In this episode—which is Number 76—I’ll be answering some interesting questions sent to me by my listeners. Questions about birds, of course.The questions in today’s episode came from not just any old listeners, but from my supporters on Patreon. At the two higher tiers of support, one perk for my patrons is the chance to send me questions for these “Ask Me Anything” episodes. So if you’d like to ask your own question for a future episode, consider becoming a supporter of this show on Patreon.Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show

This is Episode 75. It’s all about shrikes—birds in the family Laniidae.These are true songbirds—members of the avian suborder Passeri within the order Passeriformes—even though they act (and sort of look like) tiny falcons or hawks.Shrikes are sit and wait predators. They typically sit upright on an exposed, conspicuous perch and then wait for something tasty to come along. Some small animal, like a Vesper Sparrow, a rodent, lizard, grasshopper, and so on.Shrikes are such cool birds that they have many fans among ornithologists. In fact, there’s a subdiscipline of ornithology called shrikeology. For real. And those who study these fascinating birds are known as shrikeologists.So for today, at least, let’s all be honorary shrikeologists. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty details of shrike biology. Links of InterestRed-backed Shrike courtship [VIDEO]   ~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show

This episode—which is Number 74—is all about edible bird’s nests and Bird’s Nest Soup.Edible bird nests are a traditional delicacy in east Asia. Especially in China. For centuries, wealthy Chinese people have consumed edible bird nests. Usually in the form of bird’s nest soup.Throughout much of recent history, this dish has been one of the most expensive foods in the world.No wonder people have called edible bird nests the “caviar of the east,” or “white gold.”Perhaps the primary reason people spend ungodly amounts of money on bird’s nest soup is because of its medicinal properties. Well… It’s supposed medicinal properties, anyway.In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s believed that the benefits you can get from eating these nests include: a prolonged life, increased attractiveness, increased libido, brain health, bone strength, no more diabetes, no more cancer, a stronger immune system, more energy, better looking skin, and better circulation.Wow.  So basically, it sounds like an edible bird’s nest is a cure-all—a panacea. That’s pretty impressive! But is it true?And where do these nests come from? What do they look like?In today's episode, we'll get into all of that. We’ll talk about which birds make these amazing nests, and how they do it.We’ll also look at the way people harvest edible bird’s nests, the global industry for this product, and some ethical concerns. Links of InterestSalivating for a New Nest [VIDEO]The Swiftlet Tribe, Collocaliini~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show

This is Episode 73. It’s all about birds in the avian family Gruidae… the cranes.These tall birds are charismatic and super interesting. It’s going to be fun to do a deep dive into all things crane today.Humans around the world have celebrated cranes for thousands of years, for their graceful beauty and their exuberant courtship dances. Across many cultures, cranes have inspired paintings, songs, dances, legends, martial arts, heavy construction machinery apparently, and the most iconic animal design in the fine art of origami.It’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere right now, and that means that in many parts of the world, cranes are on the move. They’re migrating north. Along the way, they stop to rest and refuel at certain staging areas. Hundreds or thousands of cranes can end up at a single staging area or stopover and this can be a wonderful sight to see for birders and other nature lovers.There are a bunch of crane festivals around this time every year. It’s a rare thing for any kind of bird to get so much attention and adoration like this. Cranes are just that special.So how about we have our own little crane festival today. Let’s get to know these amazing birds. Links of InterestSandhill Cranes and Colts [VIDEO]Crane TrustInternational Crane FoundationWhooping Crane dancing [VIDEO]Common Crane courtship [VIDEO]  ~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show

This episode—which is Number 72—is about what happens to birds, not just in bad weather, but in really bad weather. We’re talking hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, maybe even the occasional sharknado, and so on.How do birds deal with all these natural disasters? We’ll get into that.We'll be talking mostly about the more immediate effects of storms and other extreme weather on the survival of individual birds and their populations.Birds are tough little buggers. They’re tougher than they might look. Many of them live long lives in the face of continual challenges like predators, aggressive rivals, wild temperature swings, strong wind, and heavy precipitation. But an extreme weather event can often be the ultimate test of survival for a bird. Links of InterestThe Southwest Is Facing an ‘Unprecedented’ Migratory Bird Die-OffWhere Do Birds Go In A Hurricane?  ~~ Leave me a review using Podchaser ~~Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website Birds and Beans Coffee - Get yourself some delicious, bird-friendly coffee that preserves habitat for migratory and resident birds in coffee-growing regions.Support the show