll look at the physics and anatomy of bird flight.I’ll start off with the basics of aerodynamics as it relates to bird flight. That’s the meat and potatoes of our lesson today. But we’ll also consider the different ways that birds fly—their different modes of flight. Last, we’ll examine some additional adaptations birds have

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58:01

Penguins

The Science of Birds ·

2021/09/29

This episode is all about penguins. All penguins belong to the family Spheniscidae.Penguins are among the most bizarre and specialized birds in the world. Few other birds represent such a departure from what we think of as the standard avian model. The specializations of penguins—their adaptations—serve them very well for a life of diving deep into the ocean and of surviving in extreme cold.These birds are wonderful examples of how “life finds a way”—how animals can evolve into radically different

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36:29

Wetlands as Bird Habitat

The Science of Birds ·

2021/09/15

In this episode, we’re going to look at wetlands as habitats for birds.We’ll start with how to recognize—how to define—a wetland ecosystem. Then, we’ll get into why these ecosystems are so important to birds. How do birds use wetlands as habitat? Next, I’ll highlight a few examples of bird species that depend on wetlands. Then we’ll talk about the conservation issues surrounding wetlands, and how their loss is affecting birds.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~‍Links of InterestWetlands

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32:35

Roadrunners

The Science of Birds ·

2021/09/01

This episode is all about the bird species in the genus Geococcyx. There are only two: the Greater Roadrunner and the Lesser Roadrunner. People in North America have revered the Greater Roadrunner for thousands of years. This bird features prominently in Native American and Mexican legends and lore. It’s usually depicted in a good light. Roadrunners are bold, clever, and fast—all admirable characteristics. They’re also large and conspicuous birds, so it’s not surprising that more than one culture

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41:52

eBird and Citizen Science

The Science of Birds ·

2021/08/21

eBird is a digital archive of bird observations. It’s a database of observations from across the planet. eBird users connect to the database via the Internet, to both contribute data and access data.In this episode, we’ll start off by going over what exactly eBird is. Then, we’ll consider the characteristics of the scientific data that eBird users produce. How do scientists make sure that data is of the highest quality? We’ll get into that too, as well as some useful tools that have been created

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44:01

Pigeons and Doves

The Science of Birds ·

2021/07/30

This episode is all about birds in the family Columbidae. These are all the world’s many species of pigeons and doves.These birds are more exotic and interesting than many of us give them credit for. This is a widespread, diverse group that has been around for many millions of years. Pigeons and doves occupy many habitats across the planet, and they’ve colonized countless remote islands. Many of them are as richly colorful as parrots or songbirds.~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~~~ Become a

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35:41

The Birds of Alaska

The Science of Birds ·

2021/07/20

Alaska is a truly amazing place that is still dominated by nature. It’s a wonderful region to explore for anyone who loves birds and charismatic megafauna. Many of Alaska’s vast natural areas are relatively intact. They offer endless opportunities for visitors to immerse themselves in raw nature.I recently returned from leading a birding tour in Alaska and I was inspired to make a podcast episode about the Birds of Alaska. We’ll first get a sense of Alaska’s geography, then we’ll consider the major

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130 results

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