Hello Tweeters,

Here is a short video clip from the Burke Museum's Curator of birds, Alejandro Rico-Guevera, sharing some of his research on the behavioral ecophysics of hummingbirds:

https://www.burkemuseum.org/news/how-hummingbirds-feed-fight


Also, a reminder: Alejo will be presenting at the WOS (Washington Ornithological Society) monthly meeting this Monday, May 4, 2020. (on-line only)

"Drinking and Fighting (no alcohol needed!): Behavioral Ecophysics of Hummingbirds"

Alejandro Rico-Guevara, Curator of Ornithology, Burke Museum and the Walt Halperin Endowed Professor in Biology (University of Washington).

"Energetically constrained animals have evolved adaptations to enhance caloric intake. On the other hand, animal competition sometimes turns into physical combat, and particular weaponry evolves. In this talk, Alejandro will present theoretical and empirical findings on each of these fronts, along with a case study of their intersection, namely, hummingbird bill weapons. These discoveries revive questions about how these birds budget energy gain and expenditure to enable them to hover (the most expensive form of locomotion), establishing coevolutionary relationships with the plants they pollinate. These novel perspectives open the door to quantitative and comparative assessments of the trade-offs between energy "optimality" and fighting proficiency. All of this, contextualized in a behavioral eco-physics framework, aims to help us understand how mechanisms such as biomechanics and physiology affect and are affected by biotic and abiotic interactions."


When: May 4, 2020 7:15pm sign-in (meeting begins at 7:30)

Where: On-Line Only (no in-person attendance)

Link: go to WOS' Monthly Meeting page
http://wos.org/about-wos/monthly-meetings/
for information about GoToMeeting, and the specific GTM link for the May 4th meeting

In support of the "Greater Birding Community" during this uncertain time, WOS invites all to join us via GoToMeeting (GTM). Our Monthly Meeting will take place on-line, beginning at 7:30pm. Please join WOS Members and friends for this unique opportunity to learn about the evolutionary biology of hummingbirds.