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<v Speaker 2>I think she's got my nose.

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<v Speaker 1>Thankfully she didn't get mine.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay. So I just wanted to say really quick cool

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<v Speaker 2>merch announcement. If anyone needs tots and mugs and hats

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<v Speaker 2>and all kinds of cool stuff. My friends Shannon Feltis

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<v Speaker 2>and her sister Bonnie Dutch have been awesome at helping

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<v Speaker 2>me set up a merch site. It's at ologiesmerch dot

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<v Speaker 2>com and this week we just put them up limited

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<v Speaker 2>edition enamel Ologies pins. They come in a pack of five.

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<v Speaker 2>The first four episodes are each represented in this little

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<v Speaker 2>cool pin, and then there's an Ologies logo pin also,

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<v Speaker 2>so they're super awesome. They're limited editions, so if you

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<v Speaker 2>want them, get them. Just wanted to tell you up top, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>onto the episode.

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<v Speaker 4>Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, burbs, burbs boyds,

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<v Speaker 4>Chirpy chirps, flappy flappers. Last week I covered death and

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<v Speaker 4>dying and it was enlightening and shockingly not a bummer.

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<v Speaker 4>But I wanted to get into birds to just kind

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<v Speaker 4>of shake off that October.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's just talk about birds. So I don't know how

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<v Speaker 2>you feel about birds. I've always had kind of a

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<v Speaker 2>distant wonder about them. But I'm also like birds, you

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<v Speaker 2>would never let me pet you, any of you, which

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<v Speaker 2>is kind of a really bitchy way to evaluate an animal.

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<v Speaker 2>It's like can I pet it?

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<v Speaker 5>No?

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<v Speaker 2>I don't care. That's about to change, So listeners, you

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<v Speaker 2>send in questions before I record, and I was shocked

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<v Speaker 2>that a lot of the questions were like why is

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<v Speaker 2>insert species such a dick? And why do birds poop

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<v Speaker 2>on me? And what did I ever do to birds?

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<v Speaker 2>Was essentially the gist of a lot of the questions.

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<v Speaker 2>So we definitely have a pr problem here, and this episode,

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<v Speaker 2>I think is going to turn you around because birds are, Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>they are insane. I mean they fly first off, which

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<v Speaker 2>is something that only superheroes and people on angel dust

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<v Speaker 2>can do, and they have weird buttholes stay tuned, and

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<v Speaker 2>they can mock your voice, and one of them can

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<v Speaker 2>mimic the sound of a chainsaw. Also, they're dinosaurs that

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<v Speaker 2>are alive now and their knees are sometimes backwards. So

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<v Speaker 2>if you were a bird publicist, you'd be like, I

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<v Speaker 2>don't even know where to start with your personal brand?

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<v Speaker 2>What is your deal? So let's let an ornithologist speak

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<v Speaker 2>for them, if you will. Now, I've been aware of

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<v Speaker 2>the more Lab of Zoology on the Occidental College campus

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<v Speaker 2>ps Obama, went there for a few years, and I

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<v Speaker 2>was really stoked to get a green light for a

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<v Speaker 2>really last minute visit last week. I just recorded this

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<v Speaker 2>a few days ago with the collections manager at the

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<v Speaker 2>lab who oversees some really really rare specimens. They date back,

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<v Speaker 2>some of them as far as the seventeen nineties, and

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<v Speaker 2>it's down to earth, dryly funny. He was sporting a

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<v Speaker 2>baseball cap and a plaid shirt and a beard. He's

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<v Speaker 2>like a mellow guy in a beef jerkey commercial. And

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<v Speaker 2>he's so passionate and knowledgeable about birds. I could have

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<v Speaker 2>filled up three episodes just answering your questions. But we

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<v Speaker 2>chatted for a bit and I asked all I could,

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<v Speaker 2>and I feel a kinship with birds that makes me

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<v Speaker 2>want to wink at them and say, hey, man, we're cool,

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<v Speaker 2>so please enjoy James Maylee, I just say, like, tell

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<v Speaker 2>me what you wait for breakfast. I'll check your levels.

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<v Speaker 6>I had some tater tots, eggs and bacon.

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<v Speaker 2>That sounds like a dope breakfast. And you are technically

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<v Speaker 2>an ornithologist, correct, right?

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<v Speaker 6>Yes?

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<v Speaker 2>So when did James become a card carrying ornithologist versus

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<v Speaker 2>a bird thirsty fanboy?

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<v Speaker 6>Since I believe the summer of two thousand and one

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<v Speaker 6>is when I started getting paid to conduct research on birds,

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<v Speaker 6>which I technically think is when you become an ornithologist.

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<v Speaker 2>Is when they pay you, or when you get a

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<v Speaker 2>certain certification.

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<v Speaker 6>When you get paid, okay, yeah, the.

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<v Speaker 2>First dollar exchanges and then you change your business card.

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>Have you been a Burger for a long time? Side

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<v Speaker 2>note I edit from transcriptsive interviews done by artificial intelligence,

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<v Speaker 2>and this transcribed to have you been a Burger for

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<v Speaker 2>a long time?

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<v Speaker 6>Uh? Yeah, I've been a Burger for a long time.

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<v Speaker 6>I was super into birds when I was a little kid,

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<v Speaker 6>and then I didn't think birds were cool enough, so

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<v Speaker 6>I didn't pay attention to birds for a while. Then

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<v Speaker 6>I got back into birds in high school, and then

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<v Speaker 6>in college I went full in.

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<v Speaker 2>You went full Burdener yep. So like there was a

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<v Speaker 2>period in junior high where you were like spurds. No,

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<v Speaker 2>I like Miami Vice. Yeah exactly, birds are like whatever,

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<v Speaker 2>We'll see you in a couple years.

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<v Speaker 6>Yep.

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<v Speaker 2>Why did you start liking birds when you were a kid?

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<v Speaker 6>Uh? My parents had feeders in the backyard and I

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<v Speaker 6>would just spend hours staring out the window at the birds.

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<v Speaker 6>And I was like two, so I was just really

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<v Speaker 6>really into them. I love seeing the colors and just

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<v Speaker 6>what they were doing and I actually memorized all the

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<v Speaker 6>birds that came into the feeder, and I tricked my

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<v Speaker 6>parents into thinking I knew how to read, because they

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<v Speaker 6>would point to a bird in the field gud and

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<v Speaker 6>I would say what it was, but I couldn't read yet.

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<v Speaker 6>How old were you, I don't know, like two something.

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<v Speaker 2>So you were like mini bird genius. Yeah, James's uncle

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<v Speaker 2>is a big birder and his dad is into birds too.

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<v Speaker 6>I think they just thought it was natural to be

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<v Speaker 6>into birds.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you think it's in your jeens?

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah? I think so what does it mean to.

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<v Speaker 2>Be a birder? Because I'm not hip with like bird culture,

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<v Speaker 2>but I understand it is like the cult of ornith

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<v Speaker 2>like birders. They're out there with the binoculars, they count

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<v Speaker 2>how many species they see per year, Like what is that?

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<v Speaker 5>Like?

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<v Speaker 2>How do you get jumped into that gang?

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<v Speaker 6>So there's a whole range of birders. There's casual birders

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<v Speaker 6>who just like birds and they'll have feeders up in

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<v Speaker 6>their yard or not and just look at birds and

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<v Speaker 6>appreciate them and not even really care that much about

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<v Speaker 6>what they're seeing and how many they're seeing. And then

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<v Speaker 6>there's the other extreme, which are listers.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, so listers love numbers. They really focus on seeing

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<v Speaker 2>as many species as they can in a given place

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<v Speaker 2>at a given time. And for some reason during this part,

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<v Speaker 2>I couldn't stop gasping because this whole subculture just totally

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<v Speaker 2>delights and baffles me. Like I used to be a

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<v Speaker 2>goth in college, and every once in a while we'd

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<v Speaker 2>take someone who is not goth to a club and

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<v Speaker 2>they would be like, what is happening. We're like, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>that guy smoking a cigarette out of a cigarette holder

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<v Speaker 2>he fashioned from computer parts. Oh, he's just a cybergoth. Like, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>that's a Victorian goth over there. So my introduction to

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<v Speaker 2>this bird world is like if you took a jock

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<v Speaker 2>and ducked him into a basement and a gothic industrial dungeon,

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<v Speaker 2>and we're just like, oh, yeah, there's a lot to learn.

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<v Speaker 6>And so anytime a rare bird shows up, they'll chase it.

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<v Speaker 6>So they'd get in their car or get in a

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<v Speaker 6>plane and fly there and try to see it. And

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<v Speaker 6>there's people that have done that for the world. A

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<v Speaker 6>big year for the world, I think the record was

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<v Speaker 6>just broken. It was like six thousand something species. It

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<v Speaker 6>was just insane.

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<v Speaker 2>So they'll hear like a duck build spoon bill that

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<v Speaker 2>is probably not a real bird, is like was seen

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<v Speaker 2>in Monterey, and then they'll go try to see if

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<v Speaker 2>they can catch that one before it flyes somewhere else. Yep,

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<v Speaker 2>that's like the Dave Matthews band. People are like fish people,

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<v Speaker 2>you know what I mean? pH fish people? I mean right,

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<v Speaker 2>No one follows. So have you been have you ever

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<v Speaker 2>been kind of like embedded with a group of a

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<v Speaker 2>really zealous birders or what do you say? Your work

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<v Speaker 2>is kind of like being a professional lister.

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<v Speaker 6>I am not. I don't keep a list, Okay. I

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<v Speaker 6>keep track of the birds that I see generally, and

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<v Speaker 6>I know the ones that I've seen and haven't seen.

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<v Speaker 6>I really enjoy birds, and I just like watching them

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<v Speaker 6>all the time, but I generally don't chase.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So who has seen the most birds is? Right now?

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<v Speaker 2>The record seems to be one John Hornbuckle, who himself

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<v Speaker 2>sounds like a type of bird like a hornbuckle john

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<v Speaker 2>boy anyway. Of the approximately ten thousand known species of birds,

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<v Speaker 2>John Hornbuckle has seen ninety six hundred, according to a

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<v Speaker 2>master list at surfbirds dot com. I also find it

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<v Speaker 2>really curious in looking at this list that he's like

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<v Speaker 2>the top birder in the world. But he's very blase,

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<v Speaker 2>and his name is an all lowercase. Everyone else's name

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<v Speaker 2>upper and lowercase, umlat's hyphens. He's just got one lowercase,

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<v Speaker 2>like he entered it while he was on his phone,

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<v Speaker 2>like in line of the post office, so casual. He

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<v Speaker 2>describes himself as a victim of an obsession for birding.

