E40. There are only 15 crane species on the planet, and 11 of them are in trouble. Dr. Andy Caven, Director of Central Flyway Programs for the International Crane Foundation, has spent his career on two of them: the sandhill cranes that pour into one stretch of Nebraska's Platte River every spring, and the whooping crane, which came back from the edge and is still nowhere near safe. Scott asks him what it actually takes to keep a bird like that on the landscape, and the answer runs through soggy grassland, private ranches, and one river worth fighting over.In this episode, you'll hear about:<ul class="list-node"><li class="list-item-node">The number Andy gives for how many cranes stand on that stretch of river, which Scott makes him say twice</li><li class="list-item-node">How a bird that was down to a couple of dozen individuals ended up stopping a dam</li><li class="list-item-node">What a wet meadow is, and why one is so much easier to lose than to build back</li></ul>All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul class="list-node"><li class="list-item-node">Mallard audio contributed by Mike Andersen, ML136504</li><li class="list-item-node">Wilson's Phalarope audio contributed by W. Douglas Robinson, ML474658841</li><li class="list-item-node">Swamp Sparrow audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML94352</li></ul>

E40. There are only 15 crane species on the planet, and 11 of them are in trouble. Dr. Andy Caven, Director of Central Flyway Programs for the International Crane Foundation, has spent his career on two of them: the sandhill cranes that pour into one stretch of Nebraska's Platte River every spring, and the whooping crane, which came back from the edge and is still nowhere near safe. Scott asks him what it actually takes to keep a bird like that on the landscape, and the answer runs through soggy grassland, private ranches, and one river worth fighting over.In this episode, you'll hear about:The number Andy gives for how many cranes stand on that stretch of river, which Scott makes him say twiceHow a bird that was down to a couple of dozen individuals ended up stopping a damWhat a wet meadow is, and why one is so much easier to lose than to build backAll audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:Mallard audio contributed by Mike Andersen, ML136504Wilson's Phalarope audio contributed by W. Douglas Robinson, ML474658841Swamp Sparrow audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML94352

E40. There are only 15 crane species on the planet, and 11 of them are in trouble. Dr. Andy Caven, Director of Central Flyway Programs for the International Crane Foundation, has spent his career on two of them: the sandhill cranes that pour into one stretch of Nebraska's Platte River every spring, and the whooping crane, which came back from the edge and is still nowhere near safe. Scott asks him what it actually takes to keep a bird like that on the landscape, and the answer runs through soggy grassland, private ranches, and one river worth fighting over.In this episode, you'll hear about:<ul><li>The number Andy gives for how many cranes stand on that stretch of river, which Scott makes him say twice</li><li>How a bird that was down to a couple of dozen individuals ended up stopping a dam</li><li>What a wet meadow is, and why one is so much easier to lose than to build back</li></ul>All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul><li>Mallard audio contributed by Mike Andersen, ML136504</li><li>Wilson's Phalarope audio contributed by W. Douglas Robinson, ML474658841</li><li>Swamp Sparrow audio contributed by Wil Hershberger, ML94352</li></ul>

Okay, but... cranes!

E42. Birds get sick too, and a lot of what happens next looks surprisingly familiar. Dr. Andrea Townsend of Hamilton College has spent two decades following American crows through outbreaks, and she walks Scott through what illness really does to a bird, from the family it belongs to down to the clever brain it depends on.In this episode, you'll hear about:<ul class="list-node"><li class="list-item-node">The surprising way crows choose their partners, and what it costs them when disease comes around</li><li class="list-item-node">What a stomach bug does to one of the cleverest birds you'll ever meet</li><li class="list-item-node">Why going it alone can be the riskier move while a virus is spreading</li></ul>All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul class="list-node"><li class="list-item-node">American Crow video contributed by Jay McGowan, ML472843</li><li class="list-item-node">Common Raven audio contributed by Gerrit Vyn, ML137574</li><li class="list-item-node">Burrowing Owl audio contributed by Bob McGuire, ML188805</li></ul>

E42. Birds get sick too, and a lot of what happens next looks surprisingly familiar. Dr. Andrea Townsend of Hamilton College has spent two decades following American crows through outbreaks, and she walks Scott through what illness really does to a bird, from the family it belongs to down to the clever brain it depends on.In this episode, you'll hear about:The surprising way crows choose their partners, and what it costs them when disease comes aroundWhat a stomach bug does to one of the cleverest birds you'll ever meetWhy going it alone can be the riskier move while a virus is spreadingAll audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:American Crow video contributed by Jay McGowan, ML472843Common Raven audio contributed by Gerrit Vyn, ML137574Burrowing Owl audio contributed by Bob McGuire, ML188805

E42. Birds get sick too, and a lot of what happens next looks surprisingly familiar. Dr. Andrea Townsend of Hamilton College has spent two decades following American crows through outbreaks, and she walks Scott through what illness really does to a bird, from the family it belongs to down to the clever brain it depends on.In this episode, you'll hear about:<ul><li>The surprising way crows choose their partners, and what it costs them when disease comes around</li><li>What a stomach bug does to one of the cleverest birds you'll ever meet</li><li>Why going it alone can be the riskier move while a virus is spreading</li></ul>All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul><li>American Crow video contributed by Jay McGowan, ML472843</li><li>Common Raven audio contributed by Gerrit Vyn, ML137574</li><li>Burrowing Owl audio contributed by Bob McGuire, ML188805</li></ul>

Okay, but what happens when a bird gets sick?

