Explore every episode of the podcast Bird of the Week

The Bin Chicken, also known as the Australian White Ibis. It's a bird with a reputation for drinking bin juice. Some people don't really like them. But is that fair? In this episode we take a closer look and see what these bin birds are all about.

Honeyeaters, some people say they're the Hummingbirds of Australia. They are the nectar eating birds of the great southern land. What is there deal? Well this is episode that lays it out.

There is no shortage of Robins in the world. You got some in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Chances are if you're standing somewhere in the world, there is a Robin lurking near by. But of course, almost none of them are related to each other. Is it time for another rant about how useless and silly bird names are? You better believe 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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• European Robin: https://ebird.org/species/eurrob1
• American Robin: https://ebird.org/species/amerob
• Australasian Robins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_robin
• Flame Robin: https://ebird.org/species/flarob1
• Rose Robin: https://ebird.org/species/rosrob1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Torrent Flyrobin: https://ebird.org/species/torfly1
• Japanese Robin: https://ebird.org/species/japrob2
• Siberian Blue Robin: https://ebird.org/species/sibrob
• Indian Robin: https://ebird.org/species/indrob1 
• Robin Accentor: https://ebird.org/species/robacc1

Hybrids, they're strange. So strange that this may not be the episode for everyone, but hey, I'm not here to tell you what to do.

Out in the rainforest of Central and South America there is a family of birds that makes a living by following ants and eating the bugs they disturb. They're the Antbirds and they're pretty neat. In this episode we take a look at what these guys are all about.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Antbirds: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/thamno3/cur/introduction#genusThamnophilus
• Bicoloured Antbird: https://ebird.org/species/bicant2?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Ocellated Antbird: https://ebird.org/species/oceant1
• Parasites: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3450647

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

Aussie Bird Count: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/

Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

eBird Mobile: https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• House Sparrow: https://ebird.org/species/houspa
• The War on Sparrows: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/16461045-the-war-on-sparrows
• Western Australia hates the Sparrow: https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/siteassets/documents/biosecurity/invasive/birds/sparrows---biosecurity-alert-pf008-23-print.pdf
• How Sparrows came to Australia: https://theconversation.com/city-sparrows-came-to-australia-via-india-59730
• The Sparrow's evolution: https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-humans-shaped-the-evolution-of-the-worlds-most-common-bird
• Sparrow declining population: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/16/house-sparrow-population-in-europe-drops-by-247m

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Greater Vasa Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/vaspar1
• Sungrebe: https://ebird.org/species/sungre1
• Hoatzin: https://ebird.org/species/hoatzi1
• Mousebird: https://ebird.org/species/spemou2

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo: https://ebird.org/species/succoc
• Powder Down: https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/powder-down
• Episode 57 - Parrots: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1733312/episodes/14752840-parrots
• Vocal mimicry in parrots: https://www.miragenews.com/vocal-mimicry-in-parrots-why-they-repeat-human-1029293/
• Syrinx: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982222013112
• Cockatoos raid bins: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-09-13/cockatoos-cockies-bin-lid-flip-culture-bricks-bird-cognition/101424194

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Pelican eats Pigeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phUs2kIGY9M
• Australian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/auspel1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Pink-Backed Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/pibpel1
• Spot-Billed Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/spbpel1
• Dalmatian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/dalpel1
• Peruvian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/perpel1
• Brown Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/brnpel
• Pelican finds water: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-19/curious-central-west-why-pelicans-prefer-some-places/9054518
• hunting practices: https://asknature.org/strategy/cooperative-herding-catches-more-food/
• Dalmatian Pelican conservation: https://rewildingeurope.com/blog/turning-the-tide-for-the-dalmatian-pelican/
• Peruvian Pelican conservation: https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/south-america/how-the-peruvian-pelican-reflects-changes-in-the-environment/

