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Avian Beauty

Science Podcasts

Avian Beauty is the bird-lovers' podcast. It's all about birding.

Location:

United States

Description:

Avian Beauty is the bird-lovers' podcast. It's all about birding.

Language:

English

Contact:

253-332-5808


Episodes

Avian Beauty Podcast #21

9/20/2019
Thanks for listening to the 21st episode of the Avian Beauty podcast. Today I have some news. I have listened to the feedback I am getting from listeners and the majority of you want a longer show. Those who I polled overwhelmingly want me to bring on guests as well. This involves a lot more planning and logistical consideration as well as longer recording and edit times, so I am going to a once per month schedule. Beginning the second week of October, I'll start publishing one episode per...

Duration:00:03:43

Avian Beauty Podcast #20

9/13/2019
Today's Avian Beauty podcast will be a departure. Instead of talking about a specific bird, I'll be sharing some basic tips on how to enjoy birdwatching, or birding as those of us in the trenches call it. The first thing you need to do is get yourself a set of binoculars. Don't worry if you can't afford the fancy kind. Just look for something from Celestron if you're on a budget. If you can spare the change, the more you spend, the better your results. My favorite pair come from Olympus and...

Duration:00:03:18

Avian Beauty Podcast #19

9/6/2019
Bird Songs - Hummingbirds Birds are like mother nature's juke box. Their songs and sounds fill the morning air. Birds have different kinds of calls. Just as you and I will change our tone, delivery and volume depending on what we're doing or trying to communicate, birds - especially hummingbirds, have many ways of doing this. LET'S START WITH THE HUM You can't take the hum out of the hummingbird, but then again - that has nothing to do with the bird's song. The hummingbird's wings are...

Duration:00:02:48

Again Beauty Podcast #18

8/30/2019
Last week we talked about why birds matter. But some people have birds that they just don't like. What are some of the least popular birds in the USA? It may seem unusual to find someone who hates birds of any kind but it's common to at least dislike certain bird species. Most of us who are birders spend our time looking for our favorites and don't give much thought to the species we don't enjoy. But there are people who really don't like some birds. Call it a bird phobia - still others...

Duration:00:02:24

Avian Beauty Podcast #17

8/23/2019
Why should birds matter to you or me? Simple - birds can save us - but only if we can save them first. Beyond culture, color and the enrichment that they offer all of us, birds offer practical help. My goal this week is to get you thinking about all of this and why birds matter. Birds offer something for every constituency. They offer ecosystem services. Because they are an “umbrella” species, their protection ensures good habitat for many others. Birds disperse seeds, helping to...

Duration:00:02:42

Avian Beauty Podcast #16

8/16/2019
What's the most popular bird in the United States? Well if you guessed Bald Eagle - you'd be right. But what about the second most popular bird? Believe it or not it is the Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). There's a reason that the Snowy Owl is so popular. Firstly, raptors in general and owls specifically are some of the most popular birds worldwide and have been the subject of attention by poets, authors and artists going back to the cave paintings in Europe. These owls are often used in...

Duration:00:02:26

Avian Beauty Podcast #15

8/9/2019
Last week on Avian Beauty, I talked about the role of owls in our culture. This week, it’s the eagle’s turn. Whether it’s music, the written word or our national symbol, the eagle is a much beloved figure in popular culture. Bald Eagle Photograph by Scott Bourne Bette Middler sang of eagles as the wing beneath her wings. Singer-songwriter John Denver wrote and performed a song about an eagle and a hawk. An American rock band is even named The Eagles. And while every state in the United...

Duration:00:02:58

Avian Beauty Podcast #14

8/2/2019
Based on response I get to this podcast and to my bird photography, it's safe to say that people love raptors and particularly owls. (One exception is on the African Continent where most people think they are evil - but that's another podcast.) For all of man's time on this earth, owls have been used as symbols of knowledge, wisdom, power and even as idols in some religions. Whether it's ancient or modern culture, owls seem to capture our hearts and our minds. Owls are referenced in many...

Duration:00:02:45

Avian Beauty Podcast #13

7/26/2019
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is a successful hunter. Early naturalists called these owls "winged tigers" because of their ferocity. While rare, a great horned owl can occasionally catch and kill even a peregrine falcon! When clenched, a Great Horned Owl’s strong talons require a force of 28 pounds to open. The owls use this deadly grip to sever the spine of large prey. To aid them in their hunt they have large eyes and large pupils that open wide for excellent night vision,...

Duration:00:02:53

Avian Beauty Podcast #12

7/19/2019
Imagine that you're a mourning dove - happily flying around when all of a sudden, you see a terrifying peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) flying straight at you. Peregrine falcons are very powerful, fast-flying hunters who's favorite meal would be another bird. The Peregrine eats mourning doves, pigeons, shorebirds, waterfowl, ptarmigan, grouse, and smaller songbirds. The most common prey item is pigeons. Peregrine falcons will also eat small reptiles and mammals. But don't hate them...

