It’s a scene you see all winter long in the Triangle: little wild birds hopping happily along, snatching up seeds seemingly without regard for the cold.
They may seem tiny and fragile, but that’s far from the truth, according to zoologist Dr. Andrew Dolby.
Dolby will give a talk on the small wild birds Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice next week, in a meeting hosted by the Williamsburg Bird Club.
“They’ve tugged at your heartstrings before: those balls of fluff who wait patiently nearby as you fill up the feeder on a cold January morning,” according to Dolby.
“While we can’t deny our winter birds a little sunflower seed and suet, we can be amazed at how tough these Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice really are. Birds are high-performance biological machines.”
During his talk, Dolby will examine how these small, warm-blooded animals with their impressive energetic demands survive winter when food is scarce and temperatures are cold. The presentation will cover both anatomical and physiological adaptations that allow birds to cope with the challenges of winter.
Dolby has a Ph.D. in Zoology from Ohio State University. He is President of the Virginia Society of Ornithology and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
The public can join Williamsburg Bird Club members at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16 in Room 150 of Millington Hall, on the campus of William and Mary, for the free event.
A parking permit is available online for the event.