Many birds mimic the calls of other birds. But there is no bird that has the repertoire of the Lyrebird, renown for being some of the greatest mimics in the avian world. So, what's they're deal? 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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Superb Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/suplyr1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Albert's Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/alblyr1
• 10 cents: https://www.ramint.gov.au/ten-cents
• Lyrebirds are losing their voice: https://westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/lyrebirds_are_losing_their_voice_due_to_continued_habitat_loss
• Bird Life: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/superb-lyrebird/?srsltid=AfmBOoqwY7ME7qaHqkOv23B2VUUFpxZ_VlL4BIEGim8z85fHyydXH7ax
• World Wildlife Fund: https://wwf.org.au/blogs/the-superb-lyrebird-helping-these-amazing-mimickers-recover-from-the-2019-20-bushfires/

You know what film doesn't get talked about enough? Charlie's Angels (2000). But wait, this show isn't about middling films from two decades ago, it's about amazing birds, so how is that film connected to birds? Well, let's find out. I promise it's ridiculous. 

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Charlie's Angels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie%27s_Angels_(2000_film)
• The Scene in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-mbJhVl2Xc
• Pygmy Nuthatch: https://ebird.org/species/pygnut
• Venezuelan Troupial: https://ebird.org/species/ventro1
• Troupials are nest pirates: https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Icterus_icterus%20-%20Troupial.pdf
• Fox Sparrow: https://ebird.org/species/foxspa
• Slate's podcast on the issue: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2024/10/how-did-the-big-budget-charlies-angels-movie-get-this-bird-so-wrong

The Kookaburra has to be one of Australia's most famous birds, with a call so iconic and strange that it has been used in a whole swarth of Hollywood films to evoke a feeling of the topics and the exotic, despite the fact that they do not live in that type of environment. But they're a bird of far greater interest than their call alone, so in this episode we'll see what else they have to offer.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Laughing Kookaburra: https://ebird.org/species/laukoo1
• Blue-Winged Kookaburra: https://ebird.org/species/blwkoo1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Spangled Kookaburra: https://ebird.org/species/spakoo1
• Rufous-Bellied Kookaburra: https://ebird.org/species/rubkoo1
• Shovel-Billed Kookaburra: https://ebird.org/species/shbkoo1
• Kookaburra was Flipper: https://bioacoustics.stackexchange.com/questions/746/is-this-sound-made-by-flipper-dolphin-tv-series-real
• Kookaburra in film: https://soundandthefoley.com/2013/05/30/that-jungle-sound/#:~:text=THE%20KOOKABURRA%20IN%20OTHER%20FILMS,on%20their%20way%20to%20Australia.
• Kookaburra chicks kill their siblings: https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2000/10/23/201846.htm 

The Bird is back, and we are back looking at a bird with a reputation for being the world's most dangerous. Maybe in a shock twist the bird with the badass reputation is a giant fruit eater from Papua New Guinea, the Cassowary. But is this reputation deserving? Well in this episode we will find out just how dangerous they are, but also what else makes them especially cool. 

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Southern Cassowary: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/soucas1/cur/introduction
• Northern Cassowary: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norcas1/cur/introduction?lang=es
• Dwarf Cassowary: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/dwacas1/cur/introduction?lang=es
• Kiwi: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birds
• Emu: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11406903-the-great-emu-war
• Cassowary 1926 fatality: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175730542
• Ostrich lethality: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4323753/#:~:text=When%20attacking%20a%20person%2C%20ostriches,wild%20ostrich%20populations%20%5B2%5D.
• Keystone species: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb1bbIyF9OU
• Casque: https://tetzoo.com/blog/2022/4/9/inside-the-cassowarys-casque-updated

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes

Sorry I meant to have notes, but I'm not as organised this time. The story is quite well documented though in numerous online sources.

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.
 
Notes

• Storks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stork
• Saddle-Billed Stork: https://ebird.org/species/sabsto1
• Marabou: https://ebird.org/species/marsto1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• White Stork: https://ebird.org/species/whisto1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Black Stork: https://ebird.org/species/blasto1
• Migration: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/9912409-migration-part-ii 
• Speared Stork: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeilstorch
• Hera: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230119-the-weird-history-of-baby-myths
• Hans Christian Andersen: http://hca.gilead.org.il/storks.html
• Work Without Hope: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43999/work-without-hope

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.
 
