BIRDS OF A FEATHER
co-sponsored by Smithsonian Resident Associates Program and Smithsonian Ornithology

Sunday, April 25, 2 to 4:30 p.m.
This mini-symposium celebrates a new Smithsonian initiative -- Smithsonian Ornithology.  Come for a rare opportunity to learn about birds and the innovative research being conducted by Smithsonian ornithologists.  . Following an introduction by Russ Greenberg, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, four Smithsonian scientists give brief talks about the varied research they are conducting on birds around the world.
Carla Dove, a forensic scientist, reveals how she is able to identify birds from just a fragment of a feather-a skill that proves useful in various investigations, from identifying the causes of jet crashes to prosecuting criminal acts.

Rob Fleischer tells how he uses modern methods of DNA analysis to study relationships among birds on the family and species levels. DNA can reveal the secret lives of birds and help to better conserve them.

Helen James, an avian paleo-ecologist, explain how she uses clues from fossils to reconstruct the appearance extinct species and to determine what they ate, how they lived, and how they evolved.

Peter Marra, an avian ecologist who studies the migration of North American songbirds, explains how old-fashioned fieldwork and modern technologies can help us to better understand migration, and why so many migratory birds are in trouble.

After the symposium, please join the scientists at a wine reception-and a toast to Smithsonian Ornithology!


Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, S.W.

Resident members $25; Senior members $22; general admission $30

Request tickets online [www.residentassociates.org] or call (202) 357- 3030, weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. E.T.


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