Wednesday April 1, 7:00 PM
Blacksburg Community Center, 615 Patrick Henry Drive
Join us for the popular pre-meeting dinner and bring a friend!
El Rodeo, 623 N. Main St, Blacksburg @ 5:15 PM
Bird of the Month: Songs of the Vireos
Why study Zebra Finches? An Ode to the Songbird as Model Organism: By Casey McLaughlin, Virginia Tech PhD Candidate
Description: Zebra Finches are small, hardy, colorful and gregarious songbirds native to Australia and Indonesia. They are prized by pet owners for their joyful songs, pair bonding and beautiful patterns. Bred in captivity for at least a century, a variety of unique colors, sizes, and shapes have emerged. These finches also serve an underappreciated yet critical role in scientific research. By studying these tiny captive songbirds, we have gained important insights into development, behavior, cognition and the brain. Zebra Finch learning is even used as a model for human speech development. Learn about some of the fascinating discoveries brought about by studying Zebra Finches, including a preview of some work happening at Virginia Tech. Casey is assisted in her research by VT undergrads Kennedy Anderson and Olivia So.