World of Birds
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34 episodes
A look into the family Passerellidae, or the New World Sparrows, a family of birds that contains 132 species.
A look into how some birds have ocelli, or false eyespots and their purpose.
Hawaii is home to many endemic birds, including the Iiwi. In this episode you will learn a bit about this little honeycreeper and the threats it is facing.
Ever wonder how birds survive winter or other rough times where food may be hard to find, here is a look into one of the behaviors birds use to survive these time periods.
With how difficult it can be to find food in the winter, many species choose to migrate south, but what about the insect eating birds we see during the winter months like Brown Creepers and Kinglets?
A look into one of the ways Ruffed Grouse deal with winter conditions.
A look into the details of a birds facial anatomy, their eye rings. A birds anatomy can be highly variable, from the broadest being body shape, color, bill, wings and feet. Down in more minute features that can often get overlooked. When drawing, we are always told the eye is the most important feature that you want to stand out. But how often do you notice the intricate feathers or bare skin that are around that eye. What color they are, do they form a shape or particular pattern? Bare skin surrounding a birds eye is called an orbital ring. This can be of various thickness, from a thin ring like the killdeer to excessive like a white-eye, a group of birds named after this large orbital ring they have. If a bird has a particular colored feathers around their eye, it is often referred to as an eye ring, generally, a different color than the rest of the face or head. This difference can be subtle or bold, broken or complete. The bare skin or feathers can be of various thickness, each variety of this part of a birds anatomy can help add to its overall appearance. Birds such as killdeer can have a red orbital ring around their eyes, or a stunning blue like on a Double-crested cormorant. They can even change as a bird ages, if you look closely at a fledgling tufted titmouse, you may notice that the flesh around their eye is actually a bright yellow, which will fade eventually to a pale gray that we are more often familiar with this common backyard bird. Orbital rings are believed to help indicate to other birds that they are sexually mature and healthy. Other birds, feathers may make up this eye ring. From there, this group of feathers may have different colors as it encircles the eye. If all these feathers are the same color, they are referred to as a complete eye ring, if it is broken up with a different color, its an incomplete or broken eye ring. One form of a broken eye ring is called an eye arc, generally seen as a partial eye ring directly above and directly below the eye. This characteristic can be seen in species such as the Northern Parula. How bold or subtle an eye ring can also vary, a good comparison is the very subtle eye ring on the Orange-crowned Warbler and the bold white eye ring of the Connecticut Warbler. Its interesting to note that the appearance of an eye ring can also be affected by other parts of a birds facial anatomy such as eye lines, lores, and eyebrow/ supercilium.
A look into how what a bird eats can affect it color, with a spotlight on the Cedar Waxwing
A look into the life of the Evening Grosbeak, a large boreal finch that is a welcome guest at any bird feeder.
A quick look into what makes bird eggs so unique and what shapes their appearance.
A look into some of the ways birds change in appearance as they age, from fledgling to an adult.
A look into how biologist classify what a species is in the bird world.
All about the bird family Parulidae, also called new world warblers or wood warblers.
A little episode about the Stellers Sea eagles biology and life history.
A look into some of the strategies birds use to survive winter conditions.
This episode goes over the bird family Charadriidae, which contains plovers, dotterels and lapwings. There are a total of 68 species in this family in 10 genera.
This episode features the hoary redpoll, a small round finch species that lives high up in the artic.
The California condor population was at one point at only 22 individuals, but the determination of several individuals and agencies has led to it being brought back from the brink of extinction. As of 2020 there are more than 500 individuals in the world.
This episode is featuring a look into the lives of Albatrosses.
A look into the parts of a birds lifecycle. This episode is about baby birds, more specifically the categories of the different styles a baby bird can hatch and grow up.
This episode is a species spotlight for the cute little black-capped chickadee. This little songbird is a common sight at bird feeders in its range so I hope that this episode will teach everyone a little bit more about this bold little bird.
A new series in the World of Birds Podcast! Each episode shares the story of a conservation of a species. This episode features the Whooping Crane and how it went from only 20 individuals in the 1940s to almost 800 individuals now.
Many birders and nonbirders may be noticing a few unusual species at their feeder this year, that is because this year is an irruption year for many boreal finches, but what is an irruption and what causes it?
A glimpse into the great natural wonder of bird migration. A look at why and some aspects of how they complete this amazing journey year after year.
A glimpse into some of the aspects that make owls so unique, characteristics of the two families that are called owls. A look into their life, habits, food and more.
