I've never really been a birder myself. Birding, twitching, getting out in the field and tracking down a bird isn't an activity I've ever taken seriously, mostly because I never really had the time to do. But since going on parental leave I've found myself with hours in the day to fill and a baby who likes getting out and about. So in this episode I present the reflections of a birding novice.

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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

Aussie Bird Count: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/

Merlin Bird ID: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

eBird Mobile: https://ebird.org/about/ebird-mobile

The show still exists! We are back and this time we are looking at maybe the world's most boring bird, the House Sparrow. These little brown birds live in pretty much every city in the world. Everyone is familiar with them and they have little of interest to offer anyone, ever. Or do they? Well let's 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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• House Sparrow: https://ebird.org/species/houspa
• The War on Sparrows: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1733312/episodes/16461045-the-war-on-sparrows
• Western Australia hates the Sparrow: https://www.dpird.wa.gov.au/siteassets/documents/biosecurity/invasive/birds/sparrows---biosecurity-alert-pf008-23-print.pdf
• How Sparrows came to Australia: https://theconversation.com/city-sparrows-came-to-australia-via-india-59730
• The Sparrow's evolution: https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-humans-shaped-the-evolution-of-the-worlds-most-common-bird
• Sparrow declining population: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/16/house-sparrow-population-in-europe-drops-by-247m

Today we are going to look at three birds that I think are some of the strangest in the world. Ah... I don't have much more to say about the episodes ... it kinda does what it says on the label.

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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Greater Vasa Parrot: https://ebird.org/species/vaspar1
• Sungrebe: https://ebird.org/species/sungre1
• Hoatzin: https://ebird.org/species/hoatzi1
• Mousebird: https://ebird.org/species/spemou2

The Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is one of the most instantly recognisable Australian birds. Big, loud and mischievous. Some people love them, some people ... not so much. But they're smart birds that deserve an episode of their own, so let's do it.

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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo: https://ebird.org/species/succoc
• Powder Down: https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/powder-down
• Episode 57 - Parrots: https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1733312/episodes/14752840-parrots
• Vocal mimicry in parrots: https://www.miragenews.com/vocal-mimicry-in-parrots-why-they-repeat-human-1029293/
• Syrinx: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982222013112
• Cockatoos raid bins: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-09-13/cockatoos-cockies-bin-lid-flip-culture-bricks-bird-cognition/101424194

This episodes is not about birds. This is about Australia's electoral system. How's that for coming out of left field? Why is Bird Guy talking about electoral systems? Good questions, it's something I'm interested in, and Australia had a recent election result that I think is worth taking a closer look at.

If you don't want to hear about that, this probably isn't the episode for you. So no hard feelings if you want to skip this one.

But if you're in the mood for something a little different, join me now.

Pelicans! Giant, big beaked birds of the water. Urban legends surrounded these critters, like the fact that they will sometimes eat dogs. Fact or myth? Who can say for sure? But one thing we can say is that they're fascinating birds, so let's get to know 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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Pelican eats Pigeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phUs2kIGY9M
• Australian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/auspel1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Pink-Backed Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/pibpel1
• Spot-Billed Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/spbpel1
• Dalmatian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/dalpel1
• Peruvian Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/perpel1
• Brown Pelican: https://ebird.org/species/brnpel
• Pelican finds water: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-19/curious-central-west-why-pelicans-prefer-some-places/9054518
• hunting practices: https://asknature.org/strategy/cooperative-herding-catches-more-food/
• Dalmatian Pelican conservation: https://rewildingeurope.com/blog/turning-the-tide-for-the-dalmatian-pelican/
• Peruvian Pelican conservation: https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/south-america/how-the-peruvian-pelican-reflects-changes-in-the-environment/

Many birds mimic the calls of other birds. But there is no bird that has the repertoire of the Lyrebird, renown for being some of the greatest mimics in the avian world. So, what's they're deal? Let's 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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Superb Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/suplyr1?siteLanguage=en_AU
• Albert's Lyrebird: https://ebird.org/species/alblyr1
• 10 cents: https://www.ramint.gov.au/ten-cents
• Lyrebirds are losing their voice: https://westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/lyrebirds_are_losing_their_voice_due_to_continued_habitat_loss
• Bird Life: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/superb-lyrebird/?srsltid=AfmBOoqwY7ME7qaHqkOv23B2VUUFpxZ_VlL4BIEGim8z85fHyydXH7ax
• World Wildlife Fund: https://wwf.org.au/blogs/the-superb-lyrebird-helping-these-amazing-mimickers-recover-from-the-2019-20-bushfires/

You know what film doesn't get talked about enough? Charlie's Angels (2000). But wait, this show isn't about middling films from two decades ago, it's about amazing birds, so how is that film connected to birds? Well, let's find out. I promise it's ridiculous.

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 weekly.bird@outlook.com and I'll hook you up with a free weekly bird.

Notes:

• Charlie's Angels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie%27s_Angels_(2000_film)
• The Scene in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-mbJhVl2Xc
• Pygmy Nuthatch: https://ebird.org/species/pygnut
• Venezuelan Troupial: https://ebird.org/species/ventro1
• Troupials are nest pirates: https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Icterus_icterus%20-%20Troupial.pdf
• Fox Sparrow: https://ebird.org/species/foxspa
• Slate's podcast on the issue: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2024/10/how-did-the-big-budget-charlies-angels-movie-get-this-bird-so-wrong