Duration:00:02:38

Avian Beauty Podcast #11

7/12/2019
Thankfully - birders only need one thing to be successful - they need birds. And finding birds is easy - if you know where to look. I live in the United States and here, we have a wonderful National Park System as well as a superb National Wildlife Refuge System where you can find hundreds of different bird species in a given year. No matter where you live, chances are good that you live near a park, a zoo, a bird rescue center or an aviary. All these places are great for birding. I have...

Duration:00:02:49

Avian Beauty Podcast #10

7/5/2019
You light a fire with a simple spark. And in birding, that first bird that really captures your attention and makes you fall in love with birds and birdwatching is called your "spark bird." For some people, it's a regal bird, like the golden eagle. For others, it's as simple as a goldfinch or a blue jay. Your spark bird can come up anywhere and at any time in your life. I fell in love with birds as a teenager, but recently, I came upon an incredibly dedicated birder from New Jersey who...

Duration:00:02:40

Avian Beauty Podcast #9

6/28/2019
If you hang out with birders for any length of time, you'll eventually come upon the term, "lifer." In a sentence, you'll hear it used like "That bird was a lifer for me." Simply put, a lifer is a bird you observe for the first time. Most birders keep lists (life lists) and every time they encounter a new bird, it's added to the list. Upon first sighting, birders claim a "lifer." Technically, for a bird to be considered a lifer it needs to be observed in the wild - and while alive. Birds...

Duration:00:02:41

Avian Beauty Podcast #8

6/21/2019
I am a lucky guy. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and in my backyard, it's very easy to meet up with a Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri). There are jays in every corner of the USA. But each region has their own jay. In the midwest and east, it's the blue jay. In the southwest it's the Mexican jay. In my part of the country it's the Steller's jay. While often confused by amateurs as a "blue jay" because of its feathers are primarily blue, the black stripes on its...

Duration:00:02:32

Avian Beauty Podcast #7

6/14/2019
Do you have a favorite diner? Maybe you just love grandma's home cooking. All of us have a favorite dish. Well if you're a bird, native flowers, berries and seeds are the best meal available and your backyard can be their favorite place to stop in to dine. Did you know that more than 150 bird species recognize when a berry is ripe on the vine? Birds and plants (especially native plants) have a very symbiotic relationship. The plants feed the birds and the birds help spread the plant's seed...

Duration:00:02:23

Avian Beauty Podcast #6

6/7/2019
Do you recognize that sound? It's very possible you've heard it emanating from your own back yard. It's the song of a northern cardinal; one of the most popular birds in the USA - despite the fact it's also one of the most common. The cardinal is the state bird of seven different states, including Indiana - my home state. It's also the mascot of may prominent sports teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, the Arizona Cardinals, the University of Louisville and many more. One of the reasons...

Duration:00:02:44

Avian Beauty Podcast #5

5/31/2019
The cry of the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is memorable - the golden eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the northern hemisphere. It's also one of the largest birds in North America - with wings that are longer than a red-tailed, hawk. These birds are fast - with a top speed of up to 200 miles per hour and they are very nimble. They get their name from the lustrous gold feathers on the back of the head and neck. While popular in North America - they are beloved worldwide -...

Duration:00:02:31

Avian Beauty Podcast #4

5/24/2019
This episode of Avian Beauty starts with a quiz... The term "king of birds" relates to: Actually, it was a trick question because the answer is - all of the above, but on today's show, we'll focus on the Bald Eagle - a truly American Bird and my favorite king of the birds. One of the reasons that America's founding fathers picked the bald eagles as the symbol for America is very simply because bald eagles are only found in North America. There are lots of different kinds of eagles - such...

Duration:00:02:40

Avian Beauty Podcast #3

5/17/2019
What do bees, bugs and butterflies have in common with birds - other than the fact that they can fly? Birds are great pollinators. Somewhere between 1000 and 2000 bird species pollinate and without them, our flower shops would likely go out of business. Do you remember the old television commercial where the actor says "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature?" Well it really isn't. When humans disrupt the relationships between birds and the plants they pollinate, they put the entire world...

Duration:00:02:23

Avian Beauty Podcast #2

5/10/2019
SHOW NOTES: That's the sound of a Lucifer Hummingbird - one of more than 300 species of hummingbird in the world. And while only two dozen or so of those species make it as far north as the United States, polls show that most Americans love hummingbirds - and that's no surprise. These colorful little birds are quite unusual. Did you know that they are the only bird in the world that can fly backwards? They weight in at less than a US nickel but they are fast and acrobatic. They need...

Duration:00:02:47