Hello and welcome.

This is the Science of Birds.

I am your host, Ivan Philipson.

The Science of Birds podcast is a lighthearted exploration of bird biology for lifelong learners.

In case you hadn't noticed, it's Random Bird Thursday.

Random Bird Thursday episodes are relatively short and sweet.

In each, I spotlight a bird species that probably won't get featured in a full-length episode.

With over 11,000 bird species in the world, random bird Thursday gives us a chance to celebrate one that we might otherwise overlook.

Now, Random Bird Thursday is truly random. We don't know what species we're going to get unless we push the Random Bird

Selector button. So let's do that right now.

Okay, the random bird generator gave us the white-throated tree runner.

Pygarekus albogularis.

Pigericus albogularis.

Now, I'm not sure of the best pronunciation of that scientific name. I'm going to go with

pygaricus for the genus, but I think it'd be okay to pronounce it pigerichus or pigericus. Take your pick.

In any case, it's the white-throated tree runner. This is a bird from the new world from South America, and let's go ahead and get into it.

The white-throated tree runner is a medium-sized songbird.

It's about six inches long from beak to tail, which is 15 to 16 centimeters.

And if you're looking at its body shape, it is reminiscent of a nut hatch, if you're

familiar with nut hatches.

It's not a nut hatch, but it kind of looks like one. It has short, broad wings

that are adapted for high maneuverability in the dense forests where it lives. The tail is

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