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Original poster

Feminist birds

37 replies

NoBinturongsHereMate · 23/08/2025 10:32

Or feminist bird watchers, anyway.

Ornithologists and behavioural scientists focus on male birds - which often have brighter plumage and are easier to identify. They've assumed female birds do nothing interesting, and don't even sing.

This group is proving them wrong.

https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lwvvbf?

BBC Audio | The Documentary Podcast | Birding the gender gap

An exploration of how the study of female birds is reshaping our understanding of nature

https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lwvvbf

OP posts:
VoulezVouz · 24/08/2025 02:50

NoBinturongsHereMate · 23/08/2025 10:32

Or feminist bird watchers, anyway.

Ornithologists and behavioural scientists focus on male birds - which often have brighter plumage and are easier to identify. They've assumed female birds do nothing interesting, and don't even sing.

This group is proving them wrong.

https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lwvvbf?

It’s interesting, though, as the reason male birds have bright plumage and often put on elaborate mating displays is to attract females. The brighter the plumage, the better the chance they have of mating. It is around the female of the species that behaviours are centred.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/08/2025 18:33

napody · 23/08/2025 13:09

Will listen, and assume the programme makers didn't write the bbc blurb which waffles on about birding needing to be 'more inclusive of species of all genders'.... all genders of BIRD?!!

Edited

Oh dear. That sounds like the idiocy which featured recently by someone confused between species and sex, was it India Willoughby? 😂

SinnerBoy · 23/08/2025 18:19

I've not come across the lily trotter before, it's magnificent!

Original poster
NoBinturongsHereMate · 23/08/2025 18:14

Male ostriches are lone parents, too.

OP posts:
lcakethereforeIam · 23/08/2025 18:05

Yeah that BBC blurb

expanding science to be more inclusive of species of all genders

I need some cucumber slices.

Ladies and Sinner, the lily trotter

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacanidae

Not the only one, I think phalaropes too, but first I thought of.

Jacanidae - Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacanidae

SinnerBoy · 23/08/2025 13:23

Haven't they realised that too whit to woo is a call and response between a male and a female owl? Or that among raptors, many females are bigger than the males? That male penguins incubate the eggs, whilst the females go hunting?

Etc etc etc.

pontefractals · 23/08/2025 13:20

MelOfTheRoses · 23/08/2025 13:09

There was an excellent article written by a birder who only put a bird on his list when he had seen an adult male.

One day on holiday he saw a rare female bird and would never get to see the male of the species, therefore it was not eligible to go on his list.

Then he realised he was being sexist.

I can't find it - I was originally pointed in its direction by the wonderful vole lady who used to be on Twitter.

I mean, good on him for noticing at all, but this story does point up that a lot of perfectly nice men don't see sexism until it negatively affects them (or a woman or girl close to them) personally. Tbf, a lot of women don't, either, it just tends to dawn on us sooner cos, well...

MelOfTheRoses · 23/08/2025 13:09

There was an excellent article written by a birder who only put a bird on his list when he had seen an adult male.

One day on holiday he saw a rare female bird and would never get to see the male of the species, therefore it was not eligible to go on his list.

Then he realised he was being sexist.

I can't find it - I was originally pointed in its direction by the wonderful vole lady who used to be on Twitter.

napody · 23/08/2025 13:09

Will listen, and assume the programme makers didn't write the bbc blurb which waffles on about birding needing to be 'more inclusive of species of all genders'.... all genders of BIRD?!!

ArabellaScott · 23/08/2025 13:06

Sounds great, thank you!

DuesToTheDirt · 23/08/2025 12:45

Even the female birds get overlooked in favour of the males! It's a nice story though.

Imnobody4 · 23/08/2025 10:36

Thanks, I'll be sure to listen.