Explore every episode of the podcast Bird of the Week
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Old Mate Nate Goes Birding With A Baby | 05 Dec 2025 | 00:27:44 | |
I've never really been a birder myself. Birding, twitching, getting out in the field and tracking down a bird isn't an activity I've ever taken seriously, mostly because I never really had the time to do. But since going on parental leave I've found myself with hours in the day to fill and a baby who likes getting out and about. So in this episode I present the reflections of a birding novice. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Aussie Bird Count: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/ Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ eBird Mobile: https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile | |||
| The World's Most Boring Bird | 28 Oct 2025 | 00:25:29 | |
The show still exists! We are back and this time we are looking at maybe the world's most boring bird, the House Sparrow. These little brown birds live in pretty much every city in the world. Everyone is familiar with them and they have little of interest to offer anyone, ever. Or do they? Well let's find out. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek
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| The War on Sparrows | 18 Jan 2025 | 00:40:24 | |
Today we welcome back friend of The Bird, Mr David Clay, as we discuss that one time China tried to eliminate all the sparrows in their nation. Did the plan work, were there unforeseen consequences, is this another tale of human folly? Almost certainly. Join us as we look at another strange avian story from history. | |||
| When a Stork Calls | 22 Dec 2024 | 00:25:35 | |
Bird of the Week special announcement: there is a baby on the way so there's no better time to talk about Storks and what they have to do with baby delivery. Where did that myth of the Stork bringing babies to expectant parents come from? Well, today we are going to find out.
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| Power of Flight Part 2 | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:28:20 | |
In our follow up episode on avian flight we dive deeper into the question of how birds get into the air. In part two we look at the machinery birds have and the physiological attributes they needed to make a flapping wing work. But do we answer the question, 'how do birds fly?', almost certainly not.
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| Power of Flight Part 1 | 21 Nov 2024 | 00:26:52 | |
Flying is basically the most defining thing about what birds do, and yet I've never really spoken about it. Well no more, today we begin the mission to figure out how exactly birds fly. We will begin in the long past and look at the evolutionary journey from lizard to bird, as I refuse to answer the question: how do birds fly. But then I guess that's Part 2 will be for?
Notes
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| Albatross | 24 Oct 2024 | 00:33:47 | |
Wow, does this podcast even release episodes anymore? Yes it does, and we are back with Albatross, renown as some of the biggest birds in the world. Majestic birds of the open ocean, clumsy buffoons on land. What is it that makes them special? We find out in this episode.
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| Bird Myths Debunked | 19 Aug 2024 | 00:27:57 | |
I'm sure we've all heard some fun facts about birds, a duck's quack won't echo, an Ostrich sticks its head in the sand when threatened. But is there any truth to these statements, or are they straight up lies?
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| How to Feed Wild Birds | 28 Jul 2024 | 00:22:24 | |
Who among us hasn't thrown a chip at a seagull or a slice of bread at a duck? Feeding birds is a wonderful way to interact with our feathered friends. Except, if we do it wrong we could literally kill them with kindness. So what are the dos and don'ts of feeding birds? Well good news, we look at the worse consequences that can occur, and how to do it right so everyone is happy. | |||
| Escargot and the Kite | 07 Jul 2024 | 00:18:57 | |
Eagles are majestic animals, fearsome apex predators that hunt large prey. But then their is that one Kite that only eats snails, the Snail Kite. Today we meet an odd ball bird, and find out how they're adapting to survive in a changing world.
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| A Flamboyance of Flamingos | 13 Jun 2024 | 00:28:21 | |
Flamingos are kinda freaky. They are a pink, stork-like bird that eats algae and feeds its chicks blood red milk. What is going on with that? Luckily we will be digging into these questions in this episode, to join me as find out a couple of fun facts about Flamingos.
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| Impressions of New Zealand | 16 May 2024 | 00:24:25 | |
I recently visited New Zealand, and I had a great chance to see some of their unique birds and travel the country a little. And I came away from the trip with a few impressions about their birds and the environment that I wanted to share. So slightly different, more personal account than the usual, but hopefully will still be of some interests and entertainment.
