Barbara Ballentine, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Western Carolina University, will speak on “Bird Talk: An Exploration of Avian Communication.” The beauty of birdsong is one of the joys of nature, and this talk will explore how songs are learnt and performed, why the quality of a male’s repertoire can affect his mating success, and how birds use song-matching and countersinging in territorial disputes. Birds communicate through visual signals too, such as bright-colored feathers and aggressive wing-waving. Understanding how birds produce and use signals to commuicate provides insight into their lives.

The program is offered as part of the “Where We Live: Nature, History and Culture” series. The Cowee Center is located at 51 Cowee School Road.