Lecture will discuss how climate affects birds

Birds have incredible adaptations for coping with environmental challenges such as wildfire and storms, but these strategies have evolved alongside historical climate patterns. Rapid shifts in climate can alter the consequences for birds that use different coping strategies. In this era of rapid climate change, many birds are exposed to more extreme conditions, and resilience will be key to maintaining populations and biodiversity.

What are the strategies that birds use to deal with stressors? How do things like ice storms and thick plumes of wildfire smoke impact birds? The news surrounding climate change can bring a sense of doom to those of us who love and appreciate the diverse world we live in, but we have discovered some incredible strategies that they use to survive when the going gets tough.

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Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius will talk about birds and climate in a Sisters Science Club talk on January 28.

In a talk titled "Amazing Adaptations: Can Birds Reduce the Stress of Climate Change?" on Tuesday, January 28, Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius will discuss the unique challenges facing birds of Central Oregon and describe how some birds listen to their neighbors, digest their intestines, and create more heat to help survive challenging conditions.

Dr. Cornelius is an Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University and is head of the Little Bird Lab. She is a 2023 National Geographic Society Explorer, a National Science Foundation CAREER fellow, and recently completed a residency at The Roundhouse Foundation's PMR investigating the role of art in scientific creative-thinking.

She is also a singer-songwriter and will share a few songs about her life as a field biologist during her presentation.

This event is part of the Frontiers in Science lecture series sponsored by the Sisters Science Club. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. with light fare, beer and wine available for purchase. Admission is $5 at the door; teachers and students are admitted free. The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave. in Sisters. For more information, email [email protected].