Bird Facts

It's migration season here at Bird Facts, and so in this episode, Kristen tells Maeve about Forster's Tern, a species of tern that was migrating through where Kristen was recently visiting in Wisconsin. This is a small, attractive bird known for its neat fish-diving habits, and for nesting in saltwater, freshwater, and brackish marshes. They winter along various places (mostly but not exclusively coastline), migrate through all of the United States other than the Northeast, and summer in marshes in the Great Plains and Great Lakes areas.

In our next episode, Kristen will tell Maeve about all the research she did for her final paper on the use of birds as tropes in horror films for her class Birds, Religion, and Mythology. Birds appear in many ways in horror films, so this episode will have a follow up bonus episode with a special guest. You will not want to miss it!

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources: 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Forsters_Tern/overview

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/forsters-tern#:~:text=Forster's%20Tern%20looks%20so%20much,on%20top%20of%20muskrat%20houses.

Migration map:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Forsters_Tern/maps-range

Additional Resources:

Courtship displays:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qry1CXgPV4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM92g1FJ0Zg

Videos of terns diving:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oSYcRHtu7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cxpeEJOyh8

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Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

Join Kristen and Maeve for a special bonus episode. If you have not listened to our episode on the Resplendent Quetzal bird from March 27, be sure to check it out. That bird had a special relationship with the Aztecs, and we did not have enough time in our main episode to go into detail on all of the history and mythology.

In this episode, our hosts are joined by Joe Rosales, studying at Harvard Divinity School for a Master of Theological Studies degree in comparative theology with a special focus on Christianity and the Aztec religion. After he gave a presentation in one of Kristen's classes on Quetzalcoatl, Kristen invited him to share what he has learned about the Resplendent Quetzal bird as well as other interesting things about the fascinating Aztec Empire.

We learn all about human sacrifice, polytheism, discuss why birds make excellent symbols for charismatic leaders, the similarities between Queztlecoatl and Jesus, and so much more. Kristen also tells Joe the Bird Facts origin story.

Catch us next week for a regular episode about Forster's Tern.

If you are interested in connecting with Joe, he wants to hear from you! Please send bird facts a note via Gmail (contact info below) and we will forward it along to him.

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Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

In this special episode, we change things around a bit as Maeve tells Kristen about the Piping Plover, reading from a book she recently got on a birding outing. 

Requested by one of our listeners, Griff, the Great Blue Heron is found in North America, Central America, northern South America, and the Galapagos Islands. This bird has an almost 6 foot wingspan and can be found near freshwater or saltwater. Outside of mating season they are solitary, often standing statuesque in water looking for prey - which they often catch after a sudden strike. Their unique neck vertebrae allow for a shockingly quick jab into the water. 

FYI we may have an irregular posting schedule for a month or so as we are lining up very exciting guests. 

In our next episode, Maeve will turn the tables and tell Kristen about the Piping Plover.

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources: 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Blue_Heron/id

https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/great-blue-heron

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/great-blue-heron

Additional Resources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-do-i-keep-herons-from-eating-the-fish-in-my-pond/#

Video of a Great Blue Heron catching fish https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/435241

Telling egrets and Herons apart https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/how-to-identify-white-herons-excerpt-from-better-birding-book/

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Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

*FYI* Maeve and Kristen each have unusually busy schedules this month so we are taking a few weeks off publishing. See you in two weeks for our episode on the Great Blue Heron!

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources: 

Additional Resources:

Check out the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/

Follow us on Instagram: @birdfactspod

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Twitter: @birdfactspod

Come learn with us about the Resplendent Quetzal, an exceptionally beautiful bird native to Central America. This bird loves fruit and lives in a special type of rainforest known as a cloud forest. Males of this species grow a 3 foot long tail feather during the mating season to entice birds. Kristen goes a little into the mythology around the quetzal bird, who was revered by the Aztecs. In the show notes you can link to a video that shows how clapping outside certain Aztec temples brings back the sound of the quetzal.

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources: 

https://abcbirds.org/bird/resplendent-quetzal/

https://ebird.org/species/resque1

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/resplendent-quetzal

https://www.britannica.com/science/cloud-forest-ecology

Carrasco, David (ed.). “Feathered Serpent.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures, 2001. eISBN: 9780195188431

Additional Resources:

Sounds of the Mayan Temple - Like the Quetzal Bird https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTKCk9iLqRc

How to pronounce Quetzalcoatl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAc4CXJZXgk

Follow us on Instagram: @birdfactspod

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56189600

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/science/split-sex-gynandromorph.html

Follow us on Instagram: @birdfactspod

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

** content warning ** This episode features some graphic depictions of bird vs. prey interactions, so if you listen with little ones you may wish to check out the episode on your own first to feel it out. 

Maeve tells Kristen all about the Northern Shrike, whose common name of 'butcher bird' is well deserved. This large songbird is entirely carnivorous, and has some fascinating adaptions that allow it to catch prey close to its own size. Our hosts also discuss other interesting facts, like what this bird has in common with baseball or football players and how this episode was inspired by a Hoozier song. Tune in next week for our first ever Birds in the News segment. We can't wait to share that with you!

Also, take a minute to check out Maeve's other podcast, Mystics and Mulder, a podcast "at the intersection of pop culture and faith." Their latest episode is about Hoozier, and Maeve mentions in today's other episode. 

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Shrike/overview

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-shrike#:~:text=This%20tough%20bird%20feeds%20on,open%20field%2C%20watching%20for%20prey.

Additional Resources:

Shrike - by Hoozier https://youtu.be/DOBHyBPPSow

Northern Shrike calling from a tree https://youtu.be/8RmRivUbvAE

Differentiating between the Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes https://youtu.be/t5l7GPs4ePE

Blog about the tomial tooth - https://kaylafisk.com/2022/02/25/bird-anatomy-tomial-tooth/

https://www.audubon.org/news/what-do-baseball-players-and-shrikes-have-common

*Trigger warning - animal corpses*

https://www.audubon.org/news/shrikes-have-absolutely-brutal-way-killing-large-prey

Shrike impaling prey behavior - so metal! https://youtu.be/kE6y-v7m-JY

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Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!

In this exciting episode Kristen tells Maeve about the Laughing Kookaburra, a request sent in by our listener Eoin. Famous for it's breathtaking "laughing call," this bird is the only member of the kingfisher family that does not eat fish. The Laughing Kookaburra is endemic to Australia, maintains multi-generational family units, and is super cute to boot. Our hosts also discuss how this bird's iconic call has been used and misused by Hollywood, and they also include two musical representations of the Laughing Kookaburra. 

Starting two weeks from now, we will transition back to our weekly episode release schedule, and every other episode will be a segment about birds in the news. 

Research for today’s episode came from the following sources:

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2005/12/blockbuster-movies-turn-lab-ornithology-blockbuster-sounds

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/laughing-kookaburra

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/laughing-kookaburra/

Additional Resources:

Video of a kookaburra calling from the Brookfield Zoo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jW7A2glZbk

Meet Taco, a laughing Kookaburra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZt-JLhsg4

Kookaburra song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2VitpGRalw

Opening scene to Raider’s of the Lost Ark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWLjtvbGuoo

If you liked Brandon's Kookaburra song, you can check out some of his other music at https://www.youtube.com/@CSPAN4archives

Follow us on Instagram: @birdfactspod

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @birdfactspod

Thanks for listening, and happy birding!