Pssst. Hey, smartypants!
Trusty narrator here with a quick guessing game.
I'm going to play some sounds, see if you can guess what they are!
TEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!
Did you say, birds?
Nice. Specifically, a hawk, a falcon, and an eagle.
Right now, I'm standing outside a research observatory that specializes in studying raptors.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
No, not the Velociraptor from Jurassic Park.
I'm talking raptors.
And in case you're not sure what a raptor is, a raptor is another name for a bird of prey.
Ahhh. Birds of prey are different than most other birds in that they hunt and feed on other animals such as fish.
rabbits, rodents, lizards, and, believe it or not, other birds!
Whoa! The observatory I'm at is one of dozens scattered around the US, Canada, and Central America, specializing in gathering important information about raptors.
Like any good observatory, it's located near the top of a mountain, where many of these types of birds make their nests and hunt for food.
So, what birds are considered raptors?
Where do they live?
How good is their eyesight?
And is one of them really faster than a race car?
It's time for another whiff of science on...
Who's smarted? Who's smarted?
Who's smart? Is it you?
Is it me? Is it science?
Or history? Listen up!
Everyone, we make smarting lots of fun on who's smarted!
Pssst, hey smarty parents.
I know a lot of you love listening to Who's Smarted with your kids, but I also know sometimes you need a show that's, you know, a little more for the grown -ups.
Well, if you love movies, have I got your next binge -worthy podcast?
It's called The Oscars.
What were they thinking?
And it's all about looking at the Academy Awards of the past to see what they got right, what they got wrong, the snubs, the flubs, and the oversights.
Best of all, it's hosted by the hilarious Bruce Valanche, the legendary comedy writer who wrote for the Oscars for over 25 years and has tons of behind -the -scenes stories of the world's biggest stars on Hollywood's biggest night.
Joining Bruce is screenwriter, producer, and co -creator of Who's Smarted, none other than Adam Tex Davis.
Together, Bruce and Tex use humor and decades of insight to look back at the Oscars year by year, award by award, to explain the Academy's biggest controversies, scandals, and mishaps while using the test of time to rewrite the movie mistakes of the past.
If you've ever watched the Academy Awards and thought, how could that movie win?
Or why wasn't my favorite movie nominated?
You are not alone. And if you've wondered, the Oscars, what were they thinking?
Then you're going to love this show.
The Oscars, what were they thinking?
Premieres November 11th on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Subscribe today to catch all the Oscar fun.
I spent the entire theme song climbing up a pretty steep hill.
I think this is probably high enough to spot some cool birds of prey.
Hey, trust your narrator.
Why are you stopping halfway up the mountain?
Come on up to the top.
I was just, uh, tying my shoe.
Coming! Smarty Pants, that voice you heard was my friend Lena.
She's an ornithologist who is currently conducting research here.
And in case you're not sure what an ornithologist is, that's someone who studies everything there is to know about birds.
Be right there, Lena.
Ah, ah, made it. Hey, Lena.
Hey, Trusty. Welcome to the nest.
Just take in that fresh, natural air.
Ah, so fresh. So crisp.
Ah, ah, so exhausting.
Give me a second to catch my breath.
Sure thing. Right now we're about 100 feet or 30 meters high.
It's the equivalent of climbing up 10 flights of stairs.
Just 10? Wow, there is nature all around us.
This sure is a beautiful spot to do research.
Yep. But it's not just the beauty I'm here for.
If you want to study the habits of raptors, you need to go where they are, which is typically high above everything else.
Ah, that makes total sense.
Speaking of raptors, besides pursuing other animals for food, what else distinguishes birds of prey from the birds we typically see flying around our homes?
You know, like sparrows, lujays, or the occasional crow?
Great question. For starters, all birds of prey have the same beak design.
Ah, yes. Smarty pants.
Any idea what shape a raptor's beak is?
Is it pointy, hook -shaped, or spear -shaped?
If you said all raptors have a hook -shaped beak, you're right.
Yep. Their super -sharp, hook -shaped beak allows them to bite, tear, snatch, or slaughter their prey after they've captured it.
Interesting. And a little gross.
But, hey, raptors gotta eat too, I guess.
Another common characteristic of these birds are...
What, smarty pants?
Here's a hint. Think of their feet.
Do they have little birdy feet?
