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  • In the last episode we said there were no parrots in the United States of America. But that was only a half truth. A better truth would have been to say that once upon a time there was a parrot, the Carolina Parakeet that went extinct about 100 years. And in its place today there is an invasive species, the Monk Parakeet. So what is the story of these two birds, why did one die while the other has thrived? Today we are going to try and find out.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Links:

    Carolina Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/carpar/Why the Carolina Parakeet went extinct: https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/carolina-parakeet-extinction-mysteryMonk Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/monparMonk nest: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/parrots-are-taking-over-the-world/Parakeet panic: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/cautionary-tales/when-parakeets-plundered-new-york
  • Have you been hankering for a cracker, well has polly got one for you today as we look at Parrots. This is a big old family of birds, so join me as we do a speed run of parrots and find out what these birds are all about.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Parrot beaks: https://parrotjunkie.com/blogs/health/parrot-beak-anatomyTripedal locomotion: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0245#:~:text=Our%20findings%20demonstrate%20that%20parrots,substrate%20reaction%20forces%20and%20power.Lorikeet Tongue: https://www.psittacology.com/lorikeet-tongue-diet/ Powder Down: https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/powder-downOld World Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/psitta4/cur/introductionNew World Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/psitta3/cur/introductionCockatoos: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/cacatu2/cur/introduction#:~:text=Cockatoos%20are%20large%20parrots%20of,also%20the%20most%20widely%20recognized.New Zealand Parrots: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/strigo1/cur/introduction#genusNestorKea: https://www.firstlighttravel.com/blog/cheeky-keaAlex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_(parrot)Burrowing Parrots: https://ebird.org/species/burparEclectus Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/eclpar4?siteLanguage=en_AUOrange-Bellied Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/orbpar1Greater Vasa Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/vaspar1
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  • This will be a different episode. I have also had a strong association between my grandmother and Budgerigars, she owned one and gifted me one of my own for my sixth birthday. So this episode will be part memoir, part eulogy, part ... Budgerigar discussion...? Maybe not one for everyone, but let's give it a spin.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Budgerigar: https://ebird.org/species/budger/Murmuration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEiuKDEPM5gBudgie colour mutation: https://www.budgie-bubble.co.uk/budgie-mutationsUV feathers: https://budgiesareawesome.blogspot.com/2010/07/glowing-budgies.html
  • Sadly our world is not populated with magical unicorns. But what we lack in horned horses we make up for with horned birds. Join me this week as we meet one of the strangest birds, the avian equivalent of the unicorn, the Horned Screamer.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Horned Screamer: https://ebird.org/species/horscr1/Horned Lark: https://ebird.org/species/horlarHorned Parakeet: https://ebird.org/species/horpar2Hollow bones: https://www.montananaturalist.org/blog-post/avian-adaptations/#:~:text=Hollow%20bones%20are%20also%20called,areas%20in%20a%20bird's%20bones.
  • In the 1960s the United States of America lost a unique sub-species of bird when the Kennedy Space Centre was developed as part of the space race. Today, Australia is on the cusp of repeating this history, with the home of the endangered Southern Emu-wren being earmarked for the development of a launch site.

    Until 2 February 2024 public submissions are open on the site's proposed development. To help protect the Emu-wren visit Birdlife Australia and use their form to voice your opposition: https://www.actforbirds.org/whalersway

    Notes:

