Dr. Julia Zichello - The Evolution of Starlings in North America: from New York City and beyond
European Starlings are medium-sized passerine birds that were introduced to New York City from England in 1890. Since then, they have rapidly expanded to cover almost all of North America. Starlings are highly adaptable, curious birds with an extensive vocal repertoire that fly in large picturesque flocks called murmurations. In this talk, Julia Zichello will discuss their invasion and evolution over the last 130 years - and their day-to-day lives in New York City today.
Jacob Edwards - Landscapes of learning: what birds hear and what they sing
For songbirds, singing is a complex skill that requires time, practice, and a keen ear. But with so many diverse songs out in nature, how do you ensure you learn the right one? We’ll discuss prior and ongoing work from the lab linking the sense of hearing in the brain to early-life experience and song production in adulthood, and we’ll ponder the forces that set boundaries on what is possible to learn at all.