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<v Speaker 2>Like most addictions, it has its dangers, some of which

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<v Speaker 2>I have fallen foul love, but it has given me

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<v Speaker 2>much pleasure and purpose to life. I imagine John Hornbuckle

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<v Speaker 2>standing at a window cupping a mug of hot herbal

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<v Speaker 2>tea with these words running in a voiceover like a

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<v Speaker 2>pharmaceutical ad. Now, as I started getting deeper into the

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<v Speaker 2>cult of birding research, one story donkey kicked me right

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<v Speaker 2>in the heart. The record for one lister lifelong top

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<v Speaker 2>birder belonged to a middle aged woman named Phoebe Snetsinger

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<v Speaker 2>who was diagnosed with a fatal cancer, and so she

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<v Speaker 2>turned her attention toward birding to lift her spirits. Get this,

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<v Speaker 2>Her cancer went into remission, but she had developed a

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<v Speaker 2>birding addiction that compelled her to travel around the world,

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<v Speaker 2>at times in severe peril. She was attacked by five

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<v Speaker 2>men with machetes and survived. I won't even go into

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<v Speaker 2>the details. And she continued her tracks. She kept going.

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<v Speaker 2>She missed her mother's funeral, she missed her daughter's wedding

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<v Speaker 2>in a quest to see more birds, and cancer never

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<v Speaker 2>took her life. Rather, Phoebe was killed in a car

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<v Speaker 2>crash in Madagascar. Well birding, Oh man, who oh, what's

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<v Speaker 2>my point?

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<v Speaker 5>Uh?

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<v Speaker 2>People love birds? People love birds, which leads me to

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<v Speaker 2>realize birds are very lovable. This is such a silly question.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure you get asked this a million times all

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<v Speaker 2>the time. Do you have a favor?

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<v Speaker 6>No, Okay, I don't. I have some birds that I'm

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<v Speaker 6>particularly like fond of, and mostly it's the birds that

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<v Speaker 6>I've studied that I've gotten to know really, really well.

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<v Speaker 6>So there's these birds in California called Ridgeways Rail. They're

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<v Speaker 6>only found in salt marshes in San Francisco, LA and

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<v Speaker 6>San Diego and a few places in between, so obviously

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<v Speaker 6>they're not doing great. They're endangered.

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<v Speaker 2>James studied the Ridgeway Rail for his dissertation, and ball

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<v Speaker 2>Or alert and actually.

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<v Speaker 6>I named them that you did. Yeah, that was pretty

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<v Speaker 6>cool me and my advisor did.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, what was the what was the whiteboard like when

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<v Speaker 2>you were coming up with brainstorming names to get to

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<v Speaker 2>name a bird.

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<v Speaker 6>Well, so the scientific name was already decided because that

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<v Speaker 6>takes priority. But if there's no standardized common name, you

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<v Speaker 6>can come up with whatever standard English name you want to.

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<v Speaker 6>The scientific name is Raylis obsoletist.

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<v Speaker 2>WHOA.

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<v Speaker 6>So I didn't want to go with obsolete rail because

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<v Speaker 6>that's a little too dark, it's.

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<v Speaker 2>A little insulting. Yeah, I'm right here, I know.

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<v Speaker 6>But they're almost gone, so maybe, and I went with

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<v Speaker 6>Ridgeways rail, which is a mouthful. People complain about it

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<v Speaker 6>because it's hard to say that. A lot of burd

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<v Speaker 6>names are hard to say. So yeah, it's just because

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<v Speaker 6>they're not used to it.

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<v Speaker 2>Right now, Ridgeway's rail is. By the way, I've said

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<v Speaker 2>Ridgeways Rail, Ridgway rails, Ridgeway rails wrong several times. Ridgeways

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<v Speaker 2>rail is. It's cute as hell. It's like this chicken

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<v Speaker 2>sized bird. It looks kind of like a cross between

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<v Speaker 2>a duck and a pigeon, and it's the color of

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<v Speaker 2>like if you were holding a yam and dropped it

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<v Speaker 2>in potting soil. It's cute. And Robert Ridgeway was this

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<v Speaker 2>really influential and amazing ornithologist. He was responsible for understanding

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of avian diversity. He was the dude, and.

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<v Speaker 6>He has no bird in the US named after him.

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<v Speaker 6>So I wanted to pay homage to him. And he

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<v Speaker 6>described the first rails out here.

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<v Speaker 2>Did you hear from his family at all?

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<v Speaker 6>I haven't.

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<v Speaker 2>Did they know?

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<v Speaker 6>Maybe I don't know? Shoot him a tweet, Yeah, I

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<v Speaker 6>should try.

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<v Speaker 2>I really really wanted the Ridgeway family to know about

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<v Speaker 2>this bird. So I took a research tangent and I

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<v Speaker 2>found out Robert Ridgeway had one child named Audubon, and yes,

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<v Speaker 2>he named his child after a bird painter, and Audobon

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<v Speaker 2>himself an ornithologist, sadly died young in his twenties, no kids,

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<v Speaker 2>so he had no grandkids. So then I dove deeper

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<v Speaker 2>and I found out that Robert Ridgeway's brother was also

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<v Speaker 2>a bird painter who worked at the La County Natural

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<v Speaker 2>History Museum. John Ridgway lived in Glendale. So at nine

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<v Speaker 2>pm on a Friday night, I started to gently stalk

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<v Speaker 2>anyone with the last named Ridgeway from Glendale, California, and

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<v Speaker 2>I sent a few Facebook messages and friend requests saying, hey,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know if you related to these ornithologists, but

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<v Speaker 2>I have some information about a bird that was named

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<v Speaker 2>after them. I even sent one message via LinkedIn. None

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<v Speaker 2>of my messages were returned, but I tried. I was

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<v Speaker 2>starting to watch the people related to the birdwatcher that

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<v Speaker 2>a birdwatcher I know. Anyway, would you say that he's

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<v Speaker 2>kind of your ornithological hero a little bit?

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah? I mean he was doing ornithology at a time

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<v Speaker 6>that was really really different, but he has eye for

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<v Speaker 6>subtle differences and different populations and understanding how birds live

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<v Speaker 6>in this world. It was just amazing. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>I think about studying birds and what you do, and

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<v Speaker 2>I just can't imagine how big of a challenge it

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<v Speaker 2>is when you see something and it'll just alight on

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<v Speaker 2>a branch and then be gone. Is that like a

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<v Speaker 2>fun game to you or do you ever get frustrated

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<v Speaker 2>by that?

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<v Speaker 6>I definitely get frustrated sometimes. But when you bird as

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<v Speaker 6>much as I do, there's not you don't encounter that

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<v Speaker 6>many birds that you can't identify pretty quickly from sight

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<v Speaker 6>and or sound. And so even if a bird lights

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<v Speaker 6>on a branch for a second, if I get a

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<v Speaker 6>good look at it, there's a pretty good chance I'll

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<v Speaker 6>know what it is.

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<v Speaker 2>You know what's up?

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>Have you been through so many different pairs of binoculars

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<v Speaker 2>to find the best kind?

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<v Speaker 6>I actually don't own a pair of binoculars at the moment. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 6>how is that possible? You're I know, it's ridiculous.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, listen, not this is crazy.

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<v Speaker 6>So my first pair of binoculars, I really love those.

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<v Speaker 6>They they lasted for ten years. And I was robbed

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<v Speaker 6>at gunpoint in Honduras and they stole it, stole my pair.

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<v Speaker 6>So I lost my original pair, Oh my god. And

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<v Speaker 6>then I was given a pair by somebody else and

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<v Speaker 6>I left those on a table at the San Diego Zoo.

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<v Speaker 6>Not as dramatic as story. But then we have binoculars

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<v Speaker 6>here at the Moral Lab that I'd use. That I

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<v Speaker 6>just use.

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<v Speaker 2>What about the what was so in Honduras that was

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<v Speaker 2>doing field work?

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<v Speaker 6>It was? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 2>Is that probably that? I'm sure that's the most dramatic

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<v Speaker 2>thing that's happened, right or I mean, the field work

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<v Speaker 2>must take you all over the all over the globe, right.

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<v Speaker 6>It does. Yeah. I've spent quite a bit of time

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<v Speaker 6>in Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Mexico and those

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<v Speaker 6>are the main places have been, and a lot of

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<v Speaker 6>time in Alaska all over the state.

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<v Speaker 2>When you're doing field work. What's a typical day like

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<v Speaker 2>for you when you're not getting robbed at gunpoint, which,

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<v Speaker 2>by the way, I'm so sorry that happened. That's horrifying.

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<v Speaker 6>It was a while ago.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, field work for ornithologists can involve danger, clearly, and

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<v Speaker 2>it sounds otherwise kind of like camping, but also carrying

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<v Speaker 2>so much equipment and while taking notes on everything and

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<v Speaker 2>data and observations, and you don't get much sleep. So

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<v Speaker 2>on a recent expedition in Mexico.

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah, we were usually just exhausted and would just build

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<v Speaker 6>a campfire and you know, grab some tequila and just

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<v Speaker 6>chill out for an hour or two. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>So what is it about ornithology? Why do people go

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<v Speaker 2>so crazy for birds? Well, some social psychology studies point

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<v Speaker 2>to perhaps like a holdover instinct in humans just to

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<v Speaker 2>hunt stuff. I get it, I get it. I've spent

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<v Speaker 2>long hours, late nights on Amazon just looking up shit.

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<v Speaker 2>People go on eBay to buy old VHS tapes, other

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<v Speaker 2>people twitch for birds. Makes sense. Do you, as an

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<v Speaker 2>ornithologist have a favorite movie about birds or least favorite

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<v Speaker 2>movie about birds?

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<v Speaker 6>I honestly generally don't watch movies about birds because it's

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<v Speaker 6>usually so wrong. Like I've never seen the movie The

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<v Speaker 6>Big Year, which is all about birds.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh is it? I don't know that.

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah, it's with Jack Black and Steve Martin and Owen Wilson,

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<v Speaker 6>and it's all about these three birders who are trying

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<v Speaker 6>to break the record for most species scene in the

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<v Speaker 6>US and one year her an Aba area and one year.

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<v Speaker 2>And you're just like, no, we got so much wrong.

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<v Speaker 6>I don't know. I just don't want and you know,

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<v Speaker 6>it's like I don't even want to look because I'm

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<v Speaker 6>like one of those I'm one of those people who

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<v Speaker 6>when I'm watching a movie and the wrong bird calls

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<v Speaker 6>in the background, I get super annoyed. So a lot

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<v Speaker 6>of movies for me, I have to like just pretend

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<v Speaker 6>that they're getting it right.

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<v Speaker 2>Like the bald Eagle, Yeah, that's.

