Curious About Birds

PODCAST 255: CURIOUS ABOUT BIRDS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  WE HAVE THREE TYPES OF PETS IN OUR HOUSE.  WE HAVE A DOG, KHLOE, THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS.  SHE IS A TEN YEAR OLD BOXER/PITBULL MIX, AND SHE IS THE SWEETEST DOGGIE EVER.  WE ALSO HAVE A 20 GALLON FISH TANK WITH LOTS OF FISH IN IT, MOSTLY TETRAS.  THE OTHER ADORABLE CREATURE THAT CAN BE FOUND IN OUR HOUSE IS ONE THAT OLIVIA HAS A SPECIAL BOND WITH.  HER NAME IS FRANCESCA, AND SHE IS A BIRD.  HERE IS A STORY I THINK WE’VE TOLD ONCE BEFORE.  HER NAME USED TO BE FRANKIE, WHEN WE THOUGHT SHE WAS A MALE BIRD.  THEN, SHE LAID EGGS, SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CHANGE HER NAME TO FRANCESCA.  OLIVIA LOVES PLAYING WITH FRANCESCA AND GIVING HER LOTS OF ATTENTION.  THAT’S BECAUSE OLIVIA LOVES BIRDS.  SHE IS SUPER EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM, SO LET’S GET THIS STARTED!

O:  PENTUPLE-MAILBAG!

D:  PENTUPLE-MAILBAG!

“DEAR JACOB AND OLIVIA,

MY NAME IS SENAM AND I LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  MY DAD AND I DISCOVERED YOUR PODCAST WHILE ON A ROAD TRIP DURING MY SPRING BREAK THIS YEAR.  WE LISTENED TO SO MANY EPISODES WHILE TRAVELING FROM NEW YORK TO ATLANTA.  I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE EPISODES ON DOGS, SNAKES, GIRAFFES, ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES, AND NARWHALS.  AS YOU CAN SEE, I LOVE ANIMALS.  OUTSIDE OF ANIMALS, I ABSOLUTELY ADORED EPISODE 155, CURIOUS ABOUT SLIME.  AFTER LISTENING TO A NUMBER OF YOUR SHOWS, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT SO MANY THINGS.  I’D LOVE TO LEARN ABOUT FISH, BIRDS, BEAVERS, AND VEGETABLES.  THANKS FOR ALL THE INTERESTING FACTS.  LOOKING FORWARD TO FUTURE EPISODES.

SENAM, AGE 5, FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK”

“HI OLIVIA AND JACOB,

MY NAME IS BENNETT AND I’M ALMOST 5 YEARS OLD.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  I LISTEN TO ALL YOUR EPISODES, WHEN WE’RE DRIVING OR WHEN WE’RE EATING OR EVEN WHEN I’M PLAYING.  I LOVE WHEN YOU SAY “MAILBAG” AND WHEN JACOB SAYS “HELLOOOOOO” AND THE BEGINNING SONG!  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT HEIGHTS, BIRDS, AND EGYPTIAN MUMMIES.  HAVE A GREAT DAY

BENNETT IN ALBERTA, CANADA”

“HI JACOB AND OLIVIA,

MY NAME IS WESLEY AND I’M ALMOST 4 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE A LITTLE BROTHER NAMED THEO WHO IS ALMOST 2 YEARS OLD.  WE LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST WHILE DRIVING TO SCHOOL.  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT PARROTFISH AND WHY THEY POOP SAND.  I’M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND HOW THEY WORK.  I’M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT GROCERY STORES, FLAGS, BIRDS, AND FIRE TRUCKS!  I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO AN EPISODE ON ONE OF THESE TOPICS.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.  YOUR PODCAST IS AMAZING!

WESLEY AND THEO FROM BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS”

“HI!  MY NAME IS ZADE AND I’M 5 YEARS OLD.  I LIVE IN PORT MOODY, BRITISH COLUMBIA.  I LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST WITH MY MOM.  I LISTEN TO IT EVERY MORNING AND EVERY NIGHT AND EVERY TIME IN THE DAY.  I’M CURIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW BIRDS FLY.”

***VM FROM AARON OF CALIFORNIA***

O:  THAT WAS AMAZING.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT BIRDS FOR SENAM, BENNETT, WESLEY, THEO, ZADE, AND AARON.  I’M HAPPY AS A LARK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BIRDS THIS WEEK.  

D:  A LARK IS A BIRD, AND PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY ARE “HAPPY AS A LARK” WHEN THEY ARE VERY HAPPY, BECAUSE LARKS ARE THOUGHT TO BE HAPPY BIRDS, BECAUSE THEY SING SONGS THAT SOUND VERY HAPPY AND JOYFUL.  OLIVIA, WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  I’M GOING TO SAY THREE THINGS.  TWO OF THEM ARE THE TRUTH, BUT ONE IS A LIE.  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHICH ONE OF THESE THREE STATEMENTS IS A LIE?  NUMBER ONE:  ALL FEMALE BIRDS LAY EGGS.  NUMBER TWO:  ALL BIRDS HAVE FEATHERS.  AND NUMBER THREE:  ALL BIRDS HAVE TEETH.