Notes

• Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/16146149-power-of-flight-part-1
• Feather episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/8438286-the-heck-s-a-feather 
• Keel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keel_(bird_anatomy)#:~:text=A%20keel%20or%20carina%20(%20pl,the%20plane%20of%20the%20ribs.
• hollow bones: https://www.esc.cam.ac.uk/news/some-birds-have-hollow-bones-and-new-research-helps-us-understand-why
• lungs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXuWi_ODAgo
• feathers: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/feathers-article/
• wing design: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Bird-Wing-Types-Handout.pdf 

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?

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Flightless bird episodes

• Kiwis: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birds
• Emu: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11406903-the-great-emu-war
• Flightless birds: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11317493-flightless-birds
• The Great Auk: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/10605634-the-great-auk
• Penguins: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/10464354-penguin-extravaganza

Notes

• Flying Snake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopelea
• Archaeopteryx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeopteryx
• Huxley's Near Bird: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchiornis
• Holy Confucius Bird: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confuciusornis
• Opposite Birds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enantiornithes

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes

• Pelagic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagic_zone
• Procellariiformes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procellariiformes
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834
• Wandering Albatross: https://ebird.org/species/wanalb1
• Tube nose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTRRMwXuEg
• Waved Albatross: https://ebird.org/species/wavalb?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Laysan Albatross: https://ebird.org/species/layalb?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Short-tailed Albatross: https://ebird.org/species/shtalb?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Smell: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0709047105#:~:text=Wandering%20albatrosses%20(Diomedea%20exulans)%20forage,role%20in%20natural%20foraging%20behavior.
• Waved Albatross moves egg: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cd6b/5ba04ee23bec2f62f223216ef97be0d307d8.pdf
• Mating dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYNazaodHg
• Proventriculus: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/proventriculus#:~:text=The%20proventriculus%20is%20a%20glandular,a%20koilin%20layer%20(cuticle).
• Wisdom: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/wisdom-laysan-albatross-super-mom-is-73-and-still-going-strong/
• Plight of the Tristan Albatross: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/8788007-the-tristan-albatross

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?

Well on this episode we dive into 5 famous bird myths, break them do and see if there is any truth to the rumours.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes

• Quack's quack won't echo: https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/05/06/1102602.htm
• Ostrich with its head in the sand: https://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/z/2020/03/11/truth-or-tail-do-ostriches-really-bury-their-head-in-the-sand-when-scared-or-frightened
• Egyptian Plover cleans crocodile teeth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_plover
• Trochilus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochilus_(crocodile_bird)
• Don't touch baby birds: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=426#:~:text=Q%3A%20If%20a%20person%20touches,prevent%20people%20from%20disturbing%20wildlife.
• Birds can't smell: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2014/birds-can-smell-and-one-scientist

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• Feeding advice: https://birdlife.org.au/a-guide-to-feeding-wild-birds-in-australia/#:~:text=Seed%2Deating%20birds%20have%20a,oats%2C%20sorghum%20and%20peanut%20pieces.
• Making a bird friendly garden: https://birdlife.org.au/discover-birds/birds-in-your-backyard/bird-friendly-garden/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• Snail Kite: https://ebird.org/species/snakit
• Phenotypic Plasticity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenotypic_plasticity
• Oystercatcher bill: https://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/11/incredible-bill-of-oystercatcher

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• American Flamingo: https://ebird.org/species/grefla2
• Colour rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TtnD4jmCDQ 
• Flamingos related to Grebes: https://www.10000birds.com/exploring-the-relationship-between-flamingos-and-grebes-the-wonderful-birds.htm
• Lamellae: https://asknature.org/strategy/lamellae-filter-food-of-different-sizes/
• Pink!: https://www.newscientist.com/question/why-are-flamingos-pink/
• Milk!: https://thepopularflamingo.com/en-au/blogs/posts/flamingos-produce-milk-yep-and-this-is-how-why
• One leg!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIoE18JYGcM

