Birds of a Feather Talk Together

We're still down for the holidays but are sharing a segment that we did on the Archaeopteryx at The Field Museum. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived when an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago. A fossil called Archaeopteryx, with feathers, hollow bones, clawed wings, tiny teeth, and a long tail, is the earliest known dinosaur that also qualifies as a bird, and is on display at the Field Museum where two of our hosts John and Shannon work.
Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart for Birds of a Feather Talk Together.
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This week we talk to Louise Bodt about the European Starlings. Louise Bodt is a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum using introduced birds to study rapid evolutionary change. Prior to joining the Field Museum birds lab, she worked as a science educator in NYC where she got her MS in biology investigating genetics of invasive European starlings.
We also kick off our Round Robin Tournament and vote on our first round. It's a lot of fun and we were laughing the whole time. We want our listeners to vote as well, we'll post info on our Instagram.
Enjoy!
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Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]

We interview evolutionary biologist and the author of 'Slow Birding' Joan E. Strassmann. Joan has a new book released on October 22nd and is called 'The Slow Birding Journal'. It is a unique companion for bird enthusiasts seeking a deeper connection with the avian world around them. The journal encourages a slow, mindful approach to birding, celebrating the beauty and diversity of birds wherever you find them. We talk to Joan all about her new book, and get an interesting backstory on her first book as well.
Join our usual hosts John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart as they interview Joan.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
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This week we are talking about the Northern Flicker. We talk about the red-shafted and yellow-shafted flickers in different parts of the continent, and how they can hybridize. We also talk about whether or not woodpeckers get CTE from banging their heads while pecking. We answer a mailbag question on the white throated sparrow changing its call. Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart discussing the Northern Flicker!
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Join John Bates, Shannon Hackett, RJ Pole, and Amanda Marquart as we discuss the White-throated sparrow. We talk about sparrows in general, and how to differentiate them based on behavior and not just their appearance. We also talk about how they have been shrinking in size over the last 50 years, and how the specimen collection at the Field Museum have helped determine that. We also talk about their different head-types, and mating preferences between the two head types.

We also answer a mailbag question from a listener in the U.K. on vultures.
Please send us your questions for us to answer as well! You can send them to [email protected]
Make sure to follow us on instagram, Blue Sky Social and tik tok as well!!