D:  NOT VERY NICE TO LIE TO OUR LISTENERS, OLIVIA.  WHILE THEY’RE THINKING ABOUT WHICH OF YOUR STATEMENTS IS A LIE, LET’S LEARN ABOUT HOW BIRDS FLY… THAT’S A RHYME!

O:  BIRDS ARE ABLE TO FLY BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUE BODIES THAT ARE PERFECTLY DESIGNED TO TAKE FLIGHT.  

D:  FOR EXAMPLE, A BIRD’S SKELETON IS VERY LIGHT, EVEN FOR IT’S SIZE.  EVEN THOUGH IT IS LIGHT, IT IS STILL STRONG ENOUGH TO PUT IN ALL THE HARD WORK THAT COMES WITH FLYING.

O:  THE REASON BIRDS ARE SO LIGHT IS BECAUSE THEIR BONES ARE THIN AND HOLLOW.  IN COMPARISON, HUMAN BONES ARE THICK AND HEAVY.  BIRDS ALSO HAVE A BEAK, WHICH IS LIGHTWEIGHT AND HELPS TO KEEP BIRDS AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE.  FOR MANY BIRDS, THE WEIGHT OF THEIR FEATHERS IS MORE THAN THE WEIGHT OF THEIR BONES.  

D:  NOT ONLY ARE THE BONES OF BIRDS LIGHT, BUT THEY ARE ALSO SUPER STRONG.  THEIR BONES HAVE SPECIAL STRUTS THAT GIVE THEM STRENGTH, AND MANY OF A BIRD’S BONES ARE ALSO MORE RIGID THAN THE BONES OF A HUMAN, WHICH ALLOW THEM TO DEAL WITH ALL THE STRESS THAT COMES WITH FLYING, WHICH IS A BIG WORKOUT.

O:  BIRDS THAT FLY ALSO HAVE A LARGE BREASTBONE, WHICH HOLDS THE MUSCLES THAT BIRDS USE TO FLY.  LOTS OF BIRDS THAT DON’T FLY, LIKE OSTRICHES, HAVE LOST THEIR BREASTBONE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME BECAUSE THEY DON’T NEED IT ANY MORE.

D:  BIRDS ALSO HAVE A BIG BREATHING SYSTEM.  ABOUT A FIFTH OF A BIRD’S BODY IS USED FOR BREATHING, COMPARED TO HUMANS, WHICH USE ONLY ABOUT ONE TWENTIETH OF THEIR BODIES FOR BREATHING.

O:  LIKE HUMANS, BIRDS USE OXYGEN AND BREATHE OUT CARBON DIOXIDE.  ON TOP OF THAT, BIRDS HAVE SPECIAL AIR SACS THAT ALLOW GASSES TO FLOW AROUND THEIR BODIES EASILY.  THE AIR SACS HELP MAKE SURE THAT A SINGLE BIRD BREATH HELPS A BIRD MORE THAN A SINGLE HUMAN BREATH HELPS A HUMAN.  A BIRD’S BREATHING SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO GIVE BIRDS A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF FRESH AIR.

D:  A BIRD’S HEART IS ALSO MORE POWERFUL FOR ITS SIZE THAN A HUMAN HEART.  THEY NEED TO BE REALLY GOOD AT MOVING BLOOD AROUND QUICKLY SO THAT THEIR MUSCLES CAN KEEP WORKING HARD.  BIRDS HAVE A FASTER HEART BEAT THAN HUMANS.  THE AVERAGE HEARTBEAT FOR A HUMAN IS ANYWHERE FROM 60 TO 100 BEATS PER MINUTE.  CHICKENS, WHICH ARE LARGE BIRDS, HAVE A RESTING HEARTBEAT OF 245 BEATS PER MINUTE.  SMALLER BIRDS HAVE EVEN FASTER HEARTBEATS.

O:  A HUMMINGBIRD’S RESTING HEARTBEAT IS 615 BEATS PER MINUTE.  IF YOU THINK THAT’S CRAZY, THE HEARTBEAT OF MANY SMALL BIRDS SHOOTS UP OVER 1,000 BEATS PER MINUTE WHILE IT’S FLYING.

