Bird of the Week

I've never really been a birder myself. Birding, twitching, getting out in the field and tracking down a bird isn't an activity I've ever taken seriously, mostly because I never really had the time to do. But since going on parental leave I've found myself with hours in the day to fill and a baby who likes getting out and about. So in this episode I present the reflections of a birding novice. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: Aussie Bird Count: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/ Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ eBird Mobile: https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile

The show still exists! We are back and this time we are looking at maybe the world's most boring bird, the House Sparrow. These little brown birds live in pretty much every city in the world. Everyone is familiar with them and they have little of interest to offer anyone, ever. Or do they? Well let's find out. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://ebird.org/species/houspahttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/16461045-the-war-on-sparrowshttps://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/siteassets/documents/biosecurity/invasive/birds/sparrows---biosecurity-alert-pf008-23-print.pdfhttps://theconversation.com/city-sparrows-came-to-australia-via-india-59730https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-humans-shaped-the-evolution-of-the-worlds-most-common-birdhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/16/house-sparrow-population-in-europe-drops-by-247m

Today we are going to look at three birds that I think are some of the strangest in the world. Ah... I don't have much more to say about the episodes ... it kinda does what it says on the label. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://ebird.org/species/vaspar1https://ebird.org/species/sungre1https://ebird.org/species/hoatzi1https://ebird.org/species/spemou2

The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is one of the most instantly recognisable Australian birds. Big, loud and mischievous. Some people love them, some people ... not so much. But they're smart birds that deserve an episode of their own, so let's do it. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://ebird.org/species/succochttps://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/powder-downhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1733312/episodes/14752840-parrotshttps://www.miragenews.com/vocal-mimicry-in-parrots-why-they-repeat-human-1029293/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982222013112https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-09-13/cockatoos-cockies-bin-lid-flip-culture-bricks-bird-cognition/101424194

This episodes is not about birds. This is about Australia's electoral system. How's that for coming out of left field? Why is Bird Guy talking about electoral systems? Good questions, it's something I'm interested in, and Australia had a recent election result that I think is worth taking a closer look at. If you don't want to hear about that, this probably isn't the episode for you. So no hard feelings if you want to skip this one. But if you're in the mood for something a little different, join me now.

Pelicans! Giant, big beaked birds of the water. Urban legends surrounded these critters, like the fact that they will sometimes eat dogs. Fact or myth? Who can say for sure? But one thing we can say is that they're fascinating birds, so let's get to know them. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phUs2kIGY9Mhttps://ebird.org/species/auspel1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/pibpel1https://ebird.org/species/spbpel1https://ebird.org/species/dalpel1https://ebird.org/species/perpel1https://ebird.org/species/brnpelhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-19/curious-central-west-why-pelicans-prefer-some-places/9054518https://asknature.org/strategy/cooperative-herding-catches-more-food/https://rewildingeurope.com/blog/turning-the-tide-for-the-dalmatian-pelican/https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/south-america/how-the-peruvian-pelican-reflects-changes-in-the-environment/

Many birds mimic the calls of other birds. But there is no bird that has the repertoire of the Lyrebird, renown for being some of the greatest mimics in the avian world. So, what's they're deal? Let's find out. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://ebird.org/species/suplyr1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/alblyr1https://www.ramint.gov.au/ten-centshttps://westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/lyrebirds_are_losing_their_voice_due_to_continued_habitat_losshttps://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/superb-lyrebird/?srsltid=AfmBOoqwY7ME7qaHqkOv23B2VUUFpxZ_VlL4BIEGim8z85fHyydXH7axhttps://wwf.org.au/blogs/the-superb-lyrebird-helping-these-amazing-mimickers-recover-from-the-2019-20-bushfires/

You know what film doesn't get talked about enough? Charlie's Angels (2000). But wait, this show isn't about middling films from two decades ago, it's about amazing birds, so how is that film connected to birds? Well, let's find out. I promise it's ridiculous. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie%27s_Angels_(2000_film)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-mbJhVl2Xchttps://ebird.org/species/pygnuthttps://ebird.org/species/ventro1https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Icterus_icterus%20-%20Troupial.pdfhttps://ebird.org/species/foxspahttps://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2024/10/how-did-the-big-budget-charlies-angels-movie-get-this-bird-so-wrong

The Kookaburra has to be one of Australia's most famous birds, with a call so iconic and strange that it has been used in a whole swarth of Hollywood films to evoke a feeling of the topics and the exotic, despite the fact that they do not live in that type of environment. But they're a bird of far greater interest than their call alone, so in this episode we'll see what else they have to offer. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://ebird.org/species/laukoo1https://ebird.org/species/blwkoo1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/spakoo1https://ebird.org/species/rubkoo1https://ebird.org/species/shbkoo1https://bioacoustics.stackexchange.com/questions/746/is-this-sound-made-by-flipper-dolphin-tv-series-realhttps://soundandthefoley.com/2013/05/30/that-jungle-sound/#:~:text=THE%20KOOKABURRA%20IN%20OTHER%20FILMS,on%20their%20way%20to%20Australia.https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2000/10/23/201846.htm

The Bird is back, and we are back looking at a bird with a reputation for being the world's most dangerous. Maybe in a shock twist the bird with the badass reputation is a giant fruit eater from Papua New Guinea, the Cassowary. But is this reputation deserving? Well in this episode we will find out just how dangerous they are, but also what else makes them especially cool. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/soucas1/cur/introductionhttps://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norcas1/cur/introduction?lang=eshttps://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/dwacas1/cur/introduction?lang=eshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birdshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11406903-the-great-emu-warhttps://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/175730542https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4323753/#:~:text=When%20attacking%20a%20person%2C%20ostriches,wild%20ostrich%20populations%20%5B2%5D.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb1bbIyF9OUhttps://tetzoo.com/blog/2022/4/9/inside-the-cassowarys-casque-updated

Today we welcome back friend of The Bird, Mr David Clay, as we discuss that one time China tried to eliminate all the sparrows in their nation. Did the plan work, were there unforeseen consequences, is this another tale of human folly? Almost certainly. Join us as we look at another strange avian story from history. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes Sorry I meant to have notes, but I'm not as organised this time. The story is quite well documented though in numerous online sources.

Bird of the Week special announcement: there is a baby on the way so there's no better time to talk about Storks and what they have to do with baby delivery. Where did that myth of the Stork bringing babies to expectant parents come from? Well, today we are going to find out. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storkhttps://ebird.org/species/sabsto1https://ebird.org/species/marsto1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/whisto1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/blasto1https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/9912409-migration-part-iihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeilstorchhttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230119-the-weird-history-of-baby-mythshttp://hca.gilead.org.il/storks.htmlhttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43999/work-without-hope

In our follow up episode on avian flight we dive deeper into the question of how birds get into the air. In part two we look at the machinery birds have and the physiological attributes they needed to make a flapping wing work. But do we answer the question, 'how do birds fly?', almost certainly not. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/16146149-power-of-flight-part-1https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/8438286-the-heck-s-a-featherhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keel_(bird_anatomy)#:~:text=A%20keel%20or%20carina%20(%20pl,the%20plane%20of%20the%20ribs.https://www.esc.cam.ac.uk/news/some-birds-have-hollow-bones-and-new-research-helps-us-understand-whyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXuWi_ODAgohttps://academy.allaboutbirds.org/feathers-article/https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Bird-Wing-Types-Handout.pdf

Flying is basically the most defining thing about what birds do, and yet I've never really spoken about it. Well no more, today we begin the mission to figure out how exactly birds fly. We will begin in the long past and look at the evolutionary journey from lizard to bird, as I refuse to answer the question: how do birds fly. But then I guess that's Part 2 will be for? To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Flightless bird episodes https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birdshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11406903-the-great-emu-warhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/11317493-flightless-birdshttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/10605634-the-great-aukhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/10464354-penguin-extravaganzaNotes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopeleahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeopteryxhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchiornishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confuciusornishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enantiornithes