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<v Speaker 6>A classic one. These are red tailed hawks screech, yeah,

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<v Speaker 6>instead of well, bald eagles sound pretty stupid.

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<v Speaker 2>So what do they sound like?

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<v Speaker 6>Uh, they kind of sound they're like high pitched and squealing.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you feel about the bald eagle being our national

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<v Speaker 2>bird rather than the turkey? Was it Ben Franklin that

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<v Speaker 2>said let's make the turkey or national bird.

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<v Speaker 6>That's my understanding, although I don't really know if that's true,

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<v Speaker 6>but that's what I've always understood, is that he wanted

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<v Speaker 6>the wild turkey to be the national bird. I would

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<v Speaker 6>actually rather be the wild turkey, honestly, because turkeys are

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<v Speaker 6>super smart. They might not seem it, but they are.

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<v Speaker 6>They're very good at like outwitting us, and you know,

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<v Speaker 6>people go to great lengths to shoot them because they're

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<v Speaker 6>so smart and they have super good vision. I've lived

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<v Speaker 6>in Alaska for long enough to see kind of what

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<v Speaker 6>bald eagles really are.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 6>No, which if you ever go to Homer, Alaska, I've been,

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<v Speaker 6>They've been there. Yes, did you look at the dumpster

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<v Speaker 6>behind the McDonald's because it was probably full of eagles?

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<v Speaker 2>No, but no, I have to go back.

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<v Speaker 6>Yeah, they're really scavengers. They oh my god, they're there

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<v Speaker 6>are some birds that only steal from other birds and

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<v Speaker 6>other things. They're called klepto parasites. But ball eagles are

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<v Speaker 6>not klepto parasites, so they can catch their own food.

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<v Speaker 6>But more often than not, I've seen them steal food.

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<v Speaker 6>And like I saw one steal a flounder from a

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<v Speaker 6>river otter. It's like, come on, the river otter's just

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<v Speaker 6>finally caught his dinner and you steal it. It's just rude.

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<v Speaker 2>That is a pretty American tradition. Yeah, in terms of

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<v Speaker 2>that Ben Franklin story, Okay, so we were both a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit wrong about this. He didn't push for the

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<v Speaker 2>turkey to be the national bird. He just said later

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00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:42.640
<v Speaker 2>he threw a bunch of shade at it. In a

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<v Speaker 2>private letter to his daughter, he said, for my own part,

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<v Speaker 2>I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as

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<v Speaker 2>representative of our country. He said, he's a bird of

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<v Speaker 2>bad moral character, and he does not get his living, honestly.

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<v Speaker 2>Ben Franklin also said that, you know, the church is

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<v Speaker 2>a much more respectable bird. It's a little vain and silly,

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<v Speaker 2>but it's a bird of courage. So then I typed

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<v Speaker 2>bald eagle plus dumpster into Google, and sure enough I

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00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:13.960
<v Speaker 2>found this. Look at these all these eagles.

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<v Speaker 5>So I don't know what's going on in this dumpster today.

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<v Speaker 2>Something struck me as kind of eerily familiar about the voice,

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00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:24.680
<v Speaker 2>and then I realized it was just the honey tones

403
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:28.680
<v Speaker 2>of an Alaskan who goes by Pam as a US

404
00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.640
<v Speaker 2>and she had a video that went viral a few

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<v Speaker 2>years ago of a bald eagle and a fox chilling

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00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:37.079
<v Speaker 2>on her porch. I highly recommend just brewing yourself some

407
00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:40.119
<v Speaker 2>decaf cozying up to her channel because it is like

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00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:46.000
<v Speaker 2>weird bald eagle diaries. It feels like you accidentally fell

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00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:49.839
<v Speaker 2>into someone else's dream. Are there any myths or misconceptions

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00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:53.440
<v Speaker 2>about birds that you're like, I gotta go straight in

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<v Speaker 2>there and bust that that.

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<v Speaker 6>One bird brands is really aggravating, because birds are incredibly smart.

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<v Speaker 6>I mean, they're that smart on a level that we

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<v Speaker 6>don't really appreciate. I feel like, so magpies can recognize

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00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:12.920
<v Speaker 6>themselves in a mirror.

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00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.720
<v Speaker 2>For more on this mirror self recognition test and its

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00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:20.400
<v Speaker 2>history and which animals look in it and aren't like, hey,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm looking good, listen to the episode on primates.

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<v Speaker 6>There's not very many organisms that can do that, right,

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<v Speaker 6>I mean cats dogs we think of them as kind

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<v Speaker 6>of smart, right, but they can't figure that out. But

422
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:35.480
<v Speaker 6>birds can. They're tool users. I mean, parrots are just

423
00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.519
<v Speaker 6>unbelievably smart. The most famous one is a parrot that

424
00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:44.920
<v Speaker 6>was studied by Irene Pepperberg who studied this really beautiful

425
00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:48.880
<v Speaker 6>African gray parrot and just incredible research done with that bird.

426
00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:53.640
<v Speaker 2>Look this up and whoa oh shit, y'all. Okay, the

427
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:59.000
<v Speaker 2>Wikipedia for this bird just as Alex in parentheses parrot.

428
00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:01.720
<v Speaker 2>He just has there's one name he's known like he's

429
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:05.559
<v Speaker 2>Adele or Madonna. So Alex was an African gray parrot,

430
00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:10.599
<v Speaker 2>and researchers said his name stood for Avian learning Experiment.

431
00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:14.599
<v Speaker 2>So also, when an acronym is made to spell a

432
00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.400
<v Speaker 2>word by the way, that's called a backronym, which delights

433
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:21.559
<v Speaker 2>me because I always wonder when you see an acronym

434
00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:24.400
<v Speaker 2>that's like kind of like ugh, okay, I guess that

435
00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:28.559
<v Speaker 2>works that there's actually a word for that. Backronyms are

436
00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:32.920
<v Speaker 2>sometimes created to name laws, and the official title of

437
00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:37.880
<v Speaker 2>the USA Patriot Act from two thousand and one is

438
00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:43.480
<v Speaker 2>Uniting and Strengthening America by providing appropriate tools required to

439
00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:50.000
<v Speaker 2>intercept and obstruct terrorism. It spells USA Patriot. Okay, that's

440
00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:53.680
<v Speaker 2>a stretch. So Alex was said to have a one

441
00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:57.519
<v Speaker 2>hundred word vocabulary this parrot, and the intelligence of a

442
00:24:57.559 --> 00:25:00.599
<v Speaker 2>five year old human. So what they say was really

443
00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.640
<v Speaker 2>exceptional is that he appeared to understand what he said,

444
00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:07.079
<v Speaker 2>so he could describe a key as a key, no

445
00:25:07.119 --> 00:25:08.960
<v Speaker 2>matter what color or size it was. He's like, I

446
00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.119
<v Speaker 2>know it's a key. Guys, you put a key in

447
00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:13.519
<v Speaker 2>front of me, I'm able to say that's key. I

448
00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:18.039
<v Speaker 2>also find this adorable. Alex called an apple a banari,

449
00:25:18.359 --> 00:25:22.839
<v Speaker 2>which one linguist thinks is a combination of banana and cherry,

450
00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:26.759
<v Speaker 2>which are two fruits. He was down with. So he

451
00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:30.279
<v Speaker 2>was in that lab making up portmanteaus, and I think,

452
00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:33.200
<v Speaker 2>frankly that makes him a poet. He was also a

453
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.480
<v Speaker 2>bitch when he needed to be. If he said, wan

454
00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:39.079
<v Speaker 2>a banana and someone's like, okay, here's a nut, he

455
00:25:39.240 --> 00:25:44.039
<v Speaker 2>quote stared in silence, asked for the banana again, or

456
00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:46.839
<v Speaker 2>took the nut and threw it at the researcher, or

457
00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:52.400
<v Speaker 2>otherwise displayed annoyance before requesting the item again. He's salty

458
00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:56.680
<v Speaker 2>with those nuts, man. Now. Alex died really young for

459
00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:59.039
<v Speaker 2>a parrot. He was only thirty one years old and

460
00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:01.839
<v Speaker 2>he died suddenly. Heart trouble, they think. And a lot

461
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:04.720
<v Speaker 2>of well cared for African grays live like into their sixties.

462
00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:08.119
<v Speaker 2>If you get an African gray parrot, you're gonna die

463
00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.359
<v Speaker 2>with that parrot. They live kind of forever. So this

464
00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:14.559
<v Speaker 2>is so precious. Just grab onto your hearts, you guys.

465
00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:19.599
<v Speaker 2>Alex's last words were you'd be good, see you tomorrow.

466
00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:22.400
<v Speaker 2>I love you, And they were the same words he

467
00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:25.480
<v Speaker 2>would say every night when Irene Pepperberg left the lab.

468
00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:33.839
<v Speaker 2>Feelings Speaking of birds speaking, are there any birds that

469
00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:36.920
<v Speaker 2>in the wild have the most beautiful call to you?

470
00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.680
<v Speaker 6>I would say the one that I'm most commonly heard

471
00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:43.920
<v Speaker 6>as sand hill cranes. If you've ever been where there's

472
00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:46.960
<v Speaker 6>big flocks of sand hill cranes, they have this incredible

473
00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:50.039
<v Speaker 6>trumpeting sound that they do in the air, and they'll

474
00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:53.640
<v Speaker 6>form these huge flocks in the winter. They would come

475
00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:56.799
<v Speaker 6>through fairbanks in the fall and their calls just, I

476
00:26:56.839 --> 00:26:58.920
<v Speaker 6>don't know, it's haunting, it's really beautiful.

477
00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:02.319
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, how about when and I'm forgetting the name? Is

478
00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:03.640
<v Speaker 2>it a murmur of birds?

479
00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:04.440
<v Speaker 6>Murmuration?

480
00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:08.400
<v Speaker 2>Murmuration? Can you explain at all how a murmuration works.

481
00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.240
<v Speaker 2>A murmuration is a flock of birds like starlinks in

482
00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:18.319
<v Speaker 2>these liquid looking formations. They're just they're bogglingly gorgeous to watch.

483
00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:19.720
<v Speaker 2>It's so weird.

484
00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:20.119
<v Speaker 6>Look it up.

485
00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:24.759
<v Speaker 2>It's like a living lava lamp in fast motion. It's

486
00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:29.720
<v Speaker 2>like a screensaver someone would stare at in college while

487
00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:33.599
<v Speaker 2>being on drugs in the dorms or something, but like birds.

488
00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:36.759
<v Speaker 2>Because I look at it and I'm like, oh, that's

489
00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.519
<v Speaker 2>that's like witchcraft, Like that's so beautiful and crazy? Is

490
00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.160
<v Speaker 2>it fluid dynamics? Is it? Is it like crowd thing?

