- 42 minutes 7 secondsImportant Bird Areas (IBAs)
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~Some places matter more to birds than others, and Important Bird Areas, or IBAs, are the sites scientists have flagged as places birds can't afford to lose. In Episode 140, host Ivan Phillipsen starts at Horse Creek Meadows, a sunlit mountain meadow in southwestern Oregon, and asks what it takes for a spot like this to earn that official designation. Who decides, and what does it actually do for the birds?
Along the way, the episode covers the four criteria behind the program, from endangered species to enormous gatherings of shorebirds. It visits IBAs from Arizona's sky islands to a Kansas wetland to Minnesota's famous Sax-Zim Bog. You'll also learn how these sites get their regular check-ups, and why so much of that work falls to volunteers and citizen scientists.
The episode also takes a candid look at what an IBA label doesn't do, and why a gap remains between knowing where birds need help and actually protecting those places.
Links of Interest
1 November 2026, 7:00 am - 13 minutes 46 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: An Adaptable Hurricane Survivor
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 the Lesser Antillean Tanager (Stilpnia cuculata).
Sound Citations:
Jesse Fagan, XC42716. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/42716.
22 October 2026, 7:00 am - 41 minutes 11 secondsThe Terror Birds
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~Episode 139 of The Science of Birds takes listeners into prehistory to meet the Terror Birds: giant, flightless predators of the family Phorusrhacidae. Standing as tall as 10 feet, with axe-like beaks and sickle-clawed feet, these birds ruled South America for tens of millions of years after the dinosaurs disappeared.
Host Ivan Phillipsen explores how an isolated continent, some empty ecological niches, and the amazing process of evolution gave rise to these fearsome hunters. Along the way, the episode looks at how they lived, how they hunted, and how the various species ranged from terrifying to surprisingly small.Links of Interest
- Terror Bird scene - Life on Our Planet [VIDEO]
- The Time Terror Birds Invaded - EONS [VIDEO]
- Terror Birds: The Giant Birds With Guillotine Beaks [VIDEO]
- When Giant Terror Birds Were Apex Predators [VIDEO]
13 October 2026, 12:00 am - 14 minutes 53 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: A Judgemental Songbird with a Long Tail
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 the Himalayan Prinia (Prinia crinigera).
Sound Citations:
Rajeev Lochan, XC797143. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/797143.
1 October 2026, 7:00 am - 42 minutes 8 secondsBirds and the Scientific Method
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~
In this episode, host Ivan Phillipsen steps back from bird facts themselves to explore the process behind them: the Scientific Method. He breaks down how scientific understanding is built, from that first spark of curiosity in the field all the way through hypothesis testing, data collection, and peer review.
To provide a simple example, Ivan walks through a real published study on a familiar backyard bird, tracing how scientists questioned a long-standing assumption about how the species finds its food and designed an experiment to get closer to the truth.
Along the way, the episode touches on hypothesis testing, experimental versus observational study design, and how researchers interpret and discuss their results once the data are in.22 September 2026, 5:00 pm - 31 minutes 34 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: A Highly Vocal Species With Female Helpers
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 Magpie-Jay (Cyanocorax formosus).
Sound Citations:
Isain Contreras Rodríguez, XC530762. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/530762.
Guillermo Funes, XC198353. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/198353.
Oscar Campbell, XC278635. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/278635.
3 September 2026, 7:00 am - 1 hour 1 minuteGrebes
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~Enter the murky aquatic realm of the family Podicipedidae in Episode 137 of the The Science of Birds podcast. Often mistaken for ducks, loons, or coots, grebes are unique, fascinating waterbirds with some bizarre physical traits and behaviors.
The episode covers everything from the specialized lobed toes of grebes and rear-positioned legs to their spectacular, highly synchronized courtship dances. Discover the unexpected identity of grebe's closest evolutionary cousins, learn why these diving birds swallow their own feathers, and explore the precarious mechanics of raising chicks on soggy, floating nests.
By the end, you'll know why these fluffy-butted water gremlins are truly great!
Links of Interest
- Western Grebe walking on the beach [VIDEO]
- Clark's Grebes Rushing Ceremony in Oregon [VIDEO]
- Hooded Grebes courtship [VIDEO]
- Great Crested Grebes courtship [VIDEO]
30 August 2026, 10:00 pm - 18 minutes 22 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: A Citrus-themed Species with Runny Mascara
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 the Orange-headed Thrush (Geokichla citrina).
Sound Citations:
Chuenguey Hwang, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3dXua_kD20
14 August 2026, 3:00 am - 49 minutes 35 secondsFrom the Field: Australia
👕 Bird Merch — Get yourself some bird shirts!
~~~In this "from the field" episode of The Science of Birds, Ivan Phillipsen takes you on a journey through some iconic landscapes in Australia. Fulfilling a childhood fascination with the Outback, Ivan splits his two-week adventure between the arid, rust-red deserts of the Northern Territory's Red Centre and the lush, ancient tropical rainforests of Queensland.
Along the way, he shares the excitement of racking up some "lifers" while encountering some of Australia’s unique avian families. From colorful, charismatic parrots and adorable finches to highly sought-after, elusive rainforest dwellers, Ivan details the thrill of tracking down endemic species and observing fascinating bird behaviors in the wild. Beyond the incredible birding, he also sets out to find a few of Australia's most iconic and unusual mammals.
Tune in to hear all about the rewarding highs of birding in the land down under, and get a sneak peek at an exciting future birding expedition he is scouting for 2028!
Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website
8 August 2026, 10:00 pm - 12 minutes 16 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: A Duet-singer That Uses Bones for Decoration
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 the Rufous Cacholote (Pseudoseisura unirufa).
Sound Citations:
Sjoerd Mayer, XC3496. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/3496.
16 July 2026, 7:00 am - 10 minutes 16 secondsRandom Bird Thursday: A Tiny Island Dweller That Likes Vines
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 Rufous-sided Gerygone (Gerygone dorsalis).
Sound Citations:
Colin Trainor, XC138529. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/138529.
2 July 2026, 7:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App