How Birds Stay Warm with Ornithologist Sahas Barve
How Birds Stay Warm with Ornithologist Sahas Barve
How do birds stay warm, especially in some of the coldest places on Earth, like the Himalayas? Explore the science behind how bird feathers help them conserve body heat with Smithsonian ornithologist (bird nerd) Sahas Barve from the National Museum of Natural History. Sahas will explain the different parts of a feather, and the science behind feathers, and also help students identify patterns in feathers. He will show students how to make predictions, based solely on feathers, on the kind of climate a bird lived in. Students will also learn how birds use metabolic processes to essentially “shiver” to generate body heat when feathers aren’t enough. Sahas studies how birds stay warm across Earth’s highest mountain range, the Himalayas, and will use specimens and examples from his research throughout the program.