Free: The Colorful World of Hummingbird Feathers with Gabriela Venable (3/7)

Hummingbirds are marvels. They’re tiny but somehow have endless appetites. They seemingly float in the air like helicopters while hovering backwards, sideways, or even upside-down. And then there’s hummingbirds’ brilliant, iridescent plumage—the focus of our next online lecture!

Ornithologist Gabriela Venable will present findings from her research estimating the total color diversity of hummingbirds, of which there are over 300 species in the world! Learn from Gabi why hummingbirds might actually be the most colorful birds in the world, and how their plumage helps these magnificent little winged creatures survive. You can read Gabi’s published paper on her research on Nature's website.

About the Speaker:
Gabriela Venable (she/her) is a PhD student at Duke University in the evolutionary anthropology department studying cognitive evolution. Previously, she studied ornithology at Yale, conducting research in Mexico on hummingbirds and in New Zealand on parrot intelligence with the Kea. She was also a tour guide for three years at the Yale Peabody Museum’s bird collection and loves a good, weird bird fact. 

The NYC Audubon Lecture Series is made possible by the support of Claude and Lucienne Bloch.

Photos:
Left: Photographs labeled “a” through “h” of hummingbird males of eight species. Each bird displays striking plumage color, including iridescent blues, purples, and greens. Credits: a-f: Glenn Bartley, g: Wilmer Quiceno, h: John Cahill.
Right: Gabriela Venable smiles at the camera with a Kea on her shoulder. Gabi has light skin and long brown hair. She is wearing a white shirt designed with colorful birds, and a long-sleeved, blue shirt over it. Credit: courtesy of Gabriela Venable