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| The Three Wackiest Birds | 28 Aug 2025 | 00:28:57 | |
Today we are going to look at three birds that I think are some of the strangest in the world. Ah... I don't have much more to say about the episodes ... it kinda does what it says on the label. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek
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| Australian Bird Quiz | 02 May 2024 | 00:20:57 | |
We interrupt our usual format to bring you a slightly different episode. It's an Australian bird quiz, pretty straight forward, play along at home and see how you go.
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| Patriot Parrots | 09 Apr 2024 | 00:23:17 | |
In the last episode we said there were no parrots in the United States of America. But that was only a half truth. A better truth would have been to say that once upon a time there was a parrot, the Carolina Parakeet that went extinct about 100 years. And in its place today there is an invasive species, the Monk Parakeet. So what is the story of these two birds, why did one die while the other has thrived? Today we are going to try and find out.
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| Parrots | 24 Mar 2024 | 00:43:01 | |
Have you been hankering for a cracker, well has polly got one for you today as we look at Parrots. This is a big old family of birds, so join me as we do a speed run of parrots and find out what these birds are all about.
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| My Grandmother and the Budgerigar | 06 Mar 2024 | 00:24:41 | |
This will be a different episode. I have also had a strong association between my grandmother and Budgerigars, she owned one and gifted me one of my own for my sixth birthday. So this episode will be part memoir, part eulogy, part ... Budgerigar discussion...? Maybe not one for everyone, but let's give it a spin.
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| The Unicorn Bird | 15 Feb 2024 | 00:20:16 | |
Sadly our world is not populated with magical unicorns. But what we lack in horned horses we make up for with horned birds. Join me this week as we meet one of the strangest birds, the avian equivalent of the unicorn, the Horned Screamer.
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| The Sparrow, the Moon and the Emu-wren | 28 Jan 2024 | 00:16:14 | |
In the 1960s the United States of America lost a unique sub-species of bird when the Kennedy Space Centre was developed as part of the space race. Today, Australia is on the cusp of repeating this history, with the home of the endangered Southern Emu-wren being earmarked for the development of a launch site.
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| Lazarus Rising | 21 Jan 2024 | 00:31:10 | |
So if it's one thing we know people are good at it's making other things go extinct. We are living during one of the great mass extinct events. But every now and again, we come across a bird that was thought to have gone extinct, only for them to be rediscovered, sometimes hundreds of years later. Well, this year, we are going to meet three birds that were thought to be extinct only to be found alive and (not so) well many years later.
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| Bird of the Century | 08 Jan 2024 | 00:21:49 | |
Last year New Zealand crowned the Puteketeke as their Bird of the Century. This raise a lot of questions: who has the authority to name a bird for the century, why is 2023 the year it happened, and what the heck is the Puteketeke? Join me in this episode to learn more and to find out how John Oliver made a dramatic entry to saw the vote in favour of an underdog.
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| Christmas Robin | 23 Dec 2023 | 00:11:55 | |
As we enter the festive season there is no better bird to feature than the European Robin. These bright little birds have an association with Christmas that extends way waaaaay back. So let's dive in with a short min Christmas stocking stuffer Bird of the Week special to find out what the deal is with Christmas and Robins.
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| The Night Parrot Scandal | 11 Dec 2023 | 01:15:51 | |
The Night Parrot is known as one of the most elusive birds in the world. Between 1912 and 1990 there was no evidence that they lived, and even then it would be another 23 before a living one was even seen. But then in 2013, the Night Parrot was re-discovered to much fanfare. However, it later emerged that much subsequent evidence for their existence was falsified. Just what happened and why is a wild tale, so joy me as we tell the story of the Night Parrot.
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| Clever Cocky | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:17:15 | |
The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is one of the most instantly recognisable Australian birds. Big, loud and mischievous. Some people love them, some people ... not so much. But they're smart birds that deserve an episode of their own, so let's do it. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek
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| Australia's Extinct Birds | 26 Nov 2023 | 00:25:22 | |
It's a common story throughout the world: when people turn up we tend to kill things, with many animals being driven to extinction. So join me today as we do a review of the Australian birds that have gone extinct since European colonisation. But would you be shocked if I told you there was only one? It's true, the Paradise Parrot is the only Australian bird that has gone extinct. So let's find out who they were, what happened, and if we can stop their close cousin from going the same way.