E35. Eighteen species of small brown bird on a pile of volcanic rock have taught us more about how evolution actually works than almost anything else on Earth. Not because Darwin figured them out. He didn't. Because a handful of scientists went back, banded every bird on one island, and watched it happen in real time. Scott heads to the Galapagos with <a href="http://erikenbody.github.io" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Erik Enbody</a>, Assistant Professor of Computational Biology at Cornell University, to find out how one ancestor became eighteen, why the beak is the only thing worth looking at, and what happens when species that aren't supposed to interbreed start swapping genes anyway.In this episode you'll hear about:<ul><li>The island so small you can band every bird on it, and the drought that killed almost all of them</li><li>One gene that explains 40% of beak size, when nothing in human height explains even 1%</li><li>The finch that does something mind-blowingly villainous and what it says about how far evolution will go</li></ul> All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul><li>Large Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85965</li><li>Common Cactus-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86715</li><li>Small Tree-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85464</li><li>Vegetarian Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82506</li><li>Galapagos Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML45963</li><li>Española Mockingbird audio contributed by Herb Elliott, ML638777433</li><li>Floreana Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85455</li><li>San Cristobal Mockingbird audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML28656</li><li>Palm Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML88937</li><li>Blue-footed Booby audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85906</li><li>Vampire Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86756</li><li>Woodpecker Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82522</li><li>Paradise Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML127399</li><li>Galápagos Sea Lion audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML125020</li></ul>

E35. Eighteen species of small brown bird on a pile of volcanic rock have taught us more about how evolution actually works than almost anything else on Earth. Not because Darwin figured them out. He didn't. Because a handful of scientists went back, banded every bird on one island, and watched it happen in real time. Scott heads to the Galapagos with Dr. Erik Enbody, Assistant Professor of Computational Biology at Cornell University, to find out how one ancestor became eighteen, why the beak is the only thing worth looking at, and what happens when species that aren't supposed to interbreed start swapping genes anyway. In this episode you'll hear about:The island so small you can band every bird on it, and the drought that killed almost all of themOne gene that explains 40% of beak size, when nothing in human height explains even 1%The finch that does something mind-blowingly villainous and what it says about how far evolution will go All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:Large Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85965Common Cactus-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86715Small Tree-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85464Vegetarian Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82506Galapagos Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML45963Española Mockingbird audio contributed by Herb Elliott, ML638777433Floreana Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85455San Cristobal Mockingbird audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML28656Palm Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML88937Blue-footed Booby audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85906Vampire Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86756Woodpecker Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82522Paradise Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML127399Galápagos Sea Lion audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML125020

E35. Eighteen species of small brown bird on a pile of volcanic rock have taught us more about how evolution actually works than almost anything else on Earth. Not because Darwin figured them out. He didn't. Because a handful of scientists went back, banded every bird on one island, and watched it happen in real time. Scott heads to the Galapagos with <a href="http://erikenbody.github.io" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Erik Enbody</a>, Assistant Professor of Computational Biology at Cornell University, to find out how one ancestor became eighteen, why the beak is the only thing worth looking at, and what happens when species that aren't supposed to interbreed start swapping genes anyway.In this episode you'll hear about:<ul><li>The island so small you can band every bird on it, and the drought that killed almost all of them</li><li>One gene that explains 40% of beak size, when nothing in human height explains even 1%</li><li>The finch that does something mind-blowingly villainous and what it says about how far evolution will go</li></ul> All audio, video, and images in this episode are either original to Okay, But... Birds (© Okay Media, LLC) or used under license/permission from the respective rights holders. Media from the Macaulay Library is used courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as follows:<ul><li>Large Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85965</li><li>Common Cactus-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86715</li><li>Small Tree-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85464</li><li>Vegetarian Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82506</li><li>Galapagos Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML45963</li><li>Española Mockingbird audio contributed by Herb Elliott, ML638777433</li><li>Floreana Mockingbird audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85455</li><li>San Cristobal Mockingbird audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML28656</li><li>Palm Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML88937</li><li>Blue-footed Booby audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML85906</li><li>Vampire Ground-Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML86756</li><li>Woodpecker Finch audio contributed by Robert I. Bowman, ML82522</li><li>Paradise Tanager audio contributed by Curtis Marantz, ML127399</li><li>Galápagos Sea Lion audio contributed by Arnoud B. van den Berg, ML125020</li></ul>

Okay, but what's the deal with Darwin's finches?