491
00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:45.000
<v Speaker 2>How do they do that?

492
00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:49.559
<v Speaker 6>I have no idea. Okay, I could make something up.

493
00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:53.359
<v Speaker 2>But a little info on that. So murmurations tend to

494
00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:56.279
<v Speaker 2>happen when there's a predator around and the birds are

495
00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:59.359
<v Speaker 2>evading it. And this is really cool. It doesn't matter

496
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:03.640
<v Speaker 2>the size of the flock. Each bird is reacting not

497
00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:05.480
<v Speaker 2>to the size of a huge flock, but just to

498
00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:10.359
<v Speaker 2>the seven birds around it. They calculated this. They used physics,

499
00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:12.759
<v Speaker 2>I don't know, some Italian researchers came up with it.

500
00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:16.000
<v Speaker 2>So it's like you're super in tune with your little

501
00:28:16.039 --> 00:28:18.720
<v Speaker 2>posse and then a bunch of little posse's make up

502
00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:23.880
<v Speaker 2>this one big, swirling, diving, massive monster posse.

503
00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:26.920
<v Speaker 6>I mean it's incredible. I know, I love watching it.

504
00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:29.680
<v Speaker 6>It's amazing. I've seen it so many times and I've

505
00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:31.720
<v Speaker 6>never seen them like crash.

506
00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:33.519
<v Speaker 2>Did you care about dinosaurs when you were a kid,

507
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:36.680
<v Speaker 2>or do you care about the link that birds are dinosaurs?

508
00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:40.559
<v Speaker 2>Or do you are you like dinosaurs can take a hike?

509
00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:41.079
<v Speaker 2>Take a hike.

510
00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:42.920
<v Speaker 6>Okay, I love dinosaurs. When I was a little kid.

511
00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:46.920
<v Speaker 6>Oh really, I was super into dinosaurs and I didn't

512
00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:50.160
<v Speaker 6>make the connection between birds and dinosaurs, and I don't

513
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:54.839
<v Speaker 6>think scientists had solidified that until I had gotten super

514
00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:55.519
<v Speaker 6>into birds.

515
00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:56.039
<v Speaker 2>Mm hmm.

516
00:28:56.440 --> 00:28:58.279
<v Speaker 6>I like to remind myself every now and again that

517
00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.759
<v Speaker 6>I'm going dinosaur watching.

518
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:05.920
<v Speaker 2>You're going dinosaur yeah, correct me if I'm wrong. I

519
00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:10.119
<v Speaker 2>feel like if Steve Jobs had to design an orifice,

520
00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.400
<v Speaker 2>it would be a kloeca. So simple, it's one thing,

521
00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:19.000
<v Speaker 2>So a kloeca is his like the home button on

522
00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.480
<v Speaker 2>an iPhone. It's really all you need. It's a one

523
00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:26.119
<v Speaker 2>stop shop for liquid waste, solid waste, and then as bonus,

524
00:29:26.200 --> 00:29:29.200
<v Speaker 2>it's also a sex portal, so birds get it on

525
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:34.599
<v Speaker 2>via what is called no joke a chloacal kiss. They

526
00:29:34.680 --> 00:29:38.680
<v Speaker 2>just smooch butts, sometimes only for a few seconds. Now,

527
00:29:38.759 --> 00:29:43.160
<v Speaker 2>if you've heard gossip about like duck mating, well a

528
00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:46.480
<v Speaker 2>lot of it might be true waterfowl gonads. Google it

529
00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:48.680
<v Speaker 2>or you can go straight to an article on that

530
00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:55.160
<v Speaker 2>geo called duck penises grow Bigger among rivals, which was

531
00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:58.039
<v Speaker 2>written by a friend of mine, Jason Goldman, who's a

532
00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:03.000
<v Speaker 2>wildlife journalist, great icebreaker topics. He covers some good ones.

533
00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:08.640
<v Speaker 2>Now back to klocas, why is it? Reptiles and birds

534
00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:12.559
<v Speaker 2>are just like I got a single port here, don't

535
00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:13.240
<v Speaker 2>worry about it.

536
00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:20.319
<v Speaker 6>They have a whole different physiological mechanism for waste excretion

537
00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:26.279
<v Speaker 6>than we do and reproduction. So yeah, they all have

538
00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:29.039
<v Speaker 6>internal gonads too, which it would be weird if they didn't.

539
00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:30.319
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that would be it.

540
00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:34.240
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, But they have a really different sort of kidney

541
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:37.200
<v Speaker 6>system than we do, and so they are able to

542
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:39.880
<v Speaker 6>produce their waste sort of as one product and shoot

543
00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:43.839
<v Speaker 6>it out. It's much more efficient. They're not as good

544
00:30:44.039 --> 00:30:49.079
<v Speaker 6>at excreting salt from their blood with their kidneys as

545
00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:51.680
<v Speaker 6>much as we are, but a lot of birds have

546
00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:54.680
<v Speaker 6>a salt gland in their head. Well, they have two

547
00:30:54.680 --> 00:30:57.799
<v Speaker 6>salt glands in their head, so it isn't all out

548
00:30:57.839 --> 00:30:59.599
<v Speaker 6>of one.

549
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:02.440
<v Speaker 2>Excreete salt from a gland in their head they do.

550
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:05.039
<v Speaker 2>It's nothing crazy and weird about that or anything.

551
00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:08.799
<v Speaker 6>Nope. Yeah, there are these like little mini kidneys that

552
00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:11.559
<v Speaker 6>rest on the top of their skull and they filter

553
00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:16.480
<v Speaker 6>salt out of the blood. It's super high efficiency so

554
00:31:16.559 --> 00:31:19.599
<v Speaker 6>that they can drink sea water, so like seabirds can

555
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.880
<v Speaker 6>drink the ocean water and it's no problem. But if

556
00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.440
<v Speaker 6>you're ever on the beach and you see a gull

557
00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:29.640
<v Speaker 6>with a with a droplet dripping off the tip of

558
00:31:29.640 --> 00:31:33.640
<v Speaker 6>its bill, that's salt water that's excreted from their salt glands.

559
00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:36.400
<v Speaker 6>So it comes out the nostrils and drips down the

560
00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:38.279
<v Speaker 6>off the hook of the bill, So.

561
00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:41.799
<v Speaker 2>They have a nasshole, I guess. Yeah, so they're peeing

562
00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:42.720
<v Speaker 2>out of their face.

563
00:31:42.519 --> 00:31:43.599
<v Speaker 6>Pretty much, no big deal.

564
00:31:43.720 --> 00:31:47.920
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I wonder if they'll ever study that that method

565
00:31:47.960 --> 00:31:51.680
<v Speaker 2>of excretion in terms of like a desalination, you know,

566
00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:53.839
<v Speaker 2>like will they ever look at that, like a maybe

567
00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:58.640
<v Speaker 2>we can attach that as a backpack so seafarers can

568
00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:02.759
<v Speaker 2>I don't know, I'm applying for a patent. Moving on,

569
00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:06.559
<v Speaker 2>I have a question about male and female birds. Okay,

570
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.079
<v Speaker 2>why is it that, at least in the human species,

571
00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:14.279
<v Speaker 2>ladies were painting our faces, we're dressing up, men are

572
00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:17.119
<v Speaker 2>like whatever, I'm wearing beige? Again, Why is it in

573
00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:20.400
<v Speaker 2>birds the men are very decked out and fancy and

574
00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:22.519
<v Speaker 2>the ladies are like, I'm a little bit bigger and

575
00:32:22.559 --> 00:32:23.799
<v Speaker 2>I'm beige.

576
00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:27.839
<v Speaker 6>So that's not always the case in birds. There are

577
00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:30.319
<v Speaker 6>some species in which the females are much brighter than

578
00:32:30.319 --> 00:32:33.680
<v Speaker 6>the males. Yeah, and they have a different mating system.

579
00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:38.000
<v Speaker 6>So in the vast majority of birds, about ninety percent

580
00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:41.200
<v Speaker 6>of species, they're monogamous, and in a lot of those

581
00:32:42.839 --> 00:32:45.480
<v Speaker 6>you can't tell males and females apart at all. Oh,

582
00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:51.319
<v Speaker 6>but in situations where there's really strong sexual selection on

583
00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:55.720
<v Speaker 6>males that's put on them by females, and in a

584
00:32:55.720 --> 00:33:01.759
<v Speaker 6>lot of those situations it's a there's a like a

585
00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:05.920
<v Speaker 6>resource involved, so there's like resource defense. Polygyny is one

586
00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:10.240
<v Speaker 6>system where a male with a like really bright ornament,

587
00:33:10.279 --> 00:33:14.160
<v Speaker 6>who's like the strongest male defends a resource and all

588
00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:16.680
<v Speaker 6>the females that come in can like mate with him.

589
00:33:16.839 --> 00:33:19.359
<v Speaker 2>Is that that's polygyny. That's the opposite of monogamy.

590
00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:24.759
<v Speaker 6>Yeah. Plogyeny is one male multiple females, got it. Polyandry

591
00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:30.000
<v Speaker 6>is one female multiple males. Oh and in those birds,

592
00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:31.880
<v Speaker 6>the females are brighter than the males.

593
00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:38.400
<v Speaker 2>Really yep, So whoever is kind of attracting the most

594
00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:40.000
<v Speaker 2>mates is going to be as decked out.

595
00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:45.599
<v Speaker 6>Yeah. And the birds that have probably the craziest like

596
00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:48.279
<v Speaker 6>difference between males and females are these birds that do

597
00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:51.839
<v Speaker 6>a thing called lecking. If you don't know what lecking is,

598
00:33:51.920 --> 00:33:56.519
<v Speaker 6>it's pretty fantastic. So what happens is these males they

599
00:33:56.559 --> 00:34:00.720
<v Speaker 6>all gather together and display. They not displaying to each other,

600
00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:03.640
<v Speaker 6>they're displaying to any female that will come in.

601
00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:08.400
<v Speaker 2>What you know, how, sometimes it's secretly awesome to have

602
00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:11.559
<v Speaker 2>a cold because you're in quarantine. You're not allowed to

603
00:34:11.599 --> 00:34:14.599
<v Speaker 2>breathe on anyone, so you can just sit alone and

604
00:34:14.679 --> 00:34:18.000
<v Speaker 2>watch weird videos for like a week. So I just

605
00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:23.480
<v Speaker 2>sampled a few minutes of lecking videos. It's l e

606
00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:27.360
<v Speaker 2>kki n G and I want to go lick some doorknobs.

607
00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:29.960
<v Speaker 2>I just want to get up in some Nike will

608
00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:33.199
<v Speaker 2>and some of these videos, Oh, they're so good.