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• Brushtail Possum: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests-and-threats/possums/
• Zealandia: https://www.visitzealandia.com/
• Tui: https://ebird.org/species/tui1
• Saddleback: https://ebird.org/species/saddle2
• Kaka: https://ebird.org/species/nezkak1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Kereru: https://ebird.org/species/nezpig2
• New Zealand Fantail: https://ebird.org/species/nezfan1
• Tomtit: https://ebird.org/species/tomtit1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Predator Free Wellington: https://www.pfw.org.nz/
• Takahe previous episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/14346484-lazarus-rising
• Kiwi previous episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birds

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• Eastern Rosella: https://ebird.org/species/easros1
• Rainbow Lorikeet: https://ebird.org/species/railor5?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Aussie Bird Count: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/
• Australian Magpie: https://ebird.org/species/ausmag2?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Magpies swoop bald men: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-09/magpies-swoop-bald-more-often-survey-finds/103297520
• Peregrine Falcon: https://ebird.org/species/perfal?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Noisy Miner: https://ebird.org/species/noimin1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Cockatoos open bins: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-09-13/cockatoos-cockies-bin-lid-flip-culture-bricks-bird-cognition/101424194
• Raven language: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/wa-afternoons/how-to-speak-raven/13424156 

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Links:

• Carolina Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/carpar/
• Why the Carolina Parakeet went extinct: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/carolina-parakeet-extinction-mystery
• Monk Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/monpar
• Monk nest: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/parrots-are-taking-over-the-world/
• Parakeet panic: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/cautionary-tales/when-parakeets-plundered-new-york

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Parrot beaks: https://parrotjunkie.com/blogs/health/parrot-beak-anatomy
• Tripedal locomotion: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0245#:~:text=Our%20findings%20demonstrate%20that%20parrots,substrate%20reaction%20forces%20and%20power.
• Lorikeet Tongue: https://www.psittacology.com/lorikeet-tongue-diet/ 
• Powder Down: https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/powder-down
• Old World Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/psitta4/cur/introduction
• New World Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/psitta3/cur/introduction
• Cockatoos: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/cacatu2/cur/introduction#:~:text=Cockatoos%20are%20large%20parrots%20of,also%20the%20most%20widely%20recognized.
• New Zealand Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/strigo1/cur/introduction#genusNestor
• Kea: https://www.firstlighttravel.com/blog/cheeky-kea
• Alex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_(parrot)
• Burrowing Parrots: https://ebird.org/species/burpar
• Eclectus Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/eclpar4?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Orange-Bellied Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/orbpar1
• Greater Vasa Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/vaspar1

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Budgerigar: https://ebird.org/species/budger/
• Murmuration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEiuKDEPM5g
• Budgie colour mutation: https://www.budgie-bubble.co.uk/budgie-mutations
• UV feathers: https://budgiesareawesome.blogspot.com/2010/07/glowing-budgies.html

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Horned Screamer: https://ebird.org/species/horscr1/
• Horned Lark: https://ebird.org/species/horlar
• Horned Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/horpar2
• Hollow bones: https://www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/avian-adaptations/#:~:text=Hollow%20bones%20are%20also%20called,areas%20in%20a%20bird's%20bones.

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.

Until 2 February 2024 public submissions are open on the site's proposed development. To help protect the Emu-wren visit Birdlife Australia and use their form to voice your opposition: https://www.actforbirds.org/whalersway

Notes:

• Birdlife media release on Whalers Way: https://birdlife.org.au/news/rocket-launch-facility-will-destroy-threatened-bird-habitat/
• Dusky Seaside Sparrow: https://www.fws.gov/species/dusky-seaside-sparrow-ammodramus-maritimus-nigrescens
• Southern Emu-wren: https://ebird.org/species/souemu1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Australian Government Emu-wren species profile: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=26006

