Sydney Ideas: for the birds

Drawing on the latest research, this Sydney Ideas event features powerful short talks about our local birdlife, from leading researchers including:

• Professor David Phalen, who will share a new study supported by WIRES that aims to identify the potential causes of a devastating disease affecting Rainbow Lorikeets;

• Dr Lucy Aplin from the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour in Germany will talk about the unique bin-opening behaviour of sulphur-crested cockatoos;

• Professor Dieter Hochuli,ecologist at the University of Sydney, will speak about the brush turkey;

• Dr John Martin, research scientist at Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, on the much-maligned ibis;

• Dr Holly Parsons from Bird Life Australia – the team behind the beloved #AussieBirdCount – on the powerful owl, and;

• Moderating the event is Associate Professor Kurt Iveson, a researcher interested in cities and social justice, and recently wrote an interesting piece about the effects of urban soundscapes on humans and wildlife.

How adaptable are our big city birds to the urban environment and what impact we humans are having on them? Join us and discover how you can contribute your observations as citizen scientists to some key university research.