    Birdlife media release on Whalers Way: https://birdlife.org.au/news/rocket-launch-facility-will-destroy-threatened-bird-habitat/Dusky Seaside Sparrow: https://www.fws.gov/species/dusky-seaside-sparrow-ammodramus-maritimus-nigrescensSouthern Emu-wren: https://ebird.org/species/souemu1?siteLanguage=en_AUAustralian Government Emu-wren species profile: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=26006
  • So if it's one thing we know people are good at it's making other things go extinct. We are living during one of the great mass extinct events. But every now and again, we come across a bird that was thought to have gone extinct, only for them to be rediscovered, sometimes hundreds of years later. Well, this year, we are going to meet three birds that were thought to be extinct only to be found alive and (not so) well many years later.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Lazarus Taxon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_taxonLazarus of Bethany: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazarus_of_BethanyIt's time to D-D-D-Duel!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFkdcQgNJHoBlue-eyed Ground Dove: https://ebird.org/species/begdov2Doves raised in captivity: https://abcbirds.org/news/blue-eyed-ground-dove-captive-rearing/ Inbreeding depression: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/the-relevance-of-evolution/conservation/inbreeding-depression/Bermuda Petrel: https://ebird.org/species/berpetDavid Wingate: https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/david-wingate-and-rescue-cahowA Tale of Two Islands: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9071817-a-tale-of-two-islandsTakahe: https://ebird.org/species/takahe3Story of the Takahe: https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/takahe-the-bird-that-came-back-from-the-dead/International Union for the Conservation of Nature: https://www.iucn.org/
  • Last year New Zealand crowned the Puteketeke as their Bird of the Century. This raise a lot of questions: who has the authority to name a bird for the century, why is 2023 the year it happened, and what the heck is the Puteketeke? Join me in this episode to learn more and to find out how John Oliver made a dramatic entry to saw the vote in favour of an underdog.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Great Crested Grebe: https://ebird.org/species/grcgre1?siteLanguage=en_AUForest and Bird: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/Bird of the Century winner: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/Previous Bird of the Year winners: https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/past-champions/Puteketeke: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/bird-century-winner-announced-puteketeke-pandemonium-prevails#:~:text=The%20p%C5%ABteketeke%20Australasian%20crested%20grebe,atop%20its%20burnt%2Dorange%20mullet.Feet for tail feathers: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4070281?seq=2Grebe mating dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs_3WAfDVscGrebes eat feathers: https://www.audubon.org/news/grebes-their-meals-side-feathers-heres-why#:~:text=Strange%20as%20it%20sounds%2C%20grebes,way%20to%20slow%20down%20digestion.John Oliver on Jimmy Fallon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVE1hBzHn3sDoes John Oliver hate birds?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2Y6Z-maAU
  • As we enter the festive season there is no better bird to feature than the European Robin. These bright little birds have an association with Christmas that extends way waaaaay back. So let's dive in with a short min Christmas stocking stuffer Bird of the Week special to find out what the deal is with Christmas and Robins.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    European Robin: https://ebird.org/species/eurrob1?siteLanguage=en_AURobins and Christmas: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/12/why-do-we-associate-robins-with-christmas/Robins and the nativity: https://www.birdspot.co.uk/culture/the-legend-of-robin-redbreastThe Six Birds of Christmas, previous Christmas special: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9782095-the-six-birds-of-christmasDead Wrens on Christmas cards: https://culturacolectiva.com/en/art/design/victorian-christmas-cards-weird-dead-birds/
  • The Night Parrot is known as one of the most elusive birds in the world. Between 1912 and 1990 there was no evidence that they lived, and even then it would be another 23 before a living one was even seen. But then in 2013, the Night Parrot was re-discovered to much fanfare. However, it later emerged that much subsequent evidence for their existence was falsified. Just what happened and why is a wild tale, so joy me as we tell the story of the Night Parrot.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Night Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/nigpar2Ground Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/gropar1/Dick Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Smith_(entrepreneur)Walter Boles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5OSiN_6Lr0Robert Cupitt: https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.308723421800147John Young and the Night Parrot: https://www.audubon.org/news/john-young-rediscovered-australian-night-parrot-did-he-lie-about-his-laterJohn Young and the Blue-Fronted Fig Parrot: https://www.smh.com.au/national/new-parrot-species-found-in-queensland-20061108-gdos73.htmlPenny Olsen: https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/the-truth-behind-the-quest-to-find-the-elusive-night-parrot Future of the Night Parrot: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/04/science/night-parrot-ghost-bird-australia.html
  • It's a common story throughout the world: when people turn up we tend to kill things, with many animals being driven to extinction. So join me today as we do a review of the Australian birds that have gone extinct since European colonisation. But would you be shocked if I told you there was only one? It's true, the Paradise Parrot is the only Australian bird that has gone extinct. So let's find out who they were, what happened, and if we can stop their close cousin from going the same way.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    If you're interested in the work of Artemis and their efforts to save the Golden Shoulder Parrot check out: https://artemis.org.au/

    Notes:

    Paradise Parrot: https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=723Red-Rumped Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/rerpar1?siteLanguage=en_AUHooded Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/hoopar1?siteLanguage=en_AUGolden Shouldered Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/gospar1?siteLanguage=en_AUJohn Gilbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gilbert_(naturalist)John Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_GouldGilbert's Whistler: https://ebird.org/species/gilwhi1?siteLanguage=en_AUGilbert's Honeyeater: https://ebird.org/species/whnhon3?siteLanguage=en_AUGilbert's Potoroo: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/newGilbert's Dunnart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert%27s_dunnartAlec Chisholm: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hugh_ChisholmStory of the Paradise Parrot: https://theconversation.com/100-years-ago-this-man-discovered-an-exquisite-parrot-thought-to-be-extinct-what-came-next-is-a-tragedy-we-must-not-repeat-171939
  • We finally got to the TAXONOMY episode. Join me as we explain what taxonomy is, how it works, and how we use it to arrange a big old family tree that contains every bird and maps how they're all related to each other. It's an overview of bird family tree from the dinosaurs to today.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Bird Taxonomy: https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/speciesMorphology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphology_(biology)Convergent Evolution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolutionTherapod: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheropodaFeathered dinosaurs: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs-among-us/feathersOpposite birds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EnantiornithesNeoaves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeoavesHoatzin: https://ebird.org/species/hoatzi1
  • Without a question, the Kiwi is one of the most unusual birds in the world. A lifetime of isolation on New Zealand has lead to a bird that is doing an impersonation of a rodent. This week we will find out who the Kiwi is, where they came from, how they live and where they're going.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Flightless Birds: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/11317493-flightless-birdsIsland Birds: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/8978808-island-birdSouthern Brown Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/sobkiw1/Northern Brown Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/nibkiw1/Okarito Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/okbkiw1/Little Spotted Kiwi:https://ebird.org/species/liskiw1/Great Spotted Kiwi: https://ebird.org/species/grskiw1/How Kiwis got to New Zealand: https://savethekiwi.nz/about-kiwi/kiwi-facts/how-kiwi-came-here/
  • So birds can fly, and as result they have spread themselves every corner of the world. And yet, despite this fact, very few individual species have managed to find a way to conquer the world on their own. Well, nearly none, because there are five birds, just five that have found their way onto every continent. These birds, the cosmopolitan birds make up an exclusive club. Join me in this episode to meet the five birds that have spread themselves around the world. Find out how they did, and why so few birds have managed the trick.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Biogeographic Realms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W94Rth-aIkc&t=1164s&ab_channel=AtlasProPeregrine Falcon: https://ebird.org/species/perfal?siteLanguage=en_AUMigration: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/9834248-the-heck-s-migration Osprey: https://ebird.org/species/osprey?siteLanguage=en_AUGlossy Ibis: https://ebird.org/species/gloibi?siteLanguage=en_AUCattle Egret: https://ebird.org/species/categr/Barn Owl: https://ebird.org/species/brnowlOwls: How Gives a Hoot?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/11822647-owls-who-gives-a-hootSpeciation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciation
  • It's time to talk Puffins. The auks are a fascinating group of ocean going birds. They have fancy plumes, fancy beaks, some of them even smell like citrus, and the evolved to fly under the waves and in the air. So let's meet these penguins for the northern hemisphere and find out what they got going on.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    The Great Auk: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/10605634-the-great-aukHow do Eggs Work?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/12734438-how-do-eggs-workThe Egg War: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/12858732-the-egg-warAuks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AukAtlantic Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/atlpufTufted Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/tufpufHorned Puffin: https://ebird.org/species/horpufPuffin beaks: https://www.audubon.org/news/puffins-amp-their-sex-appeal-glowing-beaksRhinoceros Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/rhiauk?siteLanguage=en_AU Whiskered Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/whiaukCrested Auklet: https://ebird.org/species/creaukCitrus smelling bird: https://nerdfighteria.info/v/ZELEjE92D-c/Guillemot eggs: https://bou.org.uk/blog-birkhead-guillemot-eggs/Marbled Murrelet: https://ebird.org/species/marmur?siteLanguage=en_AUAncient Murrelet: https://ebird.org/species/ancmurKiviaq: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-kiviaq
  • A bird's ability to sing has long fascinated and enchanted we people. But how do birds sing, do all birds sing and why do they sing? These are important questions, and maybe we will ever answer some of them.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Larynx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LarynxSyrinx: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrinx_(bird_anatomy)Songbirds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SongbirdWhite Bellbird: https://ebird.org/species/whibel2?siteLanguage=en_AUCommon Nightingale: https://ebird.org/species/comnig1Bell Miner: https://ebird.org/species/belmin1?siteLanguage=en_AUSuperb Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/suplyr1?siteLanguage=en_AUEurasian Bullfinch: https://ebird.org/species/eurbul?siteLanguage=en_AUEastern Whipbird: https://ebird.org/species/easwhi1?siteLanguage=en_AU
  • Today we are meeting the Woodpeckers, those chisel faced birds that spend all day banging their head into a tree, sounds frustrating. Well as it turns out the Woodpeckers are evolved for a life of a tree pecking. In this episode we will find out how they do it, why they do it, and how they avoid a concussion.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Wrynecks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WryneckPiculet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PiculetBlack-backed Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/bkbwoo?siteLanguage=en_AUNorthern Flicker: https://ebird.org/species/norfli Gila Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/gilwoo?siteLanguage=en_AUGround Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/growoo1?siteLanguage=en_AUTongues: https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/science/woodpeckers-hammer-without-headaches/ Tail feathers: https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/3-a26-freshman-seminar-the-nature-of-engineering-fall-2005/47a3837503f2449db79f7d54ec71e171_wp_tail_feathev1.pdfSapsuckers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapsucker Acorn Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/acowooDrumming: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/woodpecker-knocking-actually-drum-solo-scientists-say-rcna49456Ivory-billed Woodpecker: https://ebird.org/species/ivbwooIvory-bill rediscovery?: https://earthsky.org/earth/ivory-billed-woodpecker-isnt-extinct/
  • There is a famous Swiss case from 1474 of a rooster that was put on trial for the unnatural crime of laying an egg. It is a silly story of human folly, as is so often the case. But this strange tale does lead to a deeper and more interesting point about avian gender, how it is radically different to mammals, and how in some rare cases a hen can maybe turn into a rooster. How is that possible? Tune in to find out and we even have a little surprise at the start of the show as well.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Rooster burned at the stake: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-6331-3_13BBC story on gender flipping birds: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40016817
  • Who doesn't love a Wren? They're adorable stub-tailed birds with beautiful voices. But wait! Are we talking about the same bird? As it turns out there are hundreds of unrelated birds that are called Wrens. The state of play when it comes to what is and isn't a Wren is wild, and this episode we do a full review of all the wrens buzzing around out there.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Eurasian Wren: https://ebird.org/species/winwre4?siteLanguage=en_AUTure Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WrenAustralasian Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_wrenNew Zealand Wrens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_wrenAntbrids: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AntbirdWren-babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PnoepygaOld World Babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_babblerJungle Babblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PellorneidaeOvenbirds:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovenbird Wren-warblers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamonastes
  • A slightly different episode to look at three birds with odd names. We will look at how the Turkey, the Jamaican Mango and the Gouldian Finch got their names. What do these birds have to do with each other? Nothing whatsoever, but maybe we can find a theme in there somewhere.

