Bird Brain – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Bird Brain, I’m joined by a special guest, Tom Morath, Deputy Head of Living Collections at The Hawk Conservancy Trust. Together, we dive into the fascinating world of vultures—one of the most misunderstood and critically endangered groups of birds on the planet. We’ll discuss why these incredible scavengers are vital for ecosystems and explore their depiction in popular culture, especially in The Jungle Book.

Plus, we assemble our very own "Winged Avengers"—picking five of the most powerful birds of prey for the ultimate avian superhero team!

Follow the Hawk Conservancy Trust here: @hawkconservancy
Listen to more from Tom: Hawk Conservancy Trust Podcast

If you love birds in pop culture and want to learn about their real-world counterparts, you won’t want to miss this episode of Bird Brain!

In this exciting episode of Bird Brain, host Kelly Keegan takes flight into the fascinating world of ravens, focusing on Matthew the Raven from the popular comic and Netflix series, Sandman. Joined by longtime friend and comic book aficionado Joe, Kelly dives deep into the myths and misconceptions surrounding these enigmatic birds.

Discover how the real-life raven stacks up against its fictional counterpart and why these intelligent creatures are often misunderstood. Spoiler alert: Kelly isn’t a fan of the myths, and she’s ready to set the record straight on why she thinks they are such a snoozefest.

Tune in to Bird Brain on Spotify to unravel the truth about ravens and enjoy a lively discussion full of insights and surprises.

Every 6th episode of the podcast will be dedicated to Bonus Beasts (in honour of the number of the beast!). Whether it’s interviews with humans who are doing incredible work in the conservation and nature spaces or just an excuse to take about beavers, these are the episodes where you’ll find additional content about how popular culture intersects with the natural world.

In this inaugural episode of Bonus Beasts I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Appleton, founder of Global Birdfair, LIVE at Birdfair itself. Tim is the titan of the episode!

We discuss fundraising a whopping 42 million pounds, the significance of a “flagship species” and the (predictably dismal) British weather.
To find out more about Global Birdfair:

https://globalbirdfair.org/

To Follow Global Birdfair on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/global_birdfair?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

To follow Bird Brain on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bird.brain.pod?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

In this week's episode I am joined by writer Charlie Bingham; together we swoop through pop culture to tackle 2024's Migration (produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination) and explore how similar the character of Chump is to real pigeons.

Charlie can be found on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/_charliebingham?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

She is represented by:

https://www.instagram.com/aevitas_creativeuk?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

In this week's episode I am joined by Roddy and Jack from the How Many Geese? podcast; together we swing through pop culture to tackle the 1997 blockbuster hit George of the Jungle, and explore how similar the character of Tookie Tookie is to a real toucan.

A certain "jacking off" monkey also gets an honourable mention, at just before the 32 minute mark - Skip about a minute if you don't want tiny ears to hear about that.

Jack and Roddy's fantastic show can be found here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5Ac9xGSKV0FhtXeMFFSQHR?si=fb0cebd45efd41f1

Jack Baddams Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/jabaddams?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Roddy Shaw's Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/slideshowrod?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

This is a podcast for people who like pop culture and nature.

In this episode of Bird Brain I tackle the subject of whether the representation of Red-Billed Hornbills, via the character of Zazu in The Lion King, has done the species justice. I am joined by author Lucy McRobert and translator (of nature books and bird ID guides) James Lidster.

You can find Lucy and James on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/wildlylucy/

https://www.instagram.com/james.lidster/

Special thanks to Sound Engineer for this episode, Oscar, who managed the recording live from Birdfair 2024, he can be found at:
https://oscarhenderson.wixsite.com/oscarcreates

In this episode of Bird Brain, artist Carly Sharp and I tackle the subject of whether the representation of Adelie Penguins in the Dreamworks Madagascar franchise has done the species justice.

This is a podcast for people who like pop culture and nature.

Carly's work can be seen on Instagram at:

https://tinyurl.com/bdhr6j4y

Join us for episode one of Bird Brain, Stephen Moss (renowned nature writer and ornithologist) and I delve into the portrayal of Hedwig from Harry Potter. Discover whether the depiction aligns with the true traits of Snowy Owls and explore the storied history of anthropomorphising this fascinating species.

Expect avian anecdotes, fantastic facts, wizarding world geekery, and an appearance from my Fairy Godson, Eloquent Elliott, aged 9. 

Read more from Stephen Moss at the Guardian : https://www.theguardian.com/profile/stephenmoss1

Thank you to Amy from Flashbulb for the sound editing: https://flashbulb.info/

🎙️ In this episode of Bird Brain, we soar into the vibrant and endangered world of the Spix’s Macaw—the striking blue parrot made famous by Blu in the animated film Rio.

Joining me is Scarlett Hilton—BTO Young Leader, nature poet, and passionate advocate for equitable access to nature.

We discuss:
🦜 Rio and the real-life story behind Blu
🌵 The caatinga biome – What makes this dry forest ecosystem so vital for macaws
⚖️ Poaching and pet ownership – From international trafficking to Minnesota’s bizarre exotic pet laws
🎧 Bioacoustic monitoring – How sound is helping track and protect endangered birds
📚 The Falcon Thief – A gripping read on wildlife crime, recommended by Scarlett

Scarlett also shares her thoughts on the role of storytelling, poetry, and youth engagement in bird conservation.

Check out these links:
🔗 The Falcon Thief by Joshua Hammer – Waterstones
🔗 Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP)
🔗 Chico Mendes Institute, Brazil
🔗 Can you own any exotic animals in Minnesota? – The Environmental Literacy Council

Bonus Beasts: Iorek Byrnison, from the His Dark Materials trilogy.

This episode isn’t just about polar bears. It’s about what happens when you’re stripped of your purpose — and how, for some people, recovery means forging a new kind of armour. To explore that, I’m joined by psychiatrist and trauma specialist Dr Mathew Hoskins — who’s worked on cutting-edge therapies for PTSD, including MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.

Today we’re asking: what can a fictional bear teach us about real psychological healing?