Or sharp talons? Yep, that's right.
Raptors have talons.
But what exactly are talons?
Talons are incredibly strong, sharp claws, which, depending on the species, are either large or small.
Gotcha. So, how many different species of birds from around the world are considered raptors or birds of prey?
What do you think, smarty pants?
Is it A, 100, B, 300, or C, 700?
If you said C, 700, you're right.
Wow. 700 species of raptors?
Yes, and maybe. 500 species of raptors are known as diurnal, or daytime hunters.
This includes fast -flying birds like eagles, vultures, falcons, and of course, hawks.
And then there are 200 species of owls.
Owls are definitely birds of prey because they feast on other small animals.
However, there's some debate over whether they're actually raptors because they are nocturnal, meaning they hunt at night.
Interesting. I bet some of the smarty pants right now are wondering, where does the word raptor come from?
I know I am. The word raptor is derived from the Latin word raptare, which means to seize and carry off.
Can't get much more descriptive than that.
Exactly. And because of that definition, many bird people do consider owls to be raptors because owls seize and carry off their prey.
Gotcha. And where do birds of prey generally live?
Most make their nests way up high on mountain cliffs, tall trees, even the window ledges of skyscrapers.
Raptors are quite adaptable to their surrounding environment and typically build nests within a mile of where they hunt for their prey.
Gotcha. But wait a second.
Rabbits are fast, mice are tiny and fast, and fish are in the water.
How can a bird that's flying up in the air be able to catch one of them, even with a sharp hooked beak and powerful talons?
Well, the only way to catch something fast is to be even faster, and birds of prey are among the fastest animals on Earth.
Oh yeah? Oh yeah. Come on, hop into my jeep and I'll take you to a little demonstration we've got set up.
Sure thing. If for no other reason than I don't feel like walking back down this mountain.
Hang on. It can get a little bumpy.
Um, don't you think you're going a little fast?
You think this is fast?
Wait until you see Perry the peregrine falcon.
Perry? The peregrine falcon?
Yep. He's one of two falcons who have taken up residency on the mountain.
His other half is guarding their chicks who were born last week.
Perry is in charge of supplying food.
In fact, there he is circling overhead.
You think he sees us?
Oh, he definitely sees us.
In fact, birds of prey are known for their eyesight.
You've no doubt heard the term eagle -eyed.
Sure. What about you, smarty pants?
Well, eagles can see up to five times further than a human can.
They can see something the size of a rabbit up to three miles away.
Wow. That's amazing.
But that's not even the best.
Can you guess which bird of prey not only has the best eyesight for a raptor, but actually has the best eyesight in the entire animal world?
Ooh. What do you think, smarty pants?
Is it A, the condor?
B, the vulture? Or C, the hawk?
If you said C, the hawk, you're right.
Not only can hawks see up to 20 miles away, the visual acuity or ability to see something clearly is eight times that of humans.
And hawks also see in color.
Whoa! What's that noise?
That's just Perry swooping in to catch his prey.
Wow. He sounded like a dive bomber from World War II.
Yep. Peregrines are considered one of, if not the world's fastest animal.
When power diving from lofty heights, they can reach speeds of up to...
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's give the smarty pants a chance to guess just how fast a peregrine falcon can fly right after this quick break.
You know that feeling when you're traveling and you wish you could just jump into a conversation with locals?
That's why I fell in love with Babel.
When I first started using it, I was amazed at how quickly I could actually start speaking useful phrases when I went to Germany.
Not just textbook vocabulary, but real -world conversations that matter.
Babel's ten -minute lessons, designed by over 200 language experts, fit perfectly into my busy life as a trusty narrator.
And their speech recognition technology helps me nail the pronunciation almost every time.
The best part? One study found that just 15 hours with Babel equals a full semester of college language learning.
That's incredible. And with 16 million subscriptions sold, it's clear I'm not the only one seeing results.
Now I'm thinking about going away in January somewhere warm, and I know that's more than enough time to pick up all the language I'll need for wherever I go, with just a few minutes a day on Babel.
So here's a special holiday deal just for our listeners.
Right now get up to 60 % off your Babel subscription only for our listeners at Babel .com slash smarted.
Get up to 60 % off at Babel .com slash smarted.
It's spelled B -A -B -B -E -L dot com slash smarted.