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Lazarus Taxon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_taxon
• Lazarus of Bethany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_of_Bethany
• It's time to D-D-D-Duel!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFkdcQgNJHo
• Blue-eyed Ground Dove: https://ebird.org/species/begdov2
• Doves raised in captivity: https://abcbirds.org/news/blue-eyed-ground-dove-captive-rearing/
•  Inbreeding depression: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-relevance-of-evolution/conservation/inbreeding-depression/
• Bermuda Petrel: https://ebird.org/species/berpet
• David Wingate: https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/david-wingate-and-rescue-cahow
• A Tale of Two Islands: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9071817-a-tale-of-two-islands
• Takahe: https://ebird.org/species/takahe3
• Story of the Takahe: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/takahe-the-bird-that-came-back-from-the-dead/
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature: https://www.iucn.org/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Great Crested Grebe: https://ebird.org/species/grcgre1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Forest and Bird: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/
• Bird of the Century winner: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
• Previous Bird of the Year winners: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/past-champions/
• Puteketeke: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/bird-century-winner-announced-puteketeke-pandemonium-prevails#:~:text=The%20p%C5%ABteketeke%20Australasian%20crested%20grebe,atop%20its%20burnt%2Dorange%20mullet.
• Feet for tail feathers: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4070281?seq=2
• Grebe mating dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs_3WAfDVsc
• Grebes eat feathers: https://www.audubon.org/news/grebes-their-meals-side-feathers-heres-why#:~:text=Strange%20as%20it%20sounds%2C%20grebes,way%20to%20slow%20down%20digestion.
• John Oliver on Jimmy Fallon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVE1hBzHn3s
• Does John Oliver hate birds?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2Y6Z-maAU 

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• European Robin: https://ebird.org/species/eurrob1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Robins and Christmas: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/12/why-do-we-associate-robins-with-christmas/
• Robins and the nativity: https://www.birdspot.co.uk/culture/the-legend-of-robin-redbreast
• The Six Birds of Christmas, previous Christmas special: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9782095-the-six-birds-of-christmas
• Dead Wrens on Christmas cards: https://culturacolectiva.com/en/art/design/victorian-christmas-cards-weird-dead-birds/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Night Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/nigpar2
• Ground Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/gropar1/
• Dick Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(entrepreneur)
• Walter Boles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5OSiN_6Lr0
• Robert Cupitt: https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.308723421800147
• John Young and the Night Parrot: https://www.audubon.org/news/john-young-rediscovered-australian-night-parrot-did-he-lie-about-his-later
• John Young and the Blue-Fronted Fig Parrot: https://www.smh.com.au/national/new-parrot-species-found-in-queensland-20061108-gdos73.html
• Penny Olsen: https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/the-truth-behind-the-quest-to-find-the-elusive-night-parrot 
• Future of the Night Parrot: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/science/night-parrot-ghost-bird-australia.html 

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

If you're interested in the work of Artemis and their efforts to save the Golden Shoulder Parrot check out: https://artemis.org.au/

Notes:

• Paradise Parrot: https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=723
• Red-Rumped Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/rerpar1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Hooded Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/hoopar1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Golden Shouldered Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/gospar1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• John Gilbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_(naturalist)
• John Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gould
• Gilbert's Whistler: https://ebird.org/species/gilwhi1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Gilbert's Honeyeater: https://ebird.org/species/whnhon3?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Gilbert's Potoroo: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/new
• Gilbert's Dunnart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert%27s_dunnart
• Alec Chisholm: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hugh_Chisholm
• Story of the Paradise Parrot: https://theconversation.com/100-years-ago-this-man-discovered-an-exquisite-parrot-thought-to-be-extinct-what-came-next-is-a-tragedy-we-must-not-repeat-171939

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Bird Taxonomy: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species
• Morphology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology_(biology)
• Convergent Evolution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution
• Therapod: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theropoda
• Feathered dinosaurs: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs-among-us/feathers
• Opposite birds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enantiornithes
• Neoaves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoaves
• Hoatzin: https://ebird.org/species/hoatzi1

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Flightless Birds: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/11317493-flightless-birds
• Island Birds: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/8978808-island-bird
• Southern Brown Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/sobkiw1/
• Northern Brown Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/nibkiw1/
• Okarito Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/okbkiw1/
• Little Spotted Kiwi:https://ebird.org/species/liskiw1/
• Great Spotted Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/grskiw1/
• How Kiwis got to New Zealand: https://savethekiwi.nz/about-kiwi/kiwi-facts/how-kiwi-came-here/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes: 

