This is Episode 97. It’s all about bluebirds: the three North American species in the genus Sialia: The Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, and Mountain Bluebird.

For centuries, these beloved birds have been celebrated in paintings, poems, songs, and Disney cartoons.

The Eastern Bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and New York, while the Mountain Bluebird is the state bird of Idaho and Nevada.

And, apparently, the Mountain Bluebird was the inspiration for the original Twitter logo.

But bluebirds aren’t just cultural icons. They’ve also become valuable study subjects for scientists in the fields of ornithology and general biology. Research on these little birds has led to insights about the way the natural world works—from evolution, to ecology, behavior, diseases, and genetics.

Links of Interest

• North American Bluebird Society

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In this episode—which is Number 96—I’ll be answering questions sent by my listeners. So this is what we call an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode.

I enjoy doing these, and it’s so interesting to see what sorts of questions people have about birds.

The listeners who get to contribute questions for these Ask Me Anything episodes are members of my community on Patreon. There are several tiers of support that people can join, and at the Helpful Hornbill and Awesome Osprey level, one perks is getting to ask questions for episodes like this one.

So if you’d like to have me answer your bird questions in a future episode, consider signing up on my Patreon page, and become a Helpful Hornbill or an Awesome Osprey.

I got lots of participation this time and some great questions. Many of the questions submitted are about things I hadn’t thought about before. Some of them are sort of out of left field… Which is so cool. The curiosity and unique perspectives of my listeners—you guys—drive me to expand my own understanding of birds. And I love that!

Links of Interest

• Male Montezuma Oropendola song and bow display [VIDEO]

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Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

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This episode—which is number 95—is all about spoonbills.

There are six spoonbill species in the world, all of which belong to the genus Platalea. The unique beak of spoonbills sets them apart from pretty much all other birds. What is the advantage of having a bill shaped like that? We'll answer that question in this episode.

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Link to this episode on the Science of Birds website

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the Show.