Explore every episode of the podcast Bird of the Week
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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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. | |||
| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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 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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| Parasite Bird | 07 Aug 2022 | 00:36:34 | |
When we think of parasites we're more likely to think of a mosquito or a leech, some gross bug that latches onto you and sucks your blood. We wouldn't normally think of a bird, but there are many freeloading birds out there, more than willing to take advantage of another animal. There are even some birds that suck blood. Today we're going to a rarely visited corner of the avian world to find vampires, pirates and changelings. It's going to be fun.
Today's birds:
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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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| Where'd all my Vultures go? | 23 Jul 2022 | 00:33:39 | |
They may not be the prettiest bird flapping about, but the humble vultures plays an incredibly important role in their ecosystem, performing waster removal, disease reduction and recycling nutrients back into the food chain.
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| Murray-Darling Basin Bird Breeding Bonanza | 22 Jun 2022 | 00:27:01 | |
The Murray-Darling Basin is an important ecosystem in Australia that supports thousands of birds and this year there has been a bird breeding boom, thanks to a couple of floods. This is the first time in nearly a decade that there has been a breeding event on this scale. It means many birds have had a vital boost to their population. Join me to find out more.
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| Magpies are murder birds, change my mind | 08 Jun 2022 | 00:41:54 | |
There are few Australian birds as famous as the Magpie. They are famous/infamous for exactly two things: their beautiful song and their murderous nature. Most people love them, some people loath them. Today I am joined by our old friend Bradly, an avid Magpie hater, as we try to learn something more about this famous bird and see if we can't spread the bird love.
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| The Great Auk | 12 May 2022 | 00:21:59 | |
Last time we met the Penguins, and learned that they are almost totally confined to the Southern Hemisphere. Despite how perfect it would be, there are no Penguins in the Artic. But did you know, Penguins were named after a now extinct northern dwelling bird, the Great Auk? So, what was this bird's deal and where did they go? Great questions, and as always I have the answers. Join me for a romp to the past and the far north and we'll learn a thing to two.
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| Penguin Extravaganza! | 19 Apr 2022 | 00:30:43 | |
Penguins are one of the least bird-like birds getting around. We're told we should never judge a fish by its ability to fly, but this is a bird that wants to be judged by its ability to swim. Where the heck did Penguins come from, why did they abandon the sky and how do they stand on ice all day without getting frost bite? These are all questions, and if you join me on this journey you might even get a couple of answers.
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| The Great Feather Heist Part II | 03 Apr 2022 | 01:14:56 | |
One summer night in June 2009, Edwin Rist broke into the Tring natural history museum and stole nearly 300 preserved birds worth some quarter of a million pounds. Join us for the second part of our story as we go through the details of how Edwin committed his heist, was eventually caught and then how the court case shook out. It is one wild ride, so strap yourself in.
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| The Great Feather Heist Part I | 23 Mar 2022 | 00:56:57 | |
One summer night in June 2009, Edwin Rist broke into the Tring natural history museum and stole nearly 300 preserved birds worth some quarter of a million pounds. How he pulled off this crime, what motivated him, and how he was caught is one wild story. Join us for part one of this story as we lay the ground work and explain how some quirks of history lead to this crime.
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| Avian Sugar Junkies | 07 Mar 2022 | 00:38:21 | |
Ever wanted to know everything there is know about Hummingbirds? Good news, this is your one-stop shop for all things humming. | |||
| A Special Announcement | 08 Feb 2022 | 00:09:53 | |
We interrupt your normal podcast to bring you a special announcement. Bird of the Week is changing how it is delivered. Too many people want birds and we've outgrown our old email server. The Weekly Bird is switching to a new provider, but sadly such services don't come cheap. | |||
| Migration Part II | 19 Jan 2022 | 00:23:52 | |
Last time we learned about how birds preform their great feats of migration. This week we learn about the long scientific history and the many experiments ornithologists conducted to discover the truth of how they do. From birds on the moon and sleeping under frozen ponds to satellite tracking, we've come a long way with our science. Join me as we retrace the theories.
For a detailed history on the history of the science around avian hibernation I recommend Tim Birkhead's study The Wisdom of Birds. | |||
| 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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| The Heck's Migration? | 05 Jan 2022 | 00:33:04 | |
We all know that birds fly south for the winter ... unless you're in the southern hemisphere, then they fly north. But for for a migrating bird it isn't a simply case of flying from A to B. A bird not only has to find its way but build up the strength to make marathon flights, and no two birds perform their migration in the same way. So join me this week as in dig into one of the most remarkable bird behaviour.
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| The Six Birds of Christmas | 23 Dec 2021 | 00:13:44 | |
The 12 Days of Christmas is an old yuletide favourite, doubly so because of all the birds in its lyrics. But the history of this song is rather long and complex. Just why is that Partridge in a pear tree, and what even is a Calling Bird? Join me this festive season as we break down some birds and get to the bottom of this old, folk carol. | |||
| Pigeons Are Disgusting, Change My Mind | 08 Dec 2021 | 00:57:49 | |
There is maybe no bird more polarising than the pigeon. While some people (me) look at these city-dwelling birds and see perfection in avian form, other (wrong) people see disgusting sky rats. Today, I've invited two friends to join me in conversation to see if I can turn a pigeon hater into a pigeon lover. | |||
| How Do Birds Get Their Names? | 13 Nov 2021 | 00:29:43 | |
The fact that birds have names is an incredibly handy thing. Instead of just pointing and making a grunting noise every time a pretty bird flies by we can label it with a name, which is ever so frightfully convenient. | |||