Summary
Pelicans are large, peculiar waterbirds with a unique way of feeding. Using their long bills and throat pouches, they scoop up fish and other prey from water. Some pelican species plunge dive from the air, others work in cooperative groups to improve their chances of fishing success.

In this episode, we focus on the family Pelecanidae. We go through the characteristics of pelicans, with a focus on their bill and throat pouch.

We also discuss the feeding strategies of pelicans, how they breed, and their evolution.

Finally, we touch on some issues about the conservation of pelicans.

Along the way, we’ll do some myth-busting. There are several misconceptions about pelicans that we need to address.

Links of Interest

• Video about the plunge-diving adaptations of Brown Pelicans
• Video from the BBC about pelicans eating Cape Gannet chicks

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Summary
The feather is one of the most iconic symbols of nature. Feathers are indispensable to birds, serving many critically important functions. 

In this episode, we explore those functions after looking closely at the anatomy—the structure—of a feather.

We discuss the 6 types of feathers: contour feathers, flight feathers, down, semiplumes, bristles, and filoplumes.

Some functions we explore are flight, insulation, and camouflage.

Links of Interest

• Hairs, feathers and scales have a lot in common
• Video about water repellency in bird feathers
• Video of Club-winged Manakin courtship display

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Errors and Clarifications

• Error - At 00:44, I used the word ‘historic,’ when I should have said ‘historical.’
• Error - At 06:13, I goofed on the word ‘stratum,’ saying ‘strateum’ by accident.

Attributions

• Club-winged Manakin - Recording XC248570 on Xeno Canto
• Club-winged Manakin - Recording XC248573  on Xeno Canto

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Summary
Brood parasitism is a strange and fascinating behavior that we see (in one form or another) in several hundred bird species.

This is where a female lays an egg in the nest of another bird. The parasite female flies away and never sees her offspring. The host bird or birds are fooled into raising the foreign chick as their own.

Learn about which types of birds use this breeding strategy, including cuckoos and cowbirds.

We’ll discuss the various tactics used by both the parasites and their hosts in this evolutionary arms race. And we’ll get into some ins and outs of the evolutionary process in these birds.

Links of Interest

• Video of a cuckoo parasitizing the nest of a parrotbill

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Errors and Clarifications

• At 07:38, I say that the only obligate brood parasite bird species in North America is the Brown-headed Cowbird. But the Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) lives in Mexico year round and breeds in some southern American states (AZ, CA, NM, TX, and LA).

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Summary
Learn about the amazing birds in the family Picidae—the woodpeckers. These charismatic birds have a suite of adaptations that make them excellent at the job of excavating wood. 

In this episode, we first summarize the key features of woodpeckers.

Then we’ll look at the evolution and modern-day diversity of the family.

We discuss many of the special adaptations of woodpeckers, which they use as they go about their day, foraging.

How woodpeckers breed and communicate and a bit about their conservation status round out the episode.

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival in Sisters, Oregon (USA)

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Summary
When birds disappear at night, where do they go and what are they doing? Most of them are sleeping, of course. But sleep in birds differs greatly from what you and I do.

In this episode, we discuss the most important functions of sleep in birds. Then we get into the evolution of sleep in birds.

Along the way, we’ll talk about the similarities and differences of sleep between birds and mammals like us.

Last, we cover where and how birds sleep, regarding location, posture, etc.

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• Avian Sleep Group at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
• Common Swifts Fly for 10 Months Without Landing
• The bird-like dinosaur Mei Long  (“Sleeping Dragon”)

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Errors and Clarifications

• I said that the fossil of the bird-like dinosaur Mei Long (“Sleeping Dragon”) was discovered in 2010. It was actually discovered in 2004. 

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Summary

Birds around the world are in trouble. Their populations have suffered major declines in the last 50 years.

What does the latest research tell us about the causes of these declines? What are the biggest threats to our most vulnerable bird species?

You can probably guess some of the answers, but you might be surprised by some of what you learn in this episode.

