Feathers: Form and Function
Summary The feather is one of the most iconic symbols of nature. Feathers are indispensable to birds, serving many critically important functions. In this episode, we explore those functions after lo...
12 Nov 202037min
Brood Parasites Are Devious Birds
Summary Brood parasitism is a strange and fascinating behavior that we see (in one form or another) in several hundred bird species. This is where a female lays an egg in the nest of another bird. The...
5 Nov 202029min
Woodpeckers
Summary Learn about the amazing birds in the family Picidae—the woodpeckers. These charismatic birds have a suite of adaptations that make them excellent at the job of excavating wood. In this episod...
29 Okt 202036min
How Do Birds Sleep?
Summary When 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 di...
22 Okt 202028min
The Biggest Global Threats to Birds
Summary Birds around the world are in trouble. Their populations have suffered major declines in the last 50 years. What does the latest research tell us about the causes of these declines? What are t...
13 Okt 202029min
Hummingbirds
Episode: 8 Summary The 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 mad...
22 Sep 202036min
Vision in Birds
Episode: 7 Summary It 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 anato...
22 Sep 202023min
Bird Songs - Part 2
Episode: 6 Summary This 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,” ...
22 Sep 202019min
