The Science of Birds
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.
Episodes
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.
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⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!
The featured species in this episode is Jameson's Snipe (Gallinago jamesoni).
Sound Citations:
Niels Krabbe, XC238296. Accessible at ww...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
This is Episode 134. Ivan takes on one of the most iconic bird families in the avian world: Accipitridae—the hawks, eagles, kites, buzzards, harriers, and Old World Vultures. It's a massive and diverse group with no good nickname, though Ivan has a few suggestions.
The episode covers the key traits that make these birds such formidable predators—from th...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
In this From the Field episode Ivan takes listeners along on a two-week scouting trip to Romania where he explored the country's remarkable natural landscapes in preparation for a future birding tour. There's just one catch: his binoculars broke almost immediately after arriving.
Despite that setback, Ivan racks up some lifers and shares highlights from two very di...
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 Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum).
Sound Citations:
Dr S S Suresh, XC1102415. Accessible a...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
In Episode 132, Ivan Phillipsen explores the "circulatory system of the land"—the world of rivers and streams. These flowing-water environments, serve as vital habitats for avian life.
The episode delves into the ecology of these waterways, breaking down the differences between clear, rocky upland streams and the warmer, sediment-rich rivers of the lowlands. ...
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 Bicolored Antbird (Gymnopithys bicolor).
Sound Citations:
Niels Krabbe, XC250916. Accessibl...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
In Episode 131 of The Science of Birds, host Ivan Phillipsen takes a deep dive into one of North America's most familiar woodpeckers: the Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). Found year-round across the continent, this bird has a habit of making itself known in some startling ways, including drumming loudly on rooftops at the crack of dawn.
The episode desc...
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. Access...
👕 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 que...
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).
👕 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 th...
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).
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
This is Episode 128. How does a bird travel thousands of miles across the globe only to return to the exact same backyard or nest site year after year? This episode explores the fascinating science behind avian navigation. Learn the difference between simple orientation and "true navigation," uncovering how birds reach specific destinations they have never even visited be...
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 Groundscraper Thrush (Turdus litsitsirupa)
Groundscraper Thrush sounds: Wikimedia file and...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
Episode 127 of The Science of Birds is Ivan Phillipsen’s annual review of fascinating ornithology stories from 2025. Learn about a handful of standout studies that deepened what we know about birds, from major developments in global bird taxonomy to surprising insights about behavior, evolution, and conservation.
After a few featured deeper dives, the episode shifts ...
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 Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus)
Asian Dowitcher sounds (Xeno Canto recordings X...
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
In this episode—which is number 126—Ivan Phillipsen heads to the seashore to explore the iconic Herring Gulls whose calls define the soundscape of coasts across North America and Europe. Listeners meet not just one but two species: the American Herring Gull and the European Herring Gull, nearly identical in appearance but with a surprisingly twisty evolutionar...
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-thighed Hornbill (Bycanistes albotibialis)
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
This is Episode 125. Host Ivan Phillipsen takes listeners inside the amazing respiratory system of birds. He starts by grounding the topic in familiar territory—how mammal lungs work—before revealing how different the avian system really is.
The episode walks through the unique division of labor between birds’ small, rigid lungs and their large ai...
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 Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus)
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