Okay, But... Birds

Okay, But Birds… is a weekly science-meets-storytelling podcast hosted by evolutionary biologist Dr. Scott Taylor. Each episode dives into one weird-but-true bird question through smart, funny storytelling and lively interviews with ornithologists, ecologists, artists, and unexpected experts.Follow Okay, But Birds… wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop weekly, and yes, we will talk birdie to you.

Birds “mate for life”… or do they? In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. Carrie Branch, Assistant Professor at Western University, pull back the curtain on avian relationships and sort out what’s romance, what’s strategy, and what’s just really good PR.In this episode, you’ll hear about:The difference between social and genetic monogamy in birdsWhy “monogamous” birds engage in extra-pair copulations (a.k.a. extra-curricular behavior)How males try to avoid cuckoldry with mate-guarding and other tacticsWhether birds “cheat” in secret or right out in the openHow researchers use DNA and multiple-paternity tests to see who really fathered which chicksIf you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who still thinks swans are relationship goals.

Bird populations are vanishing—quietly, and fast. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor and Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Director Emeritus of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, unpack the landmark “3 Billion Birds” study: what it actually showed, how scientists figured it out, and what it means for the birds we thought were common and safe.In this episode, you’ll hear about:What the 2019 “3 Billion Birds” study really revealed, and how researchers combined decades of data to detect the lossesWhich bird groups and regions have been hit hardest and why some familiar species are suddenly in troubleHow policymakers and the public have responded so far, and which conservation actions actually move the needleThe genesis of eBird and how a simple idea became a global tool for tracking birds (and helped make this science possible)If you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks “common” birds will always be here.