• Biogeographic Realms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W94Rth-aIkc&t=1164s&ab_channel=AtlasPro
• Peregrine Falcon: https://ebird.org/species/perfal?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Migration: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9834248-the-heck-s-migration 
• Osprey: https://ebird.org/species/osprey?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Glossy Ibis: https://ebird.org/species/gloibi?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Cattle Egret: https://ebird.org/species/categr/
• Barn Owl: https://ebird.org/species/brnowl
• Owls: How Gives a Hoot?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/11822647-owls-who-gives-a-hoot
• Speciation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciation

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• The Great Auk: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/10605634-the-great-auk
• How do Eggs Work?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/12734438-how-do-eggs-work
• The Egg War: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/12858732-the-egg-war
• Auks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auk
• Atlantic Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/atlpuf
• Tufted Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/tufpuf
• Horned Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/horpuf
• Puffin beaks: https://www.audubon.org/news/puffins-amp-their-sex-appeal-glowing-beaks
• Rhinoceros Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/rhiauk?siteLanguage=en_AU 
• Whiskered Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/whiauk
• Crested Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/creauk
• Citrus smelling bird: https://nerdfighteria.info/v/ZELEjE92D-c/
• Guillemot eggs: https://bou.org.uk/blog-birkhead-guillemot-eggs/
• Marbled Murrelet: https://ebird.org/species/marmur?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Ancient Murrelet: https://ebird.org/species/ancmur
• Kiviaq: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-kiviaq

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Larynx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larynx
• Syrinx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrinx_(bird_anatomy)
• Songbirds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbird
• White Bellbird: https://ebird.org/species/whibel2?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Common Nightingale: https://ebird.org/species/comnig1
• Bell Miner: https://ebird.org/species/belmin1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Superb Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/suplyr1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Eurasian Bullfinch: https://ebird.org/species/eurbul?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Eastern Whipbird: https://ebird.org/species/easwhi1?siteLanguage=en_AU

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.
 
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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Wrynecks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wryneck
• Piculet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piculet
• Black-backed Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/bkbwoo?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Northern Flicker: https://ebird.org/species/norfli 
• Gila Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/gilwoo?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Ground Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/growoo1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Tongues: https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/science/woodpeckers-hammer-without-headaches/ 
• Tail feathers: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/3-a26-freshman-seminar-the-nature-of-engineering-fall-2005/47a3837503f2449db79f7d54ec71e171_wp_tail_feathev1.pdf
• Sapsuckers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapsucker 
• Acorn Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/acowoo
• Drumming: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/woodpecker-knocking-actually-drum-solo-scientists-say-rcna49456
• Ivory-billed Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/ivbwoo
• Ivory-bill rediscovery?: https://earthsky.org/earth/ivory-billed-woodpecker-isnt-extinct/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Rooster burned at the stake: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-6331-3_13
• BBC story on gender flipping birds: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40016817 

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Eurasian Wren: https://ebird.org/species/winwre4?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Ture Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wren
• Australasian Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_wren
• New Zealand Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_wren
• Antbrids: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antbird
• Wren-babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pnoepyga
• Old World Babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_babbler
• Jungle Babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellorneidae
• Ovenbirds:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovenbird 
• Wren-warblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamonastes

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. 

Really though, this is just a shameless plug for my second podcast, What's Up With That Bird's Name, available only through Patreon. www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Wild Turkey: https://ebird.org/species/wiltur
• Ocellated Turkey: https://ebird.org/species/ocetur1/
• Turkey changed its name: https://theconversation.com/why-does-turkey-want-other-countries-to-start-spelling-its-name-turkiye-199390
• Guineafowl: https://ebird.org/species/helgui?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Jamaican Mango: https://ebird.org/species/jamman1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Indian Golden Oriole: https://ebird.org/species/ingori1/
• Gouldian Finch: https://ebird.org/species/goufin3?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Finch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finch
• John Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gould
• Elizabeth Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gould_(illustrator)

