10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders

The book Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to the sheen of their tail feathers. Consider feathers: They define birds’ wings, enabling flight. They insulate against cold. They repel water. They even control sound. And how feathers work is just one aspect of the wonders of birds explained by MIT engineering professor and lifelong birder Lorna Gibson in Birds Up Close.

Feathers, bones, bills, eggs, flight: all come in for scrutiny in this engaging book. What produces the iridescence of plumage? How does the internal structure of a bird’s bones make them lightweight? How do different birds use their bills and tongues—from woodpeckers penetrating the holes they drill to hummingbirds imbibing nectar, to sandpipers needling the sand, and to phalaropes drawing water droplets containing plankton into their mouths without sucking (no lips!)? What controls the shape of eggs? How do birds fly?

Intrigued? Join us on 10/20 to learn more.

About the Presenter

Lorna Gibson is the Matoula S Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT and a MacVicar Faculty Fellow, MIT’s top award for undergraduate teaching. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. She has always loved nature and getting outside to walk, bicycle and bird.

To Register

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Not a member but want to listen in? Please join us! You will get access to a range of member benefits and support the local birding community.