E2. Bird populations are vanishing—quietly, and fast. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, unpack the landmark “3 Billion Birds” study: what it actually showed, how scientists figured it out, and what it means for the birds we thought were common and safe.In this episode, you’ll hear about:<ul><li>What the 2019 “3 Billion Birds” study really revealed, and how researchers combined decades of data to detect the losses</li><li>Which bird groups and regions have been hit hardest and why some familiar species are suddenly in trouble</li><li>How policymakers and the public have responded so far, and which conservation actions actually move the needle</li><li>The genesis of eBird and how a simple idea became a global tool for tracking birds (and helped make this science possible)</li></ul> If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks “common” birds will always be here.

E2. Bird populations are vanishing—quietly, and fast. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, unpack the landmark “3 Billion Birds” study: what it actually showed, how scientists figured it out, and what it means for the birds we thought were common and safe. In this episode, you’ll hear about:What the 2019 “3 Billion Birds” study really revealed, and how researchers combined decades of data to detect the lossesWhich bird groups and regions have been hit hardest and why some familiar species are suddenly in troubleHow policymakers and the public have responded so far, and which conservation actions actually move the needleThe genesis of eBird and how a simple idea became a global tool for tracking birds (and helped make this science possible) If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks “common” birds will always be here.

E2. Bird populations are vanishing—quietly, and fast. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, unpack the landmark “3 Billion Birds” study: what it actually showed, how scientists figured it out, and what it means for the birds we thought were common and safe.In this episode, you’ll hear about:<ul><li>What the 2019 “3 Billion Birds” study really revealed, and how researchers combined decades of data to detect the losses</li><li>Which bird groups and regions have been hit hardest and why some familiar species are suddenly in trouble</li><li>How policymakers and the public have responded so far, and which conservation actions actually move the needle</li><li>The genesis of eBird and how a simple idea became a global tool for tracking birds (and helped make this science possible)</li></ul> If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks “common” birds will always be here.

Okay, but how do you lose 3 billion birds?

E1. Birds “mate for life”… or do they? In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. Carrie Branch, Assistant Professor at Western University, pull back the curtain on avian relationships and sort out what’s romance, what’s strategy, and what’s just really good PR.In this episode, you’ll hear about:<ul><li>The difference between social and genetic monogamy in birds</li><li>Why “monogamous” birds engage in extra-pair copulations (a.k.a. extra-curricular behavior)</li><li>How males try to avoid cuckoldry with mate-guarding and other tactics</li><li>Whether birds “cheat” in secret or right out in the open</li><li>How researchers use DNA and multiple-paternity tests to see who really fathered which chicks</li></ul> If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who still thinks swans are relationship goals.

E1. Birds “mate for life”… or do they? In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. Carrie Branch, Assistant Professor at Western University, pull back the curtain on avian relationships and sort out what’s romance, what’s strategy, and what’s just really good PR. In this episode, you’ll hear about:The difference between social and genetic monogamy in birdsWhy “monogamous” birds engage in extra-pair copulations (a.k.a. extra-curricular behavior)How males try to avoid cuckoldry with mate-guarding and other tacticsWhether birds “cheat” in secret or right out in the openHow researchers use DNA and multiple-paternity tests to see who really fathered which chicks If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who still thinks swans are relationship goals.

E1. Birds “mate for life”… or do they? In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. Carrie Branch, Assistant Professor at Western University, pull back the curtain on avian relationships and sort out what’s romance, what’s strategy, and what’s just really good PR.In this episode, you’ll hear about:<ul><li>The difference between social and genetic monogamy in birds</li><li>Why “monogamous” birds engage in extra-pair copulations (a.k.a. extra-curricular behavior)</li><li>How males try to avoid cuckoldry with mate-guarding and other tactics</li><li>Whether birds “cheat” in secret or right out in the open</li><li>How researchers use DNA and multiple-paternity tests to see who really fathered which chicks</li></ul> If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who still thinks swans are relationship goals.

Okay, but is bird monogamy just PR?

Okay, But... Birds is a weekly science-meets-storytelling podcast hosted by evolutionary biologist Dr. Scott Taylor. Each episode dives into one weird-but-true bird question through smart, funny storytelling and lively interviews with ornithologists, ecologists, artists, and unexpected experts.Follow Okay, But... Birds wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop weekly, and yes, we will talk birdie to you.

Okay, But... Birds is a weekly science-meets-storytelling podcast hosted by evolutionary biologist Dr. Scott Taylor. Each episode dives into one weird-but-true bird question through smart, funny storytelling and lively interviews with ornithologists, ecologists, artists, and unexpected experts. Follow Okay, But... Birds wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop weekly, and yes, we will talk birdie to you.

Trailer — Okay, But... Birds

Hosted by evolutionary biologist Dr. Scott Taylor, Okay, But... Birds explores the drama, brilliance, and science behind bird life. Each snackable 30-minute episode blends smart storytelling, expert interviews, and a touch of humor to reveal how birds shape our world. No jargon. No binoculars required. Just real science, quirky insights, and bird-brained drama you’ll want to share at brunch. Because birds aren’t background. Birds are cool.

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