In this episode, Bill and Steve dive into a tiny, bustling world - a world that’s hiding on the feathers of the birds we see every day. Joined by Dr. Alix Matthews, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo, she reveals the strange lives of feather mites — how these barely-visible hitchhikers feed and get around, and whether or not they’re helping or hurting their avian hosts. It’s an episode that proves there’s a whole world hiding on every wing.
This episode was recorded on September 4, 2025 at Walton Woods in Amherst, NY.
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In this episode, Bill and Steve dive into a tiny, bustling world - a world that’s hiding on the feathers of the birds we see every day. Joined by Dr. Alix Matthews, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo, she reveals the strange lives of feather mites — how these barely-visible hitchhikers feed and get around, and whether or not they’re helping or hurting their avian hosts. It’s an episode that proves there’s a whole world hiding on every wing.
This episode was recorded on September 4, 2025 at Walton Woods in Amherst, NY.
Ep. 77 - Mite-y Cool: The Amazing, Unseen World of Feather Mites
The Field Guides
1 week ago
Ep. 77 - Mite-y Cool: The Amazing, Unseen World of Feather Mites
In this episode, Bill and Steve dive into a tiny, bustling world - a world that’s hiding on the feathers of the birds we see every day. Joined by Dr. Alix Matthews, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo, she reveals the strange lives of feather mites — how these barely-visible hitchhikers feed and get around, and whether or not they’re helping or hurting their avian hosts. It’s an episode that proves there’s a whole world hiding on every wing.
This episode was recorded on September 4, 2025 at Walton Woods in Amherst, NY.
The Field Guides
In this episode, Bill and Steve dive into a tiny, bustling world - a world that’s hiding on the feathers of the birds we see every day. Joined by Dr. Alix Matthews, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo, she reveals the strange lives of feather mites — how these barely-visible hitchhikers feed and get around, and whether or not they’re helping or hurting their avian hosts. It’s an episode that proves there’s a whole world hiding on every wing.
This episode was recorded on September 4, 2025 at Walton Woods in Amherst, NY.
