The Science of Birds – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Random Bird Thursday: A Fatally Fearless Bird That Seems to Swallow Basketballs

jeudi 9 octobre 2025 • Duration 20:38

In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn't going to get featured in a full-length podcast episode. These are birds we might overlook, even though they certainly deserve some appreciation and attention.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!

The featured species in this episode is the Arabian Bustard (Aredotis arabs).

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

From the Field: Mongolia

Episode 119

vendredi 11 juillet 2025 • Duration 01:03:07

This is Episode 119. In this unscripted “From the Field” episode, host Ivan Phillipsen takes you on a journey through the grasslands, forests, and mountains of Mongolia. Fresh from a ten-day scouting trip in central Mongolia, Ivan recounts his experience scouting for a future birding tour.

Along the way, he explores ancient ruins, crosses epic landscapes, and shares observations of unique habitats like the Eastern Steppe, the Daurian Forest Steppe, and the Trans-Baikal Conifer Forests.

Ivan highlights some of the most thrilling bird and wildlife encounters of the trip, from charismatic Steppe Eagles and Demoiselle Cranes to critically endangered Siberian Cranes, and the iconic Przewalski’s Wild Horse.

Whether you're a seasoned birder or simply curious about the world’s wilder places, this episode offers a look at Mongolia’s ecology, avifauna, and wildlife. Learn more about Ivan’s upcoming Mongolia tour at wildlatitudes.com.

Artificial Intelligence in Bird Research

Episode 29

vendredi 28 mai 2021 • Duration 52:09

We hear the terms ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘AI’ all the time these days. Beyond the issue of evil robots taking over the world, AI technology is helping scientists do some pretty amazing things in the field of ornithology.

In this episode, we’ll talk about what artificial intelligence is and give some interesting examples of how it’s being used to study birds.

We’ll also touch on some tools that use artificial intelligence to help you in your quest to identify birds.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Links of Interest

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

New World Warblers

Episode 28

mercredi 12 mai 2021 • Duration 58:32

New World Warblers are all the birds in the family Parulidae. You’ll sometimes hear these birds referred to as ‘Wood-Warblers.’

New World Warblers are among the most celebrated and sought after birds in North America. We love them here. They’re colorful, they’re energetic, and many of them have pleasant little songs.

These birds have also been the subjects of many scientific studies over the years. Which is great, because it means there’s a lot that ornithologists know about the biology of these magnificent little creatures.

{Special thanks to Sue Riffe for permission to use her Kirtland's Warbler recording}

~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~

Links of Interest

How to Avoid Getting Warbler Neck

Mate Choice and Sexual Selection in Birds

Episode 27

mardi 27 avril 2021 • Duration 52:54

This episode is all about how birds choose their mates and the evolutionary outcomes of those choices.

A lot of what we’re talking about today has to do with sexual selection, which is a special form of natural selection.

In sexual selection, individuals compete for mates. This is when females and males choose their partners based on specific traits. Traits like plumage color or song, behavior, etc.

This choosiness has resulted in some spectacular features in birds. Many of the things we love most about birds are consequences of sexual selection.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Links of Interest

Video of Long-tailed Manakin Display

Sandpipers

Episode 26

dimanche 11 avril 2021 • Duration 47:51

Birds in the family Scolopacidae include all the world’s sandpipers and birds such as godwits, curlews, snipes, dowitchers, willets, stints, and more.

We know these as familiar ‘shorebirds.’ They haunt coastal habitats from autumn through spring (Oct to Apr, or so). But in summer most of them migrate long distances to breed in the highest temperate latitudes or in the Arctic.

Learn about sandpiper diversity, evolution, feeding, and more in this episode.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Bird Intelligence

Episode 25

dimanche 28 mars 2021 • Duration 48:41

Our understanding of bird brains and intelligence has grown tremendously in the last couple decades.

Thanks to countless scientific studies, we now know that many bird species are highly intelligent. Some of them perform better than primates, dogs, and young children on certain cognitive tests.

In this episode, we look at how intelligence is defined and some evidence for it in birds. We have a look at the avian brain and consider how intelligence evolved in birds.

Which birds are the smartest? Which birds are numbskulls? Have a listen and find out!

~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~

Links of Interest

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Vermilion Flycatcher

Episode 24

dimanche 7 mars 2021 • Duration 20:43

The Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) is a charming bird found in the arid southwest of the United States, as well as in Mexico and down to southern South America.

This bright red flycatcher is a favorite of birders and bird photographers. Join Ivan as he introduces you to the basic features of this species.

We’ll also take a look at some interesting questions, like “Why are the Vermilion Flycatchers of Lima, Peru so dark and sooty-looking?”

Note: Some ornithological authorities have now split this species into several. Under this new classification, the birds found in the US, Mexico, and northern South American are Pyrocephalus obscurus, not P. rubinus.

~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~

Cats vs Birds

Episode 23

mercredi 24 février 2021 • Duration 39:12

Join Ivan as he wades into the conservation quagmire surrounding house cats and their effects on wild birds.

First, we’ll look at the status of house cat and feral cat populations around the world. How are all these free-ranging cats affecting our wild birds?

Many scientific studies of this issue give us some answers. Research also provides guidance for how best to solve the problems that cats create for birds. Some approaches are more severe than others.

We’ll also go over a few ways that responsible cat owners can help protect their local birds as well as keep their kitty happy.