609
00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:37.559
<v Speaker 6>And so they just do all these crazy elaborate displays,

610
00:34:38.199 --> 00:34:41.599
<v Speaker 6>and the one who's looking the best and is displaying

611
00:34:41.639 --> 00:34:43.199
<v Speaker 6>the best gets the females.

612
00:34:43.719 --> 00:34:46.719
<v Speaker 2>It's a Miss Universe pageant, but with male birds pretty much.

613
00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:50.159
<v Speaker 6>Yep, it's really incredible. Yeah.

614
00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:52.199
<v Speaker 2>Do you have a favorite documentary about birds?

615
00:34:52.679 --> 00:34:53.360
<v Speaker 6>Life of Birds?

616
00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:53.880
<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

617
00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:55.880
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, the whole thing. Yeah.

618
00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:56.519
<v Speaker 2>Is it a series?

619
00:34:56.719 --> 00:35:00.000
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, it's a six part series by BBC narrated by

620
00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:01.159
<v Speaker 6>it Attinburgh. Of course.

621
00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:05.320
<v Speaker 2>I watched Planet Ear at the Albatross portion where he

622
00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:07.440
<v Speaker 2>was waiting for his mate to come back. I was like,

623
00:35:07.480 --> 00:35:09.360
<v Speaker 2>should I be crying right now? Because I am?

624
00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:11.679
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, you should be okay. Yeah.

625
00:35:11.760 --> 00:35:14.400
<v Speaker 2>How did you feel about Portlandia's sketch about put a

626
00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:14.920
<v Speaker 2>bird on it?

627
00:35:15.320 --> 00:35:18.199
<v Speaker 6>I loved it. I agree if you put a bird

628
00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:20.760
<v Speaker 6>on it, people will buy it. I'm the same way.

629
00:35:21.159 --> 00:35:23.159
<v Speaker 6>It doesn't matter, like if I see a product with

630
00:35:23.159 --> 00:35:24.639
<v Speaker 6>a bird on it, that will buy it.

631
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:28.039
<v Speaker 2>Do people give you a lot of birdie gifts?

632
00:35:28.360 --> 00:35:31.800
<v Speaker 6>Yes? All birds? Yeah, yeah, books, everything.

633
00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:34.079
<v Speaker 2>Do you ever get sick of it or you like,

634
00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:34.559
<v Speaker 2>bring it on?

635
00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:37.760
<v Speaker 6>I'm fine with it. Yeah, it makes it easier. Yeah,

636
00:35:37.800 --> 00:35:40.920
<v Speaker 6>And everybody who would get me anything knows that just

637
00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:42.639
<v Speaker 6>get them something with a bird. He'll be thrilled.

638
00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:46.559
<v Speaker 2>Okay, I have some questions from listeners. Are you ready?

639
00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:46.599
<v Speaker 6>Ye?

640
00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:49.880
<v Speaker 2>Warning, some of these might be very stupid. Okay, those

641
00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:50.599
<v Speaker 2>are the best kind.

642
00:35:50.679 --> 00:35:51.039
<v Speaker 6>All right.

643
00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:55.199
<v Speaker 2>We're going to start with petrion listeners. They get first crack.

644
00:35:55.400 --> 00:35:55.639
<v Speaker 6>Okay.

645
00:35:56.360 --> 00:35:59.679
<v Speaker 2>But before we take questions from you, our beloved listeners,

646
00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:02.079
<v Speaker 2>we're going to take a quick break for sponsors of

647
00:36:02.119 --> 00:36:04.800
<v Speaker 2>the show. Sponsors. Why A sponsors? You know what they do?

648
00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:07.880
<v Speaker 2>They help us give money to different charities every week.

649
00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:10.400
<v Speaker 2>So if you want to know where Ologies gives our money,

650
00:36:10.599 --> 00:36:13.119
<v Speaker 2>you can go to alleyword dot com and look for

651
00:36:13.159 --> 00:36:16.280
<v Speaker 2>the tab Ologies gives back. There's like one hundred and

652
00:36:16.280 --> 00:36:19.360
<v Speaker 2>fifty different charities that we've given to already, with more

653
00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:21.679
<v Speaker 2>every single week. So if you need a place to go,

654
00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:23.239
<v Speaker 2>donate a little bit of money but you're not sure

655
00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:26.400
<v Speaker 2>where to go. Those are all picked biologists who work

656
00:36:26.440 --> 00:36:29.800
<v Speaker 2>in those fields, and this ad break allows us to

657
00:36:30.559 --> 00:36:33.639
<v Speaker 2>give a ton of money to them. So thanks for listening,

658
00:36:33.639 --> 00:36:34.480
<v Speaker 2>and think sponsors.

659
00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:39.519
<v Speaker 1>Employers. The deadline for auto enrollment has now passed, but

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's definitely.

668
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669
00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:14.559
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677
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<v Speaker 2>Okay your questions. John Worcester wants to know how fast

678
00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:42.159
<v Speaker 2>do hummingbirds beat their wings and how many calories of

679
00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:42.960
<v Speaker 2>day do they need?

680
00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:46.519
<v Speaker 6>I don't know the question the answer to either of

681
00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.119
<v Speaker 6>those questions.

682
00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:48.840
<v Speaker 2>Yes, I'll lock it up there. I could google it

683
00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:51.079
<v Speaker 2>all right, John, I looked it up here's the deal.

684
00:37:51.239 --> 00:37:53.719
<v Speaker 2>The fastest recorded rate is about eighty beats per second,

685
00:37:53.880 --> 00:37:56.280
<v Speaker 2>but the average is around fifty three beats per second.

686
00:37:56.440 --> 00:37:59.320
<v Speaker 2>And these tiny birds consume between three point one for

687
00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:04.079
<v Speaker 2>and seven point six calories a day, which totally non

688
00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:09.199
<v Speaker 2>scientific estimate. I think that's like a sip of soda.

689
00:38:07.760 --> 00:38:11.280
<v Speaker 6>But I know that. So hummingbird's the smallest hummingbird on Earth.

690
00:38:11.639 --> 00:38:13.639
<v Speaker 6>The b hummingbird in Cuba has a heart rate of

691
00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:17.519
<v Speaker 6>twelve hundred beats per minute, so super high metabolism. And

692
00:38:17.559 --> 00:38:22.239
<v Speaker 6>they have to drink some nectar like pretty much as

693
00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:24.800
<v Speaker 6>soon as they wake up. So I have hummingbird feeders

694
00:38:24.840 --> 00:38:28.320
<v Speaker 6>at my house and they're out there well before dawn,

695
00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:32.639
<v Speaker 6>the feeders covered. If they don't get some sugar water

696
00:38:32.679 --> 00:38:35.360
<v Speaker 6>after a long night, they're they're dead.

697
00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:38.559
<v Speaker 2>They're chasing that dragon, but they're.

698
00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:41.400
<v Speaker 6>Also on a constant sugar high.

699
00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:44.880
<v Speaker 2>No wonder why they're heart right, So I yep. At

700
00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:46.840
<v Speaker 2>least it's not caffeinated. At least it's not like a

701
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:50.079
<v Speaker 2>monster energy drink and your bird feeder. That would be insane.

702
00:38:51.159 --> 00:38:54.639
<v Speaker 2>Jordanes wants to know why do Australian magpies attack people

703
00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:56.360
<v Speaker 2>during swooping season.

704
00:38:57.920 --> 00:39:03.360
<v Speaker 6>So I'm not familiar with australiallion magpies, but I'm guessing

705
00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:06.199
<v Speaker 6>that that's when they're nesting and they want you to

706
00:39:06.199 --> 00:39:07.880
<v Speaker 6>get away from their nest or they're young. I mean,

707
00:39:07.880 --> 00:39:10.800
<v Speaker 6>that's usually the answer to why a bird is swooping

708
00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:11.159
<v Speaker 6>at you.

709
00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:13.840
<v Speaker 2>That means get away from my babies. Yep, okay, so

710
00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:15.880
<v Speaker 2>get away from their babies. Yeah, that's how you stop

711
00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:19.119
<v Speaker 2>that exactly. Paul Hanley wants to know what's the deal

712
00:39:19.199 --> 00:39:22.840
<v Speaker 2>with vox swifts and chimneys. Swifts and chimneys. Do you

713
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:23.639
<v Speaker 2>know anything about this?

714
00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:26.719
<v Speaker 6>I do well. First of all, it's Fox's.

715
00:39:26.280 --> 00:39:30.159
<v Speaker 2>Swift, thank you. It was Vaux and I went for

716
00:39:30.199 --> 00:39:32.239
<v Speaker 2>the fancy pronunciation everybody does.

717
00:39:32.360 --> 00:39:34.880
<v Speaker 6>Sorry, but the guy's last name was Vox. Who it's

718
00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:35.400
<v Speaker 6>named after.

719
00:39:36.679 --> 00:39:40.079
<v Speaker 2>Gosh, I tried. I overshot that one.

720
00:39:40.159 --> 00:39:44.599
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, no, it's okay. It's common, very very common. They're

721
00:39:44.679 --> 00:39:48.679
<v Speaker 6>super similar, but they're basically just Eastern and Western replacements

722
00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:50.719
<v Speaker 6>for one another. So Voxes are only in the West

723
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:52.960
<v Speaker 6>and chimneys are only in the East. You can tell

724
00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.880
<v Speaker 6>them apart, but you almost never find them together, so

725
00:39:55.960 --> 00:39:58.079
<v Speaker 6>you can pretty much know which one you're looking at

726
00:39:58.199 --> 00:39:59.440
<v Speaker 6>depending on where you are.

727
00:39:59.519 --> 00:40:01.760
<v Speaker 2>Zoe wants to know. Is bird watching a gateway drug

728
00:40:01.800 --> 00:40:03.599
<v Speaker 2>to ornithology?

729
00:40:03.639 --> 00:40:04.079
<v Speaker 6>It can be.

730
00:40:04.280 --> 00:40:07.400
<v Speaker 2>Okay, yeah, so watch yourself unless you want to become

731
00:40:07.400 --> 00:40:10.239
<v Speaker 2>an ornithologist and start getting paid for it. Don't get

732
00:40:10.239 --> 00:40:10.719
<v Speaker 2>into birding.

733
00:40:10.760 --> 00:40:11.599
<v Speaker 6>It's not a bad gig.

734
00:40:12.599 --> 00:40:16.440
<v Speaker 2>Michael Sandembaga said, how smart are crows because they definitely

735
00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:18.119
<v Speaker 2>seem like they're watching me plotting something.

736
00:40:19.119 --> 00:40:22.519
<v Speaker 6>Crows are incredibly smart, and they are watching and plotting something,

737
00:40:22.639 --> 00:40:26.000
<v Speaker 6>so they can recognize faces of people.