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| TAXONOMY! | 11 Nov 2023 | 00:34:34 | |
We finally got to the TAXONOMY episode. Join me as we explain what taxonomy is, how it works, and how we use it to arrange a big old family tree that contains every bird and maps how they're all related to each other. It's an overview of bird family tree from the dinosaurs to today.
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| Kiwis: Fruit, People, Birds | 14 Oct 2023 | 00:24:06 | |
Without a question, the Kiwi is one of the most unusual birds in the world. A lifetime of isolation on New Zealand has lead to a bird that is doing an impersonation of a rodent. This week we will find out who the Kiwi is, where they came from, how they live and where they're going.
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| The Five Cosmo Birds | 25 Sep 2023 | 00:33:18 | |
So birds can fly, and as result they have spread themselves every corner of the world. And yet, despite this fact, very few individual species have managed to find a way to conquer the world on their own. Well, nearly none, because there are five birds, just five that have found their way onto every continent. These birds, the cosmopolitan birds make up an exclusive club. Join me in this episode to meet the five birds that have spread themselves around the world. Find out how they did, and why so few birds have managed the trick.
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| Puffin Time | 28 Aug 2023 | 00:26:30 | |
It's time to talk Puffins. The auks are a fascinating group of ocean going birds. They have fancy plumes, fancy beaks, some of them even smell like citrus, and the evolved to fly under the waves and in the air. So let's meet these penguins for the northern hemisphere and find out what they got going on.
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| Bird Song | 08 Aug 2023 | 00:30:01 | |
A bird's ability to sing has long fascinated and enchanted we people. But how do birds sing, do all birds sing and why do they sing? These are important questions, and maybe we will ever answer some of them.
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| How Much Wood Can a Woodpecker Peck? | 18 Jul 2023 | 00:27:58 | |
Today we are meeting the Woodpeckers, those chisel faced birds that spend all day banging their head into a tree, sounds frustrating. Well as it turns out the Woodpeckers are evolved for a life of a tree pecking. In this episode we will find out how they do it, why they do it, and how they avoid a concussion.
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| The Rooster that Committed Heresy | 04 Jul 2023 | 00:34:10 | |
There is a famous Swiss case from 1474 of a rooster that was put on trial for the unnatural crime of laying an egg. It is a silly story of human folly, as is so often the case. But this strange tale does lead to a deeper and more interesting point about avian gender, how it is radically different to mammals, and how in some rare cases a hen can maybe turn into a rooster. How is that possible? Tune in to find out and we even have a little surprise at the start of the show as well.
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| Fake Wrens | 15 Jun 2023 | 00:28:00 | |
Who doesn't love a Wren? They're adorable stub-tailed birds with beautiful voices. But wait! Are we talking about the same bird? As it turns out there are hundreds of unrelated birds that are called Wrens. The state of play when it comes to what is and isn't a Wren is wild, and this episode we do a full review of all the wrens buzzing around out there.
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| Three Strange Names | 29 May 2023 | 00:23:21 | |
A slightly different episode to look at three birds with odd names. We will look at how the Turkey, the Jamaican Mango and the Gouldian Finch got their names. What do these birds have to do with each other? Nothing whatsoever, but maybe we can find a theme in there somewhere.
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| Bird Guy has a Hot Take on Electoral Systems | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:37:11 | |
This episodes is not about birds. This is about Australia's electoral system. How's that for coming out of left field? Why is Bird Guy talking about electoral systems? Good questions, it's something I'm interested in, and Australia had a recent election result that I think is worth taking a closer look at. If you don't want to hear about that, this probably isn't the episode for you. So no hard feelings if you want to skip this one. But if you're in the mood for something a little different, join me now. | |||
| The Egg War | 16 May 2023 | 01:03:38 | |
The Egg War is the rather bizarre story of how a colony of Common Murres on the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco sparked conflict during the American Gold Rush in the 1850-60s. It is a wild tale of murder, piracy, lighthouse keepers with delusions of grandeur and an awful lot of people wearing hats. Join me for a silly story. | |||
| How do Eggs Work? | 27 Apr 2023 | 00:22:40 | |
Eggs may be an every day mundane thing. Something that lives in your fridge and that you see all the time. And yet, they are little marvels of nature. So join me today as we learn everything there is to know about eggs.