D:  IN ORDER FOR BIRDS TO FLY, THEY NEED TO USE THE SAME FORCES THAT AIRPLANES DO.  IF YOU LISTENED TO THE EPISODE CURIOUS ABOUT AIRPLANES, YOU MAY REMEMBER THE FORCES THAT AIRPLANES USE TO FLY.  WELL, AIRPLANES WERE DESIGNED TO COPY MANY OF THE FEATURES BIRDS HAVE THAT MAKE THEM GREAT AT FLYING.

O:  IN ORDER FOR BIRDS TO FLY, THEY HAVE TO OVERCOME A FEW FORCES WORKING AGAINST THEM.  THERE ARE TWO FORCES WORKING TO PUSH A BIRD DOWN, AND THOSE FORCES ARE IT’S WEIGHT AND GRAVITY.  

D:  THERE IS ALSO A FORCE PUSHING BACK AGAINST A BIRD AS IT FLIES THROUGH THE SKY, AND THAT FORCE IS CALLED DRAG.  IF YOU’VE EVER RUN REALLY FAST AND FELT AIR PUSH BACK AT YOUR BODY AS YOU’RE RUNNING, YOU KNOW WHAT DRAG IS ALL ABOUT.  WITHOUT THAT AIR PUSHING BACK AT YOU, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO RUN FASTER.

O:  IN ORDER TO OVERCOME IT’S WEIGHT, GRAVITY, AND DRAG, BIRDS USE OTHER FORCES TO ALLOW THEM TO FLY.  ONE OF THOSE FORCES IS CALLED LIFT.  THEY CREATE LIFT BY FLAPPING THEIR WINGS.  AS BIRDS FLAP THEIR WINGS, THE AIR MOVES FASTER OVER THE WING THAN UNDER THE WING.  THE FASTER MOVING AIR OVER THE WING RESULTS IN LOWER PRESSURE OVER THE WING, AND HIGHER PRESSURE UNDER THE WING.  

D:  THAT’S RIGHT, AND AIR ALWAYS MOVES FROM AREAS OF HIGH PRESSURE TO AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE, SO IN THIS CASE, AIR MOVES FROM BELOW THE BIRD TO ABOVE THE BIRD.  BY DOING THIS, LIFT CONTINUES TO PUSH THE BIRD FURTHER UP.  

O:  ANOTHER FORCE THAT HELPS BIRDS FLY IS THE FORCE OF THRUST.  WHEN BIRDS TAKE FLIGHT, THEY USE THEIR LEGS TO PUSH THEM OFF FROM THEIR STARTING POINT.  THAT GIVES THEM A NICE LITTLE BOOST AS THEY START TO FLY.  LIKE AIRPLANES, BIRDS USE THRUST AND LIFT TO OVERCOME THE FORCES OF THEIR WEIGHT, GRAVITY, AND DRAG, ALLOWING THEM TO FLY QUICKLY OVER LONG DISTANCES.  

D:  BIRDS ARE ALSO CAPABLE OF GLIDING WITHOUT USING UP SO MUCH ENERGY.  BY JUST HOLDING THEIR WINGS OUT, THE AIR FLOWING AROUND THEM DOES THE HARD WORK, ALLOWING THEM TO GLIDE THROUGH THE AIR.  

O:  THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIRDS THAT DON’T FLY.  OUT OF THE APPROXIMATELY 10,000 BIRD SPECIES THAT EXIST, ABOUT 60 OF THEM DON’T FLY.  THE LIST OF BIRDS THAT DON’T FLY INCLUDE CASSOWARYS, EMUS, KIWIS, OSTRICHES, AND PENGUINS.  BIRDS THAT CAN’T FLY USUALLY HAVE OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.  EMUS AND OSTRICHES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE FAST RUNNERS.  CASSOWARYS, EMUS, AND OSTRICHES HAVE VERY STRONG KICKS THAT THEY CAN USE AGAINST ENEMIES.  THOSE BIRDS CAN HURT A HUMAN REALLY BAD WITH A SINGLE KICK.  AS WE LEARNED JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO, PENGUINS ARE EXCELLENT SWIMMERS, WHICH HELPS THEM STAY SAFE FROM ENEMIES.  

D:  NOW THAT WE KNOW HOW BIRDS FLY, I THINK IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING BIRDS AROUND.  

O:  THE SMALLEST BIRD IN THE WORLD IS THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD.  THEY MEASURE ONLY TWO AND A QUARTER INCHES LONG AND THEY ONLY WEIGH ABOUT ONE AND A HALF GRAMS.  THEY ARE SO SMALL THAT THEY ARE SOMETIMES MISTAKEN FOR INSECTS WHEN THEY FLY.  NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE BEE HUMMINGBIRD ALSO MAKES THE SMALLEST NESTS OF ANY BIRD, AND THEY LAY THE SMALLEST EGGS TOO.  BELIEVE IT ORN NOT, THE WEIGHT OF A BEE HUMMINGBIRD’S EGG IS HALF THE WEIGHT OF A REGULAR SIZED PAPER CLIP.  THAT’S AMAZING!

