(First broadcast May 2022)

We speak a lot about birds on Mooney Goes Wild, and I think it's fair to say that they are one of Ireland's most popular animal groups.

We all know what a bird is, right?

But do we really? What actually makes a bird a bird? What sets them apart from other members of the animal kingdom? What special adaptations do they have that other animals lack? What is the secret to their success?

For this very special edition of Mooney Goes Wild, we thought we might delve a little more deeply into all things avian. Our esteemed panellists – Richard Collins, Éanna Ní Lamhna, Terry Flanagan, Eric Dempsey and Niall Hatch – will shine the spotlight on the defining features of our feathered friends.

It is now well-established that the 10,000 or so different species of bird with which we share our planet today are descended from dinosaurs. In fact, from a biological point of view, they actually ARE dinosaurs. That's right! Strange as it may seem, not all dinosaurs went extinct: many of them make their homes in our gardens, parks and woodlands . . . along our rivers, streams and lakeshores . . . across our bogs, fields and wetlands . . . and on our beaches, islands and cliff-faces. They are present in a wider range of habitats than any other creatures, which illustrates just how successful a group they are.