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| The Things We Do To Chickens | 29 Mar 2023 | 00:37:26 | |
This is Part II of our story on the Chicken. In this episode we will find out how the Chicken was domesticated, and how we changed them to suit our needs and transitioned them from Junglefowl to industrialised factory production line.
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| The World's Most Delicious Bird | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:25:35 | |
In the world today there are some 20 billion chickens. They are the most abundant bird in the world, and almost all of them exist to feed us people. They are the world's most delicious bird, but where did they come from and what makes them special? Good news, I have the answers to these questions. So join me for Part 1 of our exploration on the domesticated chicken.
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| More Reasons to Love Pigeons | 05 Mar 2023 | 00:38:49 | |
Long time listeners may remember our episode on pigeons, where I tried to convince two friends that pigeons are amazing. But that episode only looked at the Rock Dove, and the world of pigeons is so much bigger than that. So in this episode we will take a proper tour of the family and learn some reasons to love pigeons.
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| The Birds of Norfolk Island | 14 Feb 2023 | 00:19:24 | |
You know me, I love me a good island, and Norfolk Island is a good island. I recently did a short talk on the birds of Norfolk Island, and I thought, hey, why not share it with anyone who has a care to listen. So please enjoy this slightly shorter episode about the birds that call Norfolk home.
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| How do Birds Sleep? | 26 Jan 2023 | 00:50:46 | |
Because sleep is something we all do it is understandable that we might think the experience would be similar for other animals. And birds have developed a whole range of unique sleep tactics to help them get through their day.
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| Bowerbirds - Avian Architects | 05 Jan 2023 | 00:29:08 | |
Nowhere in the avian kingdom is there another bird that makes a structure as amazing as the Bowerbirds. But why do they do it? Why, to impress the ladies of course. But as always, there is a lot to unpack, so join me today to find out everything is to know about the Bowerbirds and the bowers they make.
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| Owls: Who Gives a Hoot? | 06 Dec 2022 | 00:28:42 | |
Who are the Owls? They are the ninjas of the night, swooping on silent wings to snatch their preys. They have a range of unique attributes that allows them to hunt totally blind, and without making a sound. They are unlike any other family of birds, and today we're going to learn all about them.
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| Spooky Birds | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:23:04 | |
Our two week late Halloween special. Join me for a quick romp to meet five birds with some creepy vibes.
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| The Bird that Swallowed a Dog | 27 May 2025 | 00:21:32 | |
Pelicans! Giant, big beaked birds of the water. Urban legends surrounded these critters, like the fact that they will sometimes eat dogs. Fact or myth? Who can say for sure? But one thing we can say is that they're fascinating birds, so let's get to know them. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek
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| The Nest Review | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:50:48 | |
Today we're going to talk about nests. What are, how are they made, what's their deal? Also, how does each type of nest design compare to the others on a five star scale? It's a question no-one thought to ask until now. So join me as I review nests.
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| The Great Emu War | 29 Sep 2022 | 01:17:35 | |
Maybe you've heard of the Great Emu War, popularly known as that time Australia declared war on a bird, and lost. But what is the real story? Was in a war, or was it a tokenistic pest control operation ... with machine guns? This week we dive into the misguided story. We learn some fun facts about Emus and meet the mysterious Major G. P. W. Meredith, the officer placed in command of the operation.
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| Flightless Birds | 14 Sep 2022 | 00:36:06 | |
For birds, flight is their whole schtick. To come across a bird that doesn't fly gives us pause. Flight gives a bird so many advantages, why would they ever give it up? Well, if conditions are just right sometimes it can make sense. Join me today to discover what forces can compel a bird to give up the sky.
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| Let's Go Cuckoo | 23 Aug 2022 | 00:37:10 | |
In part two of our exploration of the parasites of the bird world we meet the brood parasites: the birds that lay their eggs in other birds' nests. They are the dead-beat parents who can't be bothered raising their own young. But while we might think of these birds as the lowest of cheats, when we dig further we discover that being a freeloader isn't as easy as it seems. They have evolved a range of impressive traits that make them successful birds. So join me today to learn about Cuckoos and their other parasitic kin.
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