738
00:40:26.199 --> 00:40:26.519
<v Speaker 2>M hm.

739
00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:29.960
<v Speaker 6>They all also have their own dialect, so they have

740
00:40:30.039 --> 00:40:32.599
<v Speaker 6>their own voices and they can recognize each other by voice.

741
00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:34.639
<v Speaker 6>They all sound the same to us, but they're not.

742
00:40:35.920 --> 00:40:38.280
<v Speaker 6>There's some really really cool studies that people have done,

743
00:40:39.119 --> 00:40:44.159
<v Speaker 6>especially in Seattle, like using masks to see if crows

744
00:40:44.199 --> 00:40:46.639
<v Speaker 6>really can recognize individual faces. And they can.

745
00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:49.280
<v Speaker 2>Oh my god. So they might be like, oh, I

746
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:52.039
<v Speaker 2>know that guy. He comes out with with some leftover

747
00:40:52.079 --> 00:40:54.480
<v Speaker 2>FreeDOS after lunch, and m'd be like, I hate that guy.

748
00:40:54.519 --> 00:40:56.000
<v Speaker 2>He's always by my nest.

749
00:40:56.559 --> 00:40:58.840
<v Speaker 6>Yep, totally, So don't fuck with a crow.

750
00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:02.159
<v Speaker 2>No, no, don't do it. They know you, ye like

751
00:41:02.519 --> 00:41:05.119
<v Speaker 2>that guy. Blay Hawkins wants to know is there any

752
00:41:05.320 --> 00:41:08.119
<v Speaker 2>hierarchy of intelligence of birds. Is there one species that

753
00:41:08.280 --> 00:41:10.559
<v Speaker 2>extremely intelligent and others that are.

754
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:11.360
<v Speaker 5>Maybe not so much.

755
00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:16.119
<v Speaker 6>Yes, that's definitely true. So the corvids, which are the

756
00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:19.960
<v Speaker 6>crow's ravens and jays, magpies, those are among the smartest.

757
00:41:19.960 --> 00:41:25.920
<v Speaker 6>They're probably the smartest songbirds, passerings, and then parrots are

758
00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:29.320
<v Speaker 6>incredibly smart. Birds like American coots.

759
00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:32.719
<v Speaker 2>Just the fact that it's called an American coot.

760
00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:35.079
<v Speaker 6>It's a coot, I know. So if you ever look

761
00:41:35.119 --> 00:41:38.719
<v Speaker 6>at a coot, and they're very common and most people

762
00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:41.199
<v Speaker 6>just don't pay any attention to them. They have a

763
00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:45.519
<v Speaker 6>huge body and a tiny hull. They're just they're cute,

764
00:41:46.039 --> 00:41:47.199
<v Speaker 6>but they're really stupid.

765
00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:50.280
<v Speaker 2>They sound like your drunk uncle at the holidays who

766
00:41:50.280 --> 00:41:57.280
<v Speaker 2>make sexist remarks that everyone ignores American coot pretty much. Okay,

767
00:41:57.320 --> 00:42:00.599
<v Speaker 2>This next question is from the Facebook group. Owls really

768
00:42:00.599 --> 00:42:02.480
<v Speaker 2>turn their heads one hundred and eighty degrees.

769
00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:10.559
<v Speaker 6>Yes, why, they have really flexible necks. Okay, yeah, but

770
00:42:10.599 --> 00:42:17.960
<v Speaker 6>they're also really adapted at So owls have ears at

771
00:42:17.960 --> 00:42:19.920
<v Speaker 6>different heights on their head.

772
00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:22.159
<v Speaker 2>Oh so one's over here, one's over there.

773
00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:25.239
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, so one's higher than the other, and that way

774
00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:29.119
<v Speaker 6>they can like more. They can better get sound. They

775
00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:32.559
<v Speaker 6>can like triangulate sound so that if they hear like

776
00:42:32.559 --> 00:42:34.719
<v Speaker 6>a little mouse that's running behind them, they turn their

777
00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:37.079
<v Speaker 6>head all the way around. Then they can hear exactly

778
00:42:37.159 --> 00:42:39.719
<v Speaker 6>where the mouse is and go get it. They don't

779
00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:41.280
<v Speaker 6>look wonky, No, they don't.

780
00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:43.920
<v Speaker 2>You know, they don't look like like sloth from Goonies

781
00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:44.360
<v Speaker 2>or anything.

782
00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:46.400
<v Speaker 6>Right, if you open but if you have a dead one.

783
00:42:47.920 --> 00:42:49.840
<v Speaker 6>We had one that just got hit by a car

784
00:42:49.960 --> 00:42:52.400
<v Speaker 6>not too long ago, well a couple of years ago.

785
00:42:52.440 --> 00:42:54.920
<v Speaker 6>But and if you open it up, yeah, you could

786
00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:59.280
<v Speaker 6>see the flaps on either side are completely different heights. Yeah,

787
00:42:59.280 --> 00:42:59.760
<v Speaker 6>it's neat.

788
00:43:00.039 --> 00:43:05.280
<v Speaker 2>Oh, I had no idea. What's the most absurd bird ever?

789
00:43:09.159 --> 00:43:12.719
<v Speaker 6>I think the most absurd bird and also a little

790
00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:17.639
<v Speaker 6>bit scary is called a horned screamer. It's a great

791
00:43:17.719 --> 00:43:24.039
<v Speaker 6>name and I would I would recommend everybody to look

792
00:43:24.079 --> 00:43:27.599
<v Speaker 6>it up. There's some great YouTube videos of horn screamers screaming.

793
00:43:27.880 --> 00:43:30.440
<v Speaker 2>A horn screamer sounds like the worst guy to frat party.

794
00:43:30.559 --> 00:43:34.119
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, seriously, you would not want to go dressed up

795
00:43:34.119 --> 00:43:37.480
<v Speaker 6>as a horn screamer to a Halloween party. But they

796
00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:41.480
<v Speaker 6>have a giant bony feather coming out of their head.

797
00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:45.000
<v Speaker 6>So they're sort of like a unicorn in that respect,

798
00:43:45.039 --> 00:43:49.199
<v Speaker 6>but they're related to geese sort of. But they have

799
00:43:49.239 --> 00:43:51.639
<v Speaker 6>a bill like a vulture, and their feet aren't webbed.

800
00:43:51.719 --> 00:43:52.280
<v Speaker 5>Oh no.

801
00:43:53.159 --> 00:43:55.840
<v Speaker 6>And they scream you can hear them for over a mile.

802
00:43:56.760 --> 00:43:57.480
<v Speaker 2>Oh my god.

803
00:43:57.880 --> 00:44:02.039
<v Speaker 6>And they're super territorial, so they have the huge wingspurs

804
00:44:02.239 --> 00:44:04.360
<v Speaker 6>on their wings that they like try to kill each

805
00:44:04.400 --> 00:44:04.760
<v Speaker 6>other with.

806
00:44:06.320 --> 00:44:08.360
<v Speaker 2>Okay, hell, yes, I look this up. Are you kidding me?

807
00:44:08.760 --> 00:44:13.760
<v Speaker 2>So the visual of this is like two angry, uh

808
00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:19.800
<v Speaker 2>hairy toddlers screaming at each other, honking like pingpong back

809
00:44:19.800 --> 00:44:23.920
<v Speaker 2>and forth, but each with a single bouncing like a

810
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:27.639
<v Speaker 2>needle like spike emerging from the top of their heads.

811
00:44:27.840 --> 00:44:31.920
<v Speaker 2>So whatever you're picturing in your mind, trust me, the

812
00:44:31.960 --> 00:44:36.280
<v Speaker 2>reality is weirder. You must get up in this. I'm

813
00:44:36.280 --> 00:44:39.559
<v Speaker 2>gonna get a big horned screamer tattoo right across my

814
00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:44.280
<v Speaker 2>back and shoulders. Lily Masa wants to know why do

815
00:44:44.320 --> 00:44:47.119
<v Speaker 2>we call people chickens when chickens are actually mean and

816
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.320
<v Speaker 2>cocky as fuck.

817
00:44:50.320 --> 00:44:53.320
<v Speaker 6>That's a good question. I don't know. Chickens are kind

818
00:44:53.320 --> 00:44:57.119
<v Speaker 6>of scared generally, I mean, they're a little flighty, maybe.

819
00:44:56.880 --> 00:44:58.599
<v Speaker 2>That's why they're so mean, is because they're scared.

820
00:44:58.960 --> 00:45:02.760
<v Speaker 6>Well, I would say roost, yeah, hens not so much.

821
00:45:02.880 --> 00:45:06.679
<v Speaker 2>Okay, yeah, I'll look into that, all right. I looked

822
00:45:06.679 --> 00:45:11.079
<v Speaker 2>into chicken etymology and I didn't come up with much,

823
00:45:11.199 --> 00:45:15.199
<v Speaker 2>but I did find so many entries on English as

824
00:45:15.239 --> 00:45:18.639
<v Speaker 2>a second language forums asking if I mid quote one directly,

825
00:45:19.360 --> 00:45:22.639
<v Speaker 2>I would like to know that what is meaning don't

826
00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:26.920
<v Speaker 2>be chicken, and how can use it? It's a good question. Now,

827
00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:30.239
<v Speaker 2>to be fair, I'm not a French as a first

828
00:45:30.320 --> 00:45:33.840
<v Speaker 2>language speaker, and I have always wondered why if someone

829
00:45:33.880 --> 00:45:35.679
<v Speaker 2>is mad at you in France they call you a

830
00:45:36.039 --> 00:45:40.159
<v Speaker 2>duck because canard in French is duck. And my mom

831
00:45:40.159 --> 00:45:42.000
<v Speaker 2>always told me if someone calls you a duck in French,

832
00:45:42.079 --> 00:45:45.239
<v Speaker 2>you're really you're in some hot water. Now. I just

833
00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:48.400
<v Speaker 2>found out looking at this that non French speakers often

834
00:45:48.440 --> 00:45:51.079
<v Speaker 2>mishear that in what they're really being called is a conard,

835
00:45:51.639 --> 00:45:53.800
<v Speaker 2>which in English does not mean duck. It is more

836
00:45:54.239 --> 00:46:00.320
<v Speaker 2>it's more into a kloka, is what that means. I

837
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:03.559
<v Speaker 2>think we should start calling people kloe because oh, this

838
00:46:03.639 --> 00:46:07.360
<v Speaker 2>is so sad. Still, Ryan wants to know there are

839
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:09.840
<v Speaker 2>some birds the partner for life. Say one of them dies,

840
00:46:10.039 --> 00:46:13.239
<v Speaker 2>does a surviving bird repartner, and is there like a

841
00:46:13.320 --> 00:46:15.079
<v Speaker 2>tinder for birds.