Wow, does this podcast even release episodes anymore? Yes it does, and we are back with Albatross, renown as some of the biggest birds in the world. Majestic birds of the open ocean, clumsy buffoons on land. What is it that makes them special? We find out in this episode. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagic_zonehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procellariiformeshttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834https://ebird.org/species/wanalb1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRTRRMwXuEghttps://ebird.org/species/wavalb?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/layalb?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/shtalb?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0709047105#:~:text=Wandering%20albatrosses%20(Diomedea%20exulans)%20forage,role%20in%20natural%20foraging%20behavior.https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cd6b/5ba04ee23bec2f62f223216ef97be0d307d8.pdfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EYNazaodHghttps://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/proventriculus#:~:text=The%20proventriculus%20is%20a%20glandular,a%20koilin%20layer%20(cuticle).https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/wisdom-laysan-albatross-super-mom-is-73-and-still-going-strong/https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/8788007-the-tristan-albatross

I'm sure we've all heard some fun facts about birds, a duck's quack won't echo, an Ostrich sticks its head in the sand when threatened. But is there any truth to these statements, or are they straight up lies? Well on this episode we dive into 5 famous bird myths, break them do and see if there is any truth to the rumours. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Notes https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/05/06/1102602.htmhttps://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/z/2020/03/11/truth-or-tail-do-ostriches-really-bury-their-head-in-the-sand-when-scared-or-frightenedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_ploverhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trochilus_(crocodile_bird)https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=426#:~:text=Q%3A%20If%20a%20person%20touches,prevent%20people%20from%20disturbing%20wildlife.https://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2014/birds-can-smell-and-one-scientist

Who among us hasn't thrown a chip at a seagull or a slice of bread at a duck? Feeding birds is a wonderful way to interact with our feathered friends. Except, if we do it wrong we could literally kill them with kindness. So what are the dos and don'ts of feeding birds? Well good news, we look at the worse consequences that can occur, and how to do it right so everyone is happy. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Links: https://birdlife.org.au/a-guide-to-feeding-wild-birds-in-australia/#:~:text=Seed%2Deating%20birds%20have%20a,oats%2C%20sorghum%20and%20peanut%20pieces.https://birdlife.org.au/discover-birds/birds-in-your-backyard/bird-friendly-garden/

Eagles are majestic animals, fearsome apex predators that hunt large prey. But then their is that one Kite that only eats snails, the Snail Kite. Today we meet an odd ball bird, and find out how they're adapting to survive in a changing world. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Links: https://ebird.org/species/snakithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenotypic_plasticityhttps://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/11/incredible-bill-of-oystercatcher

Flamingos are kinda freaky. They are a pink, stork-like bird that eats algae and feeds its chicks blood red milk. What is going on with that? Luckily we will be digging into these questions in this episode, to join me as find out a couple of fun facts about Flamingos. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Links: https://ebird.org/species/grefla2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TtnD4jmCDQhttps://www.10000birds.com/exploring-the-relationship-between-flamingos-and-grebes-the-wonderful-birds.htmhttps://asknature.org/strategy/lamellae-filter-food-of-different-sizes/https://www.newscientist.com/question/why-are-flamingos-pink/https://thepopularflamingo.com/en-au/blogs/posts/flamingos-produce-milk-yep-and-this-is-how-whyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIoE18JYGcM

I recently visited New Zealand, and I had a great chance to see some of their unique birds and travel the country a little. And I came away from the trip with a few impressions about their birds and the environment that I wanted to share. So slightly different, more personal account than the usual, but hopefully will still be of some interests and entertainment. To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird. Links: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests-and-threats/possums/https://www.visitzealandia.com/https://ebird.org/species/tui1https://ebird.org/species/saddle2https://ebird.org/species/nezkak1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://ebird.org/species/nezpig2https://ebird.org/species/nezfan1https://ebird.org/species/tomtit1?siteLanguage=en_AUhttps://www.pfw.org.nz/https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/14346484-lazarus-risinghttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/13777746-kiwis-fruit-people-birds