In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&apos;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 Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi).Sound Citations:Magnus Wadstein, XC534681. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/534681.Jesse Fagan, XC146919. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/146919.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&amp;apos;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;⚠️ &lt;b&gt;SPOILER ALERT!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The featured species in this episode is the &lt;b&gt;Green-breasted Pitta&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Pitta reichenowi&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sound Citations&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Magnus Wadstein, XC534681. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/534681.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Jesse Fagan, XC146919. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/146919.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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 Green-breasted Pitta (Pitta reichenowi). Sound Citations: Magnus Wadstein, XC534681. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/534681. Jesse Fagan, XC146919....

Random Bird Thursday: A Colorful, Dumpy Bird That Chills With Chimps

👕 <a href='https://birdmerch.com/collections/all-products'>Bird Merch</a> —  Get yourself some bird shirts!~~~In this episode—which is number 130—Ivan Phillipsen explores the fascinating phenomenon of vagrancy... those surprising moments when birds appear far outside their normal range.Learn about the forces that send birds off course, including navigation errors, weather, social behavior, and more. The episode goes beyond the mystery of lost birds to ask a deeper question: are these wayward journeys simply mistakes, or can they shape the future of species?Along the way, the episode reveals how vagrancy connects to migration, ecology, and evolution in ways that are more important than they might first appear.<a href='https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast/vagrancy-in-birds'>Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website</a><a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;👕 &lt;a href='https://birdmerch.com/collections/all-products'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bird Merch&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; —  Get yourself some bird shirts!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~~~&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode—which is number 130—Ivan Phillipsen explores the fascinating phenomenon of vagrancy... those surprising moments when birds appear far outside their normal range.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn about the forces that send birds off course, including navigation errors, weather, social behavior, and more. The episode goes beyond the mystery of lost birds to ask a deeper question: are these wayward journeys simply mistakes, or can they shape the future of species?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Along the way, the episode reveals how vagrancy connects to migration, ecology, and evolution in ways that are more important than they might first appear.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast/vagrancy-in-birds'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

👕 Bird Merch —  Get yourself some bird shirts! ~~~ In this episode—which is number 130—Ivan Phillipsen explores the fascinating phenomenon of vagrancy... those surprising moments when birds appear far outside their normal range. Learn about the forces that send birds off course, including navigation errors, weather, social behavior, and more. The episode goes beyond the mystery of lost birds to ask a deeper question: are these wayward journeys simply mistakes, or can they shape the futur...

Vagrancy: Why Some Birds End Up Far From Home

In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&apos;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 White-throated Treerunner (Pygarrhychus albogularis).White-throated Treerunner sounds (Xeno Canto recordings <a href='https://xeno-canto.org/49939'>XC49939</a> and <a href='https://xeno-canto.org/52238'>XC52238</a>)<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&amp;apos;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;⚠️ &lt;b&gt;SPOILER ALERT!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The featured species in this episode is the &lt;b&gt;White-throated Treerunner&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Pygarrhychus albogularis&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;White-throated Treerunner sounds (Xeno Canto recordings &lt;a href='https://xeno-canto.org/49939'&gt;XC49939&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://xeno-canto.org/52238'&gt;XC52238&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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 White-throated Treerunner (Pygarrhychus albogularis). White-throated Treerunner sounds (Xeno Canto recordings XC49939 and XC52238) Support the ...

Random Bird Thursday: A Large Fat-eater from Patagonia

👕 <a href='https://birdmerch.com/collections/all-products'>Bird Merch</a> —  Get yourself some bird shirts!~~~In this episode, host Ivan Phillipsen dives into the diverse and sometimes mysterious world of the avian family Cuculidae. While the family is famous for the iconic call of the Common Cuckoo and cultural icons like the Cocoa Puffs mascot, it also includes a wide array of other fascinating birds such as roadrunners, coucals, couas, anis, and malkohas. Learn about the unique biological traits and behaviors that define this cosmopolitan group. From their distinctive zygodactyl feet and plumage variations to their innate, genetically-programmed vocalizations. The episode also highlights the famous behavior of brood parasitism—where some cuckoos leave their young to be raised by other species—as well as the physical adaptations that allow others to thrive as terrestrial sprinters or arboreal skulkers.Links of Interest<ul><li> <a href='https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oOZ23Q7-_zI'>Striped Cuckoo &quot;jazz hands&quot; foraging</a> [VIDEO]</li></ul><a href='https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast/cuckoos-family-cuculidae'>Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website</a><a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;👕 &lt;a href='https://birdmerch.com/collections/all-products'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bird Merch&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; —  Get yourself some bird shirts!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~~~&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, host Ivan Phillipsen dives into the diverse and sometimes mysterious world of the avian family Cuculidae. While the family is famous for the iconic call of the Common Cuckoo and cultural icons like the Cocoa Puffs mascot, it also includes a wide array of other fascinating birds such as roadrunners, coucals, couas, anis, and malkohas.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Learn about the unique biological traits and behaviors that define this cosmopolitan group. From their distinctive zygodactyl feet and plumage variations to their innate, genetically-programmed vocalizations. The episode also highlights the famous behavior of brood parasitism—where some cuckoos leave their young to be raised by other species—as well as the physical adaptations that allow others to thrive as terrestrial sprinters or arboreal skulkers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links of Interest&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oOZ23Q7-_zI'&gt;Striped Cuckoo &amp;quot;jazz hands&amp;quot; foraging&lt;/a&gt; [VIDEO]&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.scienceofbirds.com/podcast/cuckoos-family-cuculidae'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

👕 Bird Merch —  Get yourself some bird shirts! ~~~ In this episode, host Ivan Phillipsen dives into the diverse and sometimes mysterious world of the avian family Cuculidae. While the family is famous for the iconic call of the Common Cuckoo and cultural icons like the Cocoa Puffs mascot, it also includes a wide array of other fascinating birds such as roadrunners, coucals, couas, anis, and malkohas.  Learn about the unique biological traits and behaviors that define this cosmopolitan gr...

Cuckoos

In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&apos;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 Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes).<a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds">Support the show</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In each Random Bird Thursday (RBT) episode, the goal is to highlight a bird species that probably isn&amp;apos;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;⚠️ &lt;b&gt;SPOILER ALERT!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The featured species in this episode is the &lt;b&gt;Yellow-eyed Penguin&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Megadyptes antipodes&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.patreon.com/scienceofbirds"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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 Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Support the show 

Random Bird Thursday: An Antisocial Bottom-Feeder from the Antipodes

The Science of Birds is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology. It's a fun resource for any birder or naturalist who wants to learn more about ornithology. Impress your birding friends at cocktail parties with all of your new bird knowledge! Hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a professional birding guide and passionate naturalist with a PhD in Zoology.

The Science of Birds

Details

Recent Episodes