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The Stories, Science, and History of Birds

with Smithsonian Biologist Jay Falk

2025-08-05 14:00:00 2025-08-05 15:00:00 America/New_York The Stories, Science, and History of Birds Delve into the fascinating world of birds through astonishing photography and clear explanations in this absorbing global guide, The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds. Virtual - Virtual

Tuesday, August 05
2:00pm - 3:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-08-05 14:00:00 2025-08-05 15:00:00 America/New_York The Stories, Science, and History of Birds Delve into the fascinating world of birds through astonishing photography and clear explanations in this absorbing global guide, The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds. Virtual - Virtual

Virtual

Virtual

Delve into the fascinating world of birds through astonishing photography and clear explanations in this absorbing global guide, The Bird Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Birds.

Birds are dinosaurs with a history going back millions of years. Our fascination with them runs deep in history, and our close association is reflected in creation stories, myths, legends, songs, and children's stories.

This book and presentation explore:

  • Both the natural history of birds and that deep cultural connection. From their evolution and anatomy to their behavior and diversity.
  • Hawks, finches, swans, or birds of paradise, moving the focus away from a predictable species-by-species account and allowing for truly global coverage.
  • The bold nature of European Robins and why they are associated with Christmas; the mythical Phoenix, which rises from the ashes; and eagles, from their hunting prowess to their myriads of stories and symbolism.

Packed with information, beautiful photography, and illustrations, The Bird Book is a must-have for nature enthusiasts. Register today to learn more about your very own backyard friends!

About the Presenter: Dr. Jay Jinsing Falk is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Colorado. He is an evolutionary biologist and behavioral ecologist fascinated by the diversity that can be found within species, especially in sexual traits. During his PhD, he began studying White-necked Jacobin hummingbirds as a STRI Short-Term Fellow, and later as a Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellow. His findings, that some females of this species look like males while others do not, has become the cornerstone of his research program. He is inspired by the dizzying array of feather coloration that can be found in hummingbirds. After completing his PhD at Cornell University, he moved to the University of Washington to study hummingbird movement and metabolism. Now at the University of Colorado, he is investigating the genetics and development of feather coloration. Jay currently lives in Gamboa, Panamá, where he studies the hummingbirds that visit the feeders at his house on the edge of the forest.

*Note: While the book will be discussed, please be aware the presenter may explore other topics in the related fields suiting their additional expertise. Presenters can be expected to be experts in the field; however, for the Smithsonian and Library Speakers Consortium Collaboration they may not always be the author of the book being highlighted.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of Duncan Library and the Friends of Beatley Central Library.

Register for upcoming book talks and stream previously broadcast book talks here.

AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Summer Quest | Special Event | Author Talks |

TAGS: | |

Virtual


Hours
Mon, Jun 23 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Jun 24 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Jun 25 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Jun 26 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Jun 27 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Jun 28 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Jun 29 9:00AM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Upcoming Events

Sat, Jun 28, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Sun, Jun 29, All day
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Mon, Jun 30, All day
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Mon, Jun 30, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
Virtual
Brush up on your digital and media literacy skills to protect yourself with the Be MediaWise Misinformation Resilience Toolkit. Register

Tue, Jul 01, All day
Here, kitty kitty! Is your cat the next library cat?

Wed, Jul 02, All day
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Thu, Jul 03, All day
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Thu, Jul 03, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Zoom
If you love reading short stories, join us for a discussion of the following stories: "How to roll" by Courtney Jones Mitchell and "Kelemo's Woman" by Molara Wood.Register

Fri, Jul 04, All day
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Sat, Jul 05, All day
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Sun, Jul 06, All day
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Mon, Jul 07, All day
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Mon, Jul 07, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
Virtual
Brush up on your digital and media literacy skills to protect yourself with the Be MediaWise Misinformation Resilience Toolkit. Register

Mon, Jul 07, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Zoom
Please join us for a discussion of Sherman Alexie's 2007 young adult novel.

Tue, Jul 08, 2:00pm - 2:30pm
Virtual
Acompaña al autor e ilustrador Raúl the Third mientras nos habla de su libro ¡Vamos! ¡A leer! Conoce a Lobito y sus amigos mientras exploran el Festival del Libro Love de su biblioteca. Register

Tue, Jul 08, 4:00pm - 4:30pm
Virtual
Join author and illustrator Raúl The Third as he discusses his book ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read!. Meet Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library's Libro Love Book Festival! Register

Tue, Jul 08, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attention all handcrafters! Join us to share what you are working on, see what others are creating, and just chat while we craft together!Register