We’ll cover the top five major threats in some detail.

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• Birdlife International
• State of the World's Birds 2018
• WWF report 2020
• IUCN Red List
• List of Bird Species that have gone extinct since 1500
• Global Footprint Network

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Episode: 8

Summary

The remarkable behavioral and anatomical features of hummingbirds are what make them so endearing to us. The way they fly, their colors, and their penchant for flowers have all made hummingbirds rock stars of the avian world.

In this episode, we focus entirely on the hummingbird family, Trochilidae. 

I’ll first give you an overview of hummingbird evolution. Then, we’ll discuss their present-day diversity and distribution.

Then we dive into an assortment of fun topics about hummingbirds, including flight, metabolism, and breeding.

At the end of the episode, I talk about feeding hummingbirds-- how to do it right and some of the interesting consequences.

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• Slow-motion video of a hummingbird catching insects in flight (i.e. hawking)

Research Citations

• Fossil hummingbirds found in Germany (Mayr. 2004. Science)
• Hummingbird diversification in South America (McGuire et al. 2014. Current Biology)
• Sweetness receptors and genes in hummingbirds (Baldwin et al. 2014. Science)

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Episode: 7

Summary

It can be argued that, of all the animals, birds are the best at seeing stuff. Most species have an excellent sense of sight.

In this episode, I’ll first introduce you to the anatomy of a bird’s eye.

Then, we’ll look into (see what I did there?) how birds perceive color and their visual acuity.

And last we’ll talk about the difference between monocular and binocular vision in birds.

Research Citations

• Wild hummingbirds and ultraviolet colors (Stoddard et al. 2020. PNAS)
• Seemingly monochromatic birds are more colorful under UV light (Eaton. 2005. PNAS)

‍Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Episode: 6

Summary

This episode is Part 2 of 2 about Bird Songs. 

In the last episode, Part 1, we talked mostly about the “how” and the “who” of bird songs. We haven’t really talked about the “why,” the purpose of all these vocal sounds. This episode begins by looking at the functions of bird songs and calls.

Then we get into variation in bird songs, at several levels, including among species and among geographic regions.

You’ll also learn about some interesting subtopics like the dawn chorus and female songs.‍‍

Research Citations

• White-throated Sparrow viral dialect study (Otter et al. 2020. Current Biology)

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• BirdNet
• Female Bird Songs

Attributions

• White-crowned Sparrow singing - Recording XC565001 on Xeno Canto
• White-crowned Sparrow singing - Recording XC99572 on Xeno Canto
• Black-capped Chickadee singing - Recording XC70185 on Xeno Canto
• Red-tailed Hawk - Recording XC71575 on Xeno Canto
• Northern Mockingbird - Recording XC538537 on Xeno Canto

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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Episode: 5

Summary

This episode is Part 1 of 2 about Bird Songs. 

The voices of birds dominate nature’s soundscape. Bird songs and calls can be heard in almost every environment on the planet. 

In this episode, I’ll cover the characteristics of bird songs and how they are produced. We’ll also get into the question of whether bird songs are learned or instinctual.

Research Citations

• Willow and Alder flycatcher study proving their songs are innate (Kroodsma. 1984. The Auk)

Links to Some Things Mentioned in this Episode

• Lyrebird singing (YouTube video clip)
• Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist, book by Donald Kroodsma

Attributions

• Superb Lyrebird - Recording XC570705 on Xeno Canto
• Ruffed Grouse drumming - Recording XC132863 on Xeno Canto
• Pileated Woodpecker drumming - Recording XC71727 on Xeno Canto
• Musician Wren singing - Recording XC242524 on Xeno Canto
• Northern Raven 'song' - Recording XC496700 on Xeno Canto
• Willow Flycatcher singing - Recording XC134878 on Xeno Canto
• Alder Flycatcher singing - Recording XC139577 on Xeno Canto
• Brown Thrasher singing - Recording XC320485 on Xeno Canto
• Winter Wren singing - Recording XC142584 on Xeno Canto

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

‍

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