Rules and restrictions may apply.
This podcast is sponsored by Squarespace.
You know what me and the smarty team love most about having our Who Smarted website?
It's like having a digital home that's uniquely ours.
And with Squarespace's new design intelligence feature, creating that perfect space is easier than ever.
It combines decades of design expertise with cutting -edge AI to help anyone, even you, build a stunning website that truly reflects their vision.
Squarespace also makes it super easy to upload videos, organize your video library, and display your videos on easy to design beautiful pages.
And if you're selling subscriptions or courses, Squarespace has you covered too.
From one -time payments to recurring memberships and even an online course creator, Squarespace is one -stop shopping for everything you need to sell information online.
The best part? Everything just works seamlessly, from the beautiful design templates to the integrated payment systems.
It all feels effortless.
Head to squarespace .com for a free trial.
And when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace .com slash smarted to save 10 % off your first purchase of a website or domain.
That's squarespace .com slash smarted.
Now back to Who Smarted.
Before we learn just how fast a peregrine falcon can fly, I'm curious how big some of these birds can get.
After all, you can't be a small bird if you're going to fly off with a 5 -pound rabbit.
Excellent observation, trusty narrator.
Well, we are in the observation area.
I know, I know. But seriously, which bird of prey is the biggest?
Is it the eagle? The hawk?
Or the falcon? Well, it's definitely not the falcon.
Like I said, they're built for super speed, so they're on the smaller side, weighing around 2 -3 .5 pounds and a wingspan of about 3 .5 feet.
Hawks weigh around the same, but are a bit taller and bigger with a wingspan between 4 and almost 5 feet.
But the biggest raptors out there are the eagles.
The American bald eagle, the golden eagle, and the harpy eagle are the three biggest raptors in the world, with wingspans around 7 feet and weighing as much as 20 pounds.
Wow, talk about a big bird.
Yep, all these birds are amazing hunters, able to spot prey from high distances, swoop down undetected, and snatch them up.
But for pure speed, nothing can touch the peregrine.
Ah, yes. So, how fast does a peregrine falcon fly?
What do you think, smarty pants?
Is it A, 50 miles per hour, B, 100 miles per hour, or C, over 200 miles per hour?
What do you say, Lena?
Well, I could tell you, or we could have a quick race to find out.
A race? What was that?
That wasn't a peregrine falcon, was it?
Nope. That was a NASCAR race car.
We're about to have a race between Perry the peregrine falcon and one of the fastest NASCAR drivers in the country.
Ah, that's a pretty cool idea.
Of course it would be impossible to get a bird and a race car to actually race each other.
So what we're going to do is this.
We're going to have our NASCAR driver drive around a quarter mile track as fast as they can.
Then we're going to record Perry the peregrine falcon flying a quarter mile in the air, and we'll be able to divide the distance by the time, and figure out who was able to cover that distance faster.
Wow, I love it. Alrighty, we just pulled up to the racetrack.
And as always, we have a good friend on hand to help us out with the play -by -play.
Hello, this is Chet Niggerson reporting live from a racetrack in the middle of nowhere, in which we'll see a professional NASCAR driver pitted against a bird?
That's right! It's Racer vs.
Raptor to see who truly has the need for speed.
And with a wave of the green flag, our driver is off and running.
Reaching a max speed of 175 miles per hour, our driver finished the quarter mile course in just over seven seconds.
Now it's the falcons turn.
Whoa, look at him go!
Caulking in with a top speed between 200 and 240 miles per hour while diving, our falcon covered the same amount of distance in under four seconds.
Which means the falcon is the winner!
Talk about time flying fast!
Wow, way to go Perry!
Yep, paragon falcons are not only the world's fastest bird, but the world's fastest animal.
Very cool. Well, thanks for your time Lena.
You got it trusty. Come back and visit us anytime.
I will, except next time I'm going to drive.
All that steep mountain climbing is for the birds.
A super sciency shout out to Jack in Monticello, Arkansas.
Thanks for smarting along to Who Smarted every day on the way to school.
This episode, Birds of Prey, was written by Dave Raptor Davis, and voiced by Charlotte the Condor Cone, Adam Hawkes Davis, and Jerry Colber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Horned Owl Hahn.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max the Eagle Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian the Buzzard Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
Who Smarted