    Really though, this is just a shameless plug for my second podcast, What's Up With That Bird's Name, available only through Patreon. www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    Wild Turkey: https://ebird.org/species/wilturOcellated Turkey: https://ebird.org/species/ocetur1/Turkey changed its name: https://theconversation.com/why-does-turkey-want-other-countries-to-start-spelling-its-name-turkiye-199390Guineafowl: https://ebird.org/species/helgui?siteLanguage=en_AUJamaican Mango: https://ebird.org/species/jamman1?siteLanguage=en_AUIndian Golden Oriole: https://ebird.org/species/ingori1/Gouldian Finch: https://ebird.org/species/goufin3?siteLanguage=en_AUFinch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FinchJohn Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_GouldElizabeth Gould: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gould_(illustrator)
  • The Egg War is the rather bizarre story of how a colony of Common Murres on the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco sparked conflict during the American Gold Rush in the 1850-60s. It is a wild tale of murder, piracy, lighthouse keepers with delusions of grandeur and an awful lot of people wearing hats. Join me for a silly story.

    To support Bird of the Week and gain access to our second podcast, What's up with that's Bird's Name? click on through to Patreon: www.patreon.com/birdoftheweek

    Want birds in your inbox? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

    Notes:

    California Gold Rush: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush
    Farallon Islands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Islands
    Common Murre: https://ebird.org/species/commur?siteLanguage=en_AU
    Auks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auk
    Murre eggs: https://americanornithology.org/distinctive-egg-color-variations-in-common-murres/
    The Egg War: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-california-went-war-over-eggs-180971960/
    Penguin eggs: https://www.capetownetc.com/news/penguin-egg-whites-may-turn-clear-when-boiled-but-this-is-not-a-breakfast-idea/