D:  AN OSTRICH, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS THE BIGGEST BIRD IN THE WORLD.  OSTRICHES CAN GROW TO MORE THAN 10 FEET TALL AND WEIGH OVER 340 POUNDS.  WHAT MAKES THEM EVEN MORE INTERESTING IS THAT, DESPITE THEIR MASSIVE SIZE, THEY ARE ABLE TO RUN FASTER THAN ANY BIRD TOO.  THEY CAN EASILY RUN AT 45 MILES PER HOUR AND SPRINT UP TO 60 MILES PER HOUR, MAKING THEM A WHOLE LOT FASTER THAN ANY HUMAN.  OSTRICHES ALSO HAVE THE LARGEST EGGS OF ANY BIRD, AS THEIR EGGS CAN WEIGH MORE THAN 3 POUNDS EACH.  THEIR HUMONGOUS SIZE IS ONE REASON WHY OSTRICHES CAN’T FLY.

O:  THE BIGGEST BIRD THAT CAN FLY IS CALLED THE KORI BUSTARD.  THE KORI BUSTARD CAN REACH MORE THAN 40 POUNDS.  EVEN THOUGH THE KORI BUSTARD CAN FLY, IT CAN ONLY FLY FOR SHORT DISTANCES DUE TO IT’S SIZE.

D:  THE FASTEST BIRD, WHICH IS ALSO THE FASTEST ANIMAL ON EARTH, IS THE PEREGRINE FALCON.  WHEN IT DIVES DOWN, IT CAN REACH SPEEDS OF OVER 200 MILES PER HOUR.  

O:  THE BIGGEST WINGSPAN OF ANY BIRD GOES TO THE WANDERING ALBATROSS.  IT’S WINGSPAN IS ABOUT 12 FEET.  THE WANDERING ALBATROSS IS A LARGE BIRD, AND IT USES IT’S LONG AND NARROW WINGS TO STAY IN THE AIR.  IN ORDER TO FLY, THE WANDERING ALBATROSS NEEDS TO TAKE A RUNNING START.  

D:  THE LOUDEST BIRD IS THE THREE-WATTLED BELLBIRD.  WHEN IT MAKES IT’S CALL, WHICH SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND “BOCK”, THE CALL CAN BE HEARD FROM AS FAR AS A MILE AWAY.    

O:  THE BIRD WITH THE BIGGEST APPETITE IS THE CUBAN TODY.  IT’S A SMALL BIRD, BUT IT HAS THE FASTEST FEEDING RATE OF ALL BIRDS, MEANING THAT IT NEEDS TO EAT A LOT.  THE CUBAN TODY EATS ABOUT 1500 ITEMS A DAY, MOST OF THEM INSECTS.  

D:  NOW THAT WE LEARNED A WHOLE LOT ABOUT BIRDS, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS IS A LIE?  ALL FEMALE BIRDS LAY EGGS, ALL BIRDS HAVE FEATHERS, OR ALL BIRDS HAVE TEETH?

O:  ALL BIRDS HAVE TEETH IS A LIE.  IN REALITY, NO BIRDS HAVE TEETH.  THEY SWALLOW THEIR FOOD WHOLE AND THEY HAVE AN ORGAN INSIDE THEIR BODIES CALLED A GIZZARD THAT HELPS GRIND UP THE FOOD THEY SWALLOW WHOLE.  IT IS TRUE THAT ALL FEMALE BIRDS LAY EGGS.  ALSO, ALL BIRDS DO HAVE FEATHERS.  THEY ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HELP BIRDS FLY, AND THEY ALSO HELP KEEP BIRDS WARM DURING WINTER.  

D:  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  255 - BIRDS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB SENAM, BENNETT, WESLEY, THEO, ZADE, AND AARON FOR THE EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION THAT REMINDS US THAT BIRD IS THE WORD.  BEFORE WE WRAP THINGS UP FOR THE WEEK, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING PEOPLE TO THANK.

O:  WE WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, LILIENNE S., MOLLY AND MAEVE M. AND FINN C.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO LILIENNE, MOLLY, MAEVE, AND FINN FOR THE SUPPORT.  

O:  AND WE WANT TO THANK USERNAME KJSMILES28 FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “A CURIOUSLY GOOD PODCAST.  WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH A GREAT SHOW!  WE’VE ALREADY LEARNED SO MUCH AND CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE!  CHARLIE, AGE 6, AND FRANKIE, AGE 4, FROM SALEM OREGON.”

O:  YOU’RE SO WELCOME, CHARLIE AND FRANKIE.  WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO THE PODCAST.

D:  JOIN US NEXT WEEK WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT POLLUTION FOR LISTENERS IN FLORIDA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.