842
00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:20.119
<v Speaker 6>The surviving partner does re finds a new mate. Okay, yeah,

843
00:46:20.159 --> 00:46:26.440
<v Speaker 6>so they're you know, it's all driven by the desire

844
00:46:26.440 --> 00:46:29.239
<v Speaker 6>to reproduce, and so you're not gonna have a bird

845
00:46:29.280 --> 00:46:32.280
<v Speaker 6>that suddenly turns that off even though it's mate died.

846
00:46:33.079 --> 00:46:38.519
<v Speaker 6>And a lot of birds seem like they mate for life,

847
00:46:38.519 --> 00:46:42.639
<v Speaker 6>but they don't. They actually really switch partners every year. Yeah,

848
00:46:42.679 --> 00:46:43.199
<v Speaker 6>so we've.

849
00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:46.400
<v Speaker 2>Been led wrong. Like I've heard that penguins are maybe

850
00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:47.679
<v Speaker 2>not as monogamous.

851
00:46:48.159 --> 00:46:52.440
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, so most monogamous birds are not fully monogamous. They're

852
00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:56.719
<v Speaker 6>most most of them are promiscuous, so they're socially monogamous,

853
00:46:56.800 --> 00:47:00.360
<v Speaker 6>but they're promiscuous. There's some birds that do this to

854
00:47:00.440 --> 00:47:03.800
<v Speaker 6>the incredible, to an absolute extreme. There's some fairy wrens

855
00:47:03.840 --> 00:47:04.519
<v Speaker 6>in Australia.

856
00:47:04.599 --> 00:47:05.119
<v Speaker 2>Uh huh.

857
00:47:05.440 --> 00:47:07.320
<v Speaker 6>I think they're called superb fairy wrens.

858
00:47:07.719 --> 00:47:09.719
<v Speaker 2>Side note, the bird names are killing me.

859
00:47:11.159 --> 00:47:15.239
<v Speaker 6>It's so out of control that sometimes not a single

860
00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:18.440
<v Speaker 6>egg and a female's nest was laid by her or

861
00:47:18.599 --> 00:47:23.880
<v Speaker 6>was sired by her partner, so that every single egg

862
00:47:23.920 --> 00:47:27.440
<v Speaker 6>that's in her nest, she copulated with another male.

863
00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:31.760
<v Speaker 2>Get a girl, and but it looks as though she

864
00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:35.039
<v Speaker 2>is partnering with and rearing them with one male.

865
00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:35.480
<v Speaker 6>Yeah.

866
00:47:36.440 --> 00:47:37.599
<v Speaker 2>Does the male know about this?

867
00:47:38.440 --> 00:47:41.039
<v Speaker 6>I mean he must because he's he's doing it too. Yeah,

868
00:47:41.079 --> 00:47:43.079
<v Speaker 6>he's doing it too with every other female in the area.

869
00:47:43.480 --> 00:47:47.320
<v Speaker 2>So it's kind of like a like a new age.

870
00:47:48.039 --> 00:47:51.599
<v Speaker 2>We're together, but we're not shackled to one another. M hm.

871
00:47:52.079 --> 00:47:56.039
<v Speaker 2>Exactly do you think that people use birds and their

872
00:47:56.159 --> 00:48:01.280
<v Speaker 2>monogamy or lack of monogamy to justify their own behaviors? Definitely, Okay, Yeah,

873
00:48:02.760 --> 00:48:04.800
<v Speaker 2>Heather Ennis wants to know why do I always see

874
00:48:04.840 --> 00:48:09.480
<v Speaker 2>pigeons with one clubbed, stumpy foot. I think maybe that

875
00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:11.679
<v Speaker 2>that isn't an accurate sample population.

876
00:48:12.760 --> 00:48:15.599
<v Speaker 6>Uh, it's for a couple of reasons.

877
00:48:16.599 --> 00:48:18.079
<v Speaker 2>I'd love that he has an answer for this.

878
00:48:18.960 --> 00:48:22.840
<v Speaker 6>So often they'll get something stuck on their foot.

879
00:48:22.840 --> 00:48:27.079
<v Speaker 2>Like spoiler alert, it was a tangly hairball, So.

880
00:48:27.039 --> 00:48:28.679
<v Speaker 6>We caught it and pulled the hair ball off it.

881
00:48:28.719 --> 00:48:31.599
<v Speaker 6>But I think that's it. Their feet, They're all they're

882
00:48:31.599 --> 00:48:34.079
<v Speaker 6>always walking around on the ground, Yeah, getting into things,

883
00:48:34.320 --> 00:48:37.320
<v Speaker 6>and so I think, yeah, they just get into something

884
00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:39.400
<v Speaker 6>that tangles on their foot and then they lose it.

885
00:48:39.519 --> 00:48:43.519
<v Speaker 2>Street birds. Man, Samara wants to know our bird cage

886
00:48:43.599 --> 00:48:46.559
<v Speaker 2>is cruel and should we give them big averies or

887
00:48:46.679 --> 00:48:47.840
<v Speaker 2>just not have them as pets.

888
00:48:48.840 --> 00:48:51.599
<v Speaker 6>I think we should just not have them as pets. Yeah,

889
00:48:51.840 --> 00:48:54.559
<v Speaker 6>bird cages are are cruel. Birds meant to live and

890
00:48:55.079 --> 00:48:58.079
<v Speaker 6>fly around the world. It's like we saw something that

891
00:48:58.599 --> 00:49:02.239
<v Speaker 6>has evolved to flow and decided they shouldn't anymore keep

892
00:49:02.280 --> 00:49:03.920
<v Speaker 6>them in her house. It's just kind of rude.

893
00:49:04.440 --> 00:49:07.599
<v Speaker 2>I used to go on this walk, beautiful house, beautiful neighborhood,

894
00:49:07.639 --> 00:49:10.000
<v Speaker 2>and it had this one circular window up on the

895
00:49:10.039 --> 00:49:12.119
<v Speaker 2>top floor and there was a bird cage next to it,

896
00:49:12.280 --> 00:49:14.119
<v Speaker 2>and I for like a year or two I walked

897
00:49:14.119 --> 00:49:15.760
<v Speaker 2>past and I was always like, man, what's that bird?

898
00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:19.920
<v Speaker 2>Thinking that bird's like, come on man, like in a mansion, granted,

899
00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:22.960
<v Speaker 2>but in a cage behind the circular like porthole window.

900
00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:24.840
<v Speaker 2>And I was like, man. Then one day I walked

901
00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:28.239
<v Speaker 2>by and there was a the window was open and

902
00:49:28.280 --> 00:49:30.320
<v Speaker 2>there was a note taped to the gate that said

903
00:49:30.400 --> 00:49:35.159
<v Speaker 2>lost bird. Like the bird made it finally like hell, yeah, man,

904
00:49:35.920 --> 00:49:38.440
<v Speaker 2>that bird was like waiting for these wings to grow back.

905
00:49:38.760 --> 00:49:41.400
<v Speaker 2>I'm out of here. And I got like kind of happy,

906
00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:43.400
<v Speaker 2>and then I was like, dude, you're never getting your

907
00:49:43.440 --> 00:49:46.920
<v Speaker 2>bird back. Ginger Larsen wants to know what can we

908
00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:48.119
<v Speaker 2>learn from birds.

909
00:49:50.119 --> 00:49:53.960
<v Speaker 6>So much? I mean there's so many they can do,

910
00:49:54.039 --> 00:49:57.400
<v Speaker 6>so many incredible things that we're not even close to

911
00:49:57.440 --> 00:49:58.079
<v Speaker 6>being able to.

912
00:49:58.039 --> 00:50:00.800
<v Speaker 2>Do, Like fly, for example, with their arms.

913
00:50:01.079 --> 00:50:06.119
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, like fly, and they can migrate these incredible distances.

914
00:50:06.159 --> 00:50:09.000
<v Speaker 6>They can navigate using the stars. I mean, there's so

915
00:50:09.039 --> 00:50:11.119
<v Speaker 6>many things that they have learned how to do and

916
00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:13.199
<v Speaker 6>a vault to be able to do that we can't.

917
00:50:13.719 --> 00:50:16.320
<v Speaker 6>And you know, we rely on these various systems to

918
00:50:16.360 --> 00:50:17.559
<v Speaker 6>be able to do what we can.

919
00:50:17.599 --> 00:50:20.239
<v Speaker 2>Right cough the internet and cell phones cough.

920
00:50:20.639 --> 00:50:22.480
<v Speaker 6>But they can fly away better than we can.

921
00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:25.880
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, so you can learn. We've already learned so

922
00:50:25.960 --> 00:50:28.039
<v Speaker 2>much about aviation from birds. I mean, hello, every time

923
00:50:28.079 --> 00:50:29.639
<v Speaker 2>you get an airplane, you're like, hi, it's a big

924
00:50:29.679 --> 00:50:32.400
<v Speaker 2>metal bird. Everything from the two wheels at the bottom

925
00:50:32.559 --> 00:50:34.960
<v Speaker 2>to like the wings. We've just made a big bird.

926
00:50:35.440 --> 00:50:39.320
<v Speaker 2>Alison Throckmorton wants to know does rice make some bird's

927
00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:40.199
<v Speaker 2>stomachs explode?

928
00:50:40.360 --> 00:50:43.280
<v Speaker 6>No? Oh, okay, that is a myth. Oh it is

929
00:50:43.360 --> 00:50:44.360
<v Speaker 6>a lot of birds eat rice.

930
00:50:44.719 --> 00:50:45.159
<v Speaker 1>Huh.

931
00:50:45.239 --> 00:50:47.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so if you're having a wedding, you can still

932
00:50:47.360 --> 00:50:50.679
<v Speaker 2>get pelted with rice? Yes, Oh who started that?

933
00:50:50.920 --> 00:50:53.559
<v Speaker 6>I don't know. I mean we can eat dried rice

934
00:50:53.599 --> 00:50:55.280
<v Speaker 6>and it doesn't make our stomach explode.

935
00:50:55.320 --> 00:50:58.760
<v Speaker 2>They don't have like a crop or something where it expands.

936
00:50:58.199 --> 00:51:03.440
<v Speaker 6>Or I mean they birds can eat like bones, so

937
00:51:03.639 --> 00:51:05.239
<v Speaker 6>they can handle some rice.

938
00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:08.840
<v Speaker 2>Okay, that's good to know. This question was asked by

939
00:51:09.079 --> 00:51:16.360
<v Speaker 2>Darren Ficciarellirell Darren Ficarelli. Sorry, sorry, What is the worst bird?

940
00:51:16.519 --> 00:51:19.280
<v Speaker 2>And why is it? A Canada goose? I feel like

941
00:51:19.320 --> 00:51:20.719
<v Speaker 2>they came into this with an agenda.

942
00:51:20.840 --> 00:51:25.199
<v Speaker 6>They really did, And I completely understand. Canada geese are

943
00:51:25.320 --> 00:51:28.320
<v Speaker 6>just so mean. They're really really.

944
00:51:28.079 --> 00:51:31.119
<v Speaker 2>Mean, but Canadians are so nice.

945
00:51:31.199 --> 00:51:33.880
<v Speaker 6>Canadians are nice. It's not their fault that the geese

946
00:51:33.920 --> 00:51:37.760
<v Speaker 6>are so mean. The geese they're just really productive and

947
00:51:37.440 --> 00:51:42.079
<v Speaker 6>they have adapted to us by nesting in all these parks.

948
00:51:42.880 --> 00:51:46.199
<v Speaker 2>And are they just entitled?

949
00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:49.159
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, they have their park to themselves and they don't

950
00:51:49.159 --> 00:51:51.400
<v Speaker 6>want you messing with it, and they're they're gonna bite

951
00:51:51.400 --> 00:51:53.920
<v Speaker 6>you and hissit you and chase you.

952
00:51:53.960 --> 00:51:57.039
<v Speaker 2>Two last questions, what is one thing about your job

953
00:51:57.039 --> 00:51:59.199
<v Speaker 2>that you don't like the worst part of your job,

954
00:51:59.840 --> 00:52:02.119
<v Speaker 2>and then we'll ask with your favorite part more than

955
00:52:02.159 --> 00:52:04.440
<v Speaker 2>your favorite moment on your job has been. What's the

956
00:52:04.480 --> 00:52:06.679
<v Speaker 2>shittiest thing about being an ornthologist? Is it getting pooped on?

957
00:52:07.079 --> 00:52:09.519
<v Speaker 6>No? Okay, I don't mind that at all. Okay, I

958
00:52:09.519 --> 00:52:15.079
<v Speaker 6>would say the worst part is when I find and

959
00:52:15.519 --> 00:52:19.440
<v Speaker 6>a beatle infestation in the collection. Oh, there's nothing that

960
00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:22.679
<v Speaker 6>makes me feel worse than that. It is like when

961
00:52:22.679 --> 00:52:24.440
<v Speaker 6>I go out in the collection and I find damage

962
00:52:24.480 --> 00:52:26.960
<v Speaker 6>specimens kind of regardless of how they're damaged, it just

963
00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:29.599
<v Speaker 6>makes me so mad and it just ruins like my week.

964
00:52:30.239 --> 00:52:32.119
<v Speaker 6>I get so angry. I like tell John, and.

965
00:52:32.519 --> 00:52:35.880
<v Speaker 2>John is another ornithologist and an evolutionary biologist that you

966
00:52:35.880 --> 00:52:39.119
<v Speaker 2>will meet in a few episodes. Very cool dude, and then.

967
00:52:38.960 --> 00:52:41.960
<v Speaker 6>He gets angry and yeah, So it's that that is

968
00:52:42.039 --> 00:52:44.079
<v Speaker 6>by far the worst. And that's sort of like a

969
00:52:44.119 --> 00:52:47.239
<v Speaker 6>minor thing. It doesn't happen a lot, but it really is.

970
00:52:47.280 --> 00:52:50.000
<v Speaker 6>Like my job as a collections manager is to like

971
00:52:50.639 --> 00:52:56.039
<v Speaker 6>maintain the integrity of this collection and like that's the job. Yeah,

972
00:52:56.039 --> 00:52:58.639
<v Speaker 6>and when I find that that's not taking place, it

973
00:52:58.760 --> 00:53:01.360
<v Speaker 6>just makes me so angry. Then I dump a bunch

974
00:53:01.400 --> 00:53:03.480
<v Speaker 6>of mothballs in there and freeze all the birds so

975
00:53:03.519 --> 00:53:04.559
<v Speaker 6>they kill everything.

976
00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:07.639
<v Speaker 2>But you're just like, it's like Hulk turning into hole.

977
00:53:07.800 --> 00:53:09.719
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, I mean I basically should just leave because I'm

978
00:53:09.760 --> 00:53:11.519
<v Speaker 6>just going to be such a grouch for the rest

979
00:53:11.519 --> 00:53:11.960
<v Speaker 6>of the day.

980
00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:15.519
<v Speaker 2>And then what about your favorite thing about what you do?

981
00:53:18.440 --> 00:53:21.039
<v Speaker 6>I think the favorite My favorite thing about what I

982
00:53:21.079 --> 00:53:25.599
<v Speaker 6>do is I get paid to study birds. I mean,

983
00:53:26.079 --> 00:53:28.360
<v Speaker 6>just to be able to do that and like get

984
00:53:28.440 --> 00:53:29.039
<v Speaker 6>paid to do it.

985
00:53:29.039 --> 00:53:32.440
<v Speaker 2>It's incredible, especially since some people are spending literally their

986
00:53:32.480 --> 00:53:35.599
<v Speaker 2>retirement chasing birds around the globe and you're like, negative,

987
00:53:35.960 --> 00:53:38.079
<v Speaker 2>I'm getting the money.

988
00:53:38.159 --> 00:53:41.039
<v Speaker 6>Yeah, it's like I would do this. I do this

989
00:53:41.079 --> 00:53:43.239
<v Speaker 6>in my free time. I can't actually get to get

990
00:53:43.239 --> 00:53:44.079
<v Speaker 6>paid for it. It's great.

991
00:53:44.360 --> 00:53:45.360
<v Speaker 2>Don't tell your bosses that.

992
00:53:45.840 --> 00:53:48.079
<v Speaker 6>Well, they do it too, so it's okay.

993
00:53:49.119 --> 00:53:51.320
<v Speaker 2>So if you're like listening to this at the bus

994
00:53:51.320 --> 00:53:54.480
<v Speaker 2>stop and you see a bird, just say to it, hey, man,

995
00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:57.079
<v Speaker 2>I know more about your butt and your brain than

996
00:53:57.079 --> 00:54:02.039
<v Speaker 2>I ever thought I would, and birds pretty cool little muffins.

997
00:54:02.599 --> 00:54:04.559
<v Speaker 2>So to watch any of the links that I mentioned,

998
00:54:04.599 --> 00:54:07.199
<v Speaker 2>you can go to aliward dot com slash ologies, where

999
00:54:07.280 --> 00:54:10.840
<v Speaker 2>I kind of like flacidly post a blog, a lot

1000
00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:13.719
<v Speaker 2>of links up there. Hopefully it'll be up by the

1001
00:54:13.760 --> 00:54:15.519
<v Speaker 2>time you're listening to this. I don't know, guys, it's

1002
00:54:15.519 --> 00:54:18.320
<v Speaker 2>my birthday and I'm I'm recording this outhro in my

1003
00:54:18.360 --> 00:54:22.239
<v Speaker 2>closet because the sound is good here. I just I

1004
00:54:22.280 --> 00:54:26.480
<v Speaker 2>want to get this episode up. So that sounds so pathetic,

1005
00:54:26.519 --> 00:54:29.400
<v Speaker 2>but I'm having a pretty good time. What I was

1006
00:54:29.480 --> 00:54:31.840
<v Speaker 2>gonna say. Oh yeah. Also, you can see inside the

1007
00:54:31.840 --> 00:54:36.039
<v Speaker 2>More Lab of Zoology on Instagram. Their account is MLZ

1008
00:54:36.320 --> 00:54:39.840
<v Speaker 2>birds and they sometimes give tours of a lab. They're

1009
00:54:39.840 --> 00:54:43.320
<v Speaker 2>doing one through Atlas Obscura November eleventh here in La.

1010
00:54:43.360 --> 00:54:47.679
<v Speaker 2>If there are still tickets left, get on it. If

1011
00:54:47.679 --> 00:54:51.599
<v Speaker 2>you ever want to submit questions for upcoming Ologists patrons

1012
00:54:51.639 --> 00:54:54.599
<v Speaker 2>on Patreon get first Crack so you can support there.

1013
00:54:54.679 --> 00:54:57.639
<v Speaker 2>You can also join the Ologies podcast group on Facebook.

1014
00:54:57.880 --> 00:55:00.400
<v Speaker 2>It's a good group of people, so if you're a dick,

1015
00:55:00.519 --> 00:55:03.199
<v Speaker 2>don't don't join, but if you're But if you're not,

1016
00:55:03.360 --> 00:55:06.960
<v Speaker 2>then hop into it because it's a party. I'm Ali

1017
00:55:07.039 --> 00:55:11.159
<v Speaker 2>Ward or ologies pod on Twitter. Uh. I'm also on

1018
00:55:11.199 --> 00:55:15.280
<v Speaker 2>Instagram and Ologies and Ali Ward, So stay tuned for

1019
00:55:15.320 --> 00:55:17.519
<v Speaker 2>next week. I'm not quite sure what episode it's going

1020
00:55:17.559 --> 00:55:20.920
<v Speaker 2>to be yet. I'll figure that out later, but it'll

1021
00:55:20.960 --> 00:55:25.239
<v Speaker 2>probably be full of stupid questions for smart people, because honestly,

1022
00:55:25.320 --> 00:55:27.880
<v Speaker 2>I kind of think that they secretly like it, and

1023
00:55:27.960 --> 00:55:29.840
<v Speaker 2>I don't want to know if that's not true. To

1024
00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:32.199
<v Speaker 2>be honest, all right, ologyites.

1025
00:55:33.679 --> 00:55:49.199
<v Speaker 5>Bye, pacodermatology, hobology, crypto zoology, lithology and technology, meteorology, pology, anthology, seriology, elinology.

1026
00:56:25.079 --> 00:56:29.480
<v Speaker 1>Employers, The deadline for auto enrollment has now passed, but

1027
00:56:29.599 --> 00:56:33.360
<v Speaker 1>your legal obligation hasn't. If you're not set up for

1028
00:56:33.400 --> 00:56:36.159
<v Speaker 1>auto enrollment on the My Future Fund portal, you need

1029
00:56:36.199 --> 00:56:40.360
<v Speaker 1>to act now to avoid penalties. It only takes three steps.

1030
00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:43.719
<v Speaker 1>Complete your profile, set up a payment method and run

1031
00:56:43.760 --> 00:56:47.119
<v Speaker 1>pay roll as usual. Don't wait for a penalty notice.

1032
00:56:47.719 --> 00:56:50.199
<v Speaker 1>Complete them now at my Future Fund dot i e

1033
00:56:50.440 --> 00:56:53.480
<v Speaker 1>Forward slash Employer. Brought to you by the Government of Ireland.