129: Top Science Stories of 2025 + Shannon’s Cochlear Implant Journey & the Future of Bird Research 🎙️🐦

What happens when a bird lays its eggs in another bird’s nest and tricks unsuspecting parents into raising its young? Welcome to the fascinating—and sometimes downright creepy—world of the Great Spotted Cuckoo! In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're exploring one of nature's most unusual reproductive strategies: brood parasitism. Inspired by the 2024 horror movie Cuckoo, directed by Tilman Singer, RJ and Amanda bring their questions to Field Museum ornithologists Dr. John ...

The California Condor is one of the rarest birds in North America, and its remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction is one of the greatest wildlife conservation stories ever told. In this episode of Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're revisiting our fascinating conversation with zoologist Christian Flores about the California Condor, the largest land bird in North America. With a wingspan approaching 10 feet, these incredible birds once soared across vast stretches of the continen...

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we’re exploring the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)—a striking black-and-white shorebird with a bright orange-red bill found across Europe, including the coasts of Northern Ireland. There’s a family connection behind this week’s bird choice: John and Shannon’s son recently moved to Northern Ireland, so Shannon wanted to feature a bird he might actually encounter there. The Eurasian Oystercatcher turned out to be the perfect choice....

For the first time ever, Birds of a Feather Talk Together is recording in front of a live audience! We had an incredible time at the Chicago Urban Birding Festival, a celebration of birds, birding, conservation, and the amazing wildlife that can be found right here in the city. Dr. John Bates and Dr. Shannon Hackett of the Field Museum join RJ and Amanda for a special live episode filled with bird stories, science, laughs, and questions from the audience. One of our favorite things about Bird...

This week on Birds of a Feather Talk Together, we're diving into the fascinating world of the Swallow-tailed Kite, a striking black-and-white raptor famous for its incredibly long, deeply forked tail and seemingly effortless flight. But the Swallow-tailed Kite doesn't just LOOK impressive in the air—it has evolved to do an astonishing amount of its daily life without landing. These birds can catch and eat prey while flying, drink on the wing, and even collect nesting material from trees witho...