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

California Gold Rush: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush
Farallon Islands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Islands
Common Murre: https://ebird.org/species/commur?siteLanguage=en_AU
Auks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auk
Murre eggs: https://americanornithology.org/distinctive-egg-color-variations-in-common-murres/
The Egg War: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-california-went-war-over-eggs-180971960/
Penguin eggs: https://www.capetownetc.com/news/penguin-egg-whites-may-turn-clear-when-boiled-but-this-is-not-a-breakfast-idea/ 

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Hummingbird eggs: https://abcbirds.org/blog21/hummingbird-eggs/
• Ostrich eggs: https://www.americanostrichfarms.com/blogs/news/all-about-ostrich-eggs-and-what-you-can-do-with-them
• Emu eggs: https://hmnh.harvard.edu/emu-eggs
• Tinamou eggs: https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2022/01/19/high-gloss-eggs/
• Calcium in eggs: https://nurturing-nature.co.uk/gardening-for-wildlife/birds-need-calcium-to-lay-their-eggs-where-do-they-get-it-from/
• Blue eggs: https://www.thespruce.com/why-robin-eggs-are-blue-4161031
• Anatomy of an egg: https://www.scienceofcooking.com/eggs/anatomy-of-a-chicken-egg.html
• Brood patch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_patch
• Common Murre eggs: https://www.audubon.org/news/why-are-murre-eggs-so-pointy-new-research-debunks-prevailing-theory

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Cockfighting in The Philippines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXK6uog-f6g&ab_channel=VICEAsia 
• World Slasher Cup: https://www.worldslashercup.ph/
• Egyptian Egg Oven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_egg_oven#:~:text=An%20Egyptian%20egg%20oven%20or,other%20techniques%20of%20the%20time. 
• Sacred Chickens of Rome: https://www.anecdotesfromantiquity.com/the-sacred-chickens-of-rome/
• Gallic Rooster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallic_rooster
• Chicken gene mutation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26873630/#:~:text=Our%20study%20indicates%20that%20the,been%20important%20for%20chicken%20domestication.
• The Chicken-of-Tomorrow: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/poultry-food-production-agriculture-mckenna
• Hen Fever: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/poultry-food-production-agriculture-mckenna
• Ayam Cemani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_Cemani
• Dong Tao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Tao_chicken
• Bird Flu: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/03/h5n1-bird-flu-avian-influenza-what-can-be-done/
• RSPCA standards: https://rspcaapproved.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2020_08_MEATCHICKENS_Standard_v1.1.pdf
• Hilltop Eggs: https://www.hilltopsfreerange.com/

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Red-billed Quelea: https://ebird.org/species/rebque1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Red Junglefowl: https://ebird.org/species/redjun?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Where the word rooster came from: https://www.etymonline.com/word/rooster
• Chicken purring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOkqOPfMQj4&ab_channel=mercyforanimals
• Tidbitting: https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2017/07/tidbitting-what-it-is-and-why-chickens.html

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.

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

Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Pigeons Volume 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9684204-pigeons-are-disgusting-change-my-mind
• Rock Dove: https://ebird.org/species/rocpig/
• Diamond Dove: https://ebird.org/species/diadov1
• Victoria Crowned Pigeon: https://ebird.org/species/vicpig1
• Pigeon Milk: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2011/09/mysteries-of-pigeon-milk-explained/
• Pigeons and magnets: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/september-october-2012/how-do-pigeons-find-their-way-home
• Golden Dove: https://ebird.org/species/goldov1
• Orange Dove: https://ebird.org/species/oradov1/
• Crested Pigeon: https://ebird.org/species/crepig1/
• Nicobar Pigeon: https://ebird.org/species/nicpig1/
• Luzon Bleeding-heart: https://ebird.org/species/lubhea1/
• Tooth-billed Pigeon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth-billed_pigeon
• A Tale of Two Islands: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9071817-a-tale-of-two-islands
• Passenger Pigeon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_pigeon
• Blue-eyed Ground Dove: https://ebird.org/species/begdov2?siteLanguage=en_AU