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The Science of Birds

The Science of Birds

By: Ivan Phillipsen
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The Science of Birds is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology. It's a fun resource for any birder or naturalist who wants to learn more about ornithology. Impress your birding friends at cocktail parties with all of your new bird knowledge! Hosted by Ivan Phillipsen, a passionate naturalist with a PhD in Zoology.© 2025 The Science of Birds Biological Sciences Science
Episodes
  • Random Bird Thursday: A Naughty Yet Agreeable Seabird
    Jul 18 2025

    This is the first ever Random Bird Thursday! Ivan is experimenting with publishing these shorter, unscripted episodes. In each Random Bird Thursday episode, the idea is to highlight a bird species that probably isn't going to get featured in a full-length podcast episode. These are birds we might overlook, even though they deserve some appreciation and attention.

    Random Bird Thursday episodes will be in addition to the normal, long-form episodes. Enjoy, and let Ivan know what you think!

    Links of Interest

    • Courtship Rituals [VIDEO]


    SPOILER: The randomly selected species today is the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)


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    18 mins
  • From the Field: Mongolia
    Jul 11 2025

    This is Episode 119. In this unscripted “From the Field” episode, host Ivan Phillipsen takes you on a journey through the grasslands, forests, and mountains of Mongolia. Fresh from a ten-day scouting trip in central Mongolia, Ivan recounts his experience scouting for a future birding tour.

    Along the way, he explores ancient ruins, crosses epic landscapes, and shares observations of unique habitats like the Eastern Steppe, the Daurian Forest Steppe, and the Trans-Baikal Conifer Forests.

    Ivan highlights some of the most thrilling bird and wildlife encounters of the trip, from charismatic Steppe Eagles and Demoiselle Cranes to critically endangered Siberian Cranes, and the iconic Przewalski’s Wild Horse.

    Whether you're a seasoned birder or simply curious about the world’s wilder places, this episode offers a look at Mongolia’s ecology, avifauna, and wildlife. Learn more about Ivan’s upcoming Mongolia tour at wildlatitudes.com.

    Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Three of the World's Weirdest Bird Species
    Jun 18 2025

    Ivan was a recent guest on Just the Zoo of Us, a fun podcast about animals. The full conversation between Ivan and Host Ellen Weatherford is included in this special episode. They talk about three of the world's weirdest bird species.

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    58 mins
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Not interested in birds? Then listen to this and I guarantee you will be! Ivan is your host and is so knowledgeable on birds and delivers the content in such an entertaining way that you will be an expert on the science of birds!🐦🦜🦚🦢🐧

Brilliant just brilliant!

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I love birds!! So informative and educational of all kinds of different species. This is my favorite podcast to listen to and so well documented of birds and their environment they live in. Thank you so much!

Science of birds

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Hope is they don't cause an illness or not let the birds reproduce. Love your show Ivan . look forward to every episode!

Spit nest omy

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I love this podcast. Ivan's approach is very balanced - lots of good, well-researched details for the avid birder in the deep dives into a single topic, but also presented in a way that doesn't require the listener to already know the lingo and have lots of birding experience. The humorous cultural references are done very well, and in just the right amount. Thank you for this podcast, Ivan!

Love birds, love this podcast!

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I'm so glad I discovered this podcast! I'm learning so much and it's light and fun. thank you!

enjoying this so much!

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I really enjoy your podcast. I love birds and I'm always looking for new ways to make life better for them.

Great stuff!

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