SciFri Extra: Bird Nerds Of A Feather Flock Together

Science Friday

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Life Sciences, Wnyc, Science, Friday, Natural Sciences

4.4 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 September 2019

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Science Friday Book Club is done birding—for now. But after wrapping up our summer discussion of Jennifer Ackerman’s The Genius of Birds, bird enthusiasts flocked together at Caveat, a venue in New York City, for one last celebration of bird brains and feathered phenomena. We pitted audience members up against some local bird geniuses in tests of memory, pattern recognition, and problem-solving. Then, we brought on a gaggle of experts to talk about the special and smart birds of New York City, along with some of the threats they face—including bright lights and deceptive glass. And with fall migration underway, we’re talking about many more species than pigeons. Science Friday SciArts producer and book club flock leader Christie Taylor hosted the conversation with NYC Audubon conservation biologist Kaitlyn Parkins, Wild Bird Fund director Rita McMahon, Fordham University evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Carlen, and National Audubon editor and Feminist Bird Club vice president Martha Harbison.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, Ira here, host of Science Friday. We have something special for the bird nerds out there.
0:06.8	After we wrapped our summer book club reading of Jennifer Ackerman's The Genius of Birds,
0:11.5	we got together at caveat, that's an event space here in New York City, for a bird party.
0:18.4	We pitted our audience members up against some bird geniuses in tests of memory,
0:23.2	pattern recognition, and problem solving, and then brought on a gaggle of experts to talk about
0:28.6	the special and smart birds of New York City and some of the threats they face. And yes,
0:34.2	we've got more than pigeons. Science Friday's site arts producer and our book club block leader, Christy Taylor, hosted the conversation.
0:42.3	Take a listen.
0:43.3	We wanted to talk about all kinds of birds and all kinds of smarts and all kinds of things you can appreciate about birds in New York City specifically, since we are, after all here.
0:52.3	So we partnered with some amazing organizations and researchers to do just that so we're gonna have a panel
0:57.7	discussion joining me here tonight our four New Yorkers ready to chirp at the
1:01.7	night Diana chirp the night away about our feathered friends please welcome
1:07.7	to the stage Rita McMahon Caitlin Parkins Martha Harbison, and Elizabeth Carlin.
1:13.6	So welcome everyone, and thank you so much for being here tonight.
1:28.3	I'm going to invite all of our guests to first introduce themselves since we don't know who they are yet and what they do.
1:35.3	And I'm also going to ask you to say something about your favorite bird to see in New York City while you're introducing yourself.
1:43.3	And let's start with Elizabeth.
1:45.0	I'm Elizabeth Carlin. I'm a PhD candidate at Fordham University, and my dissertation is looking
1:51.5	at the ecology and evolution of feral pigeons in the northeast. So I've been traveling from Boston
1:58.0	down to Washington, D.C., and collecting pigeons pigeons taking blood samples in all the major cities.
2:02.6	I'm originally from California and so when I moved to New York City my favorite birds are really cardinals.
2:08.6	They're super easy to spot and they're very charismatic. That Mohawk is very, very exciting to me.
	...

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