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 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.

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~~~

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.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Support the show

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)

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~~~

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

•  Striped Cuckoo "jazz hands" foraging [VIDEO]

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Support the show

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

👕 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 before.

The discussion dives into the bird’s "map-and-compass" toolkit, highlighting a range of incredible adaptations. From internal biological clocks and genetic blueprints to the ability to "see" magnetic fields through quantum physics, the episode breaks down how birds interpret the world around them. Whether they are tracking the sun, the stars, or even atmospheric scents, birds take a multi-sensory approach to get from one place to another.

Finally, the episode examines the role of experience versus instinct, explaining how juvenile birds navigate their first solo journeys and how seasoned adults build complex mental maps of the planet.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Support the show

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 Xeno Canto recording XC347146)

Support the show

👕 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 into a rapid-fire “Speed Round,” spotlighting a flurry of bite-sized discoveries.

The episode wraps with some notable 2025 taxonomy updates (splits, lumps, and reclassifications) and a brief personal year-in-review for Ivan and the podcast itself.

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Support the show

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 XC349045 and XC806613)

Support the show

👕 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 evolutionary backstory.

Ivan breaks down what makes these gulls such compelling birds: their “menacing” expressions, complex vocal repertoire, opportunistic diets (including bags of Doritos), and clever foraging tricks like dropping clams from the air and tap-dancing for earthworms. He also looks at how these gulls live and raise their young—forming long-term pair bonds, nesting in dense gulleries, and fiercely defending their territories in ways that some unlucky humans have experienced up close.

Once persecuted, then booming, and now declining in some regions, these birds tell a story that’s far more complicated than being “just seagulls.”

Links of Interest

• A Herring Gull “foot pattering” on grass [VIDEO]

Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Support the show

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)

White-thighed Hornbill sounds (Xeno Canto recording XC617118)

Support the show