Tuesday, May 25 at 7:00 pm 

“The Woodpecker’s Tongue and Other Avian Adaptations” 

Presented by DAN GLEASON 

Editor’s note: We don’t usually have a May chapter meeting. This bonus event takes the place of our annual May picnic which was canceled. 

Awakened by a woodpecker drumming on your gutters at 5 a.m.? Or was one tapping on a nearby street sign? No, they aren’t trying to dig out your gutters, nor have their brains been addled! Banging your head against a tree all day may not seem like a productive way to spend your life, but woodpeckers are adapted to do just that, and they do so very successfully. There are a number of fascinating adaptations found in woodpeckers that facilitate this mode of living, along with many other adaptations that occur throughout the bird world. 

Dan will discuss some of the most unusual and generally little-known specialized bird adaptations. Topics he’ll cover in this program go beyond woodpeck-rs and include other fascinating adaptations that help birds. Many of these adaptations are not found in field guides, so many people are not aware of them. Indeed, they make birds among the most fascinating of creatures to study and learn about. 

Join us for a fascinating look at Avian Adaptations! 

About Dan 

An Oregon native, Dan Gleason was on the faculty of the University of Oregon Biology Department for 30 years, and taught Ornithology for senior graduate-level biology majors for 35 years. He is the author of Birds! From The Inside Out, an introductory textbook about birds, and Looking for Yellowheads, a book of stories accumulated in over 45 years of watching birds. 

Dan has been active on bird organization boards of directors (Lane County Audubon Society, Oregon Field Ornithologists), and was an educational volunteer at Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene. He and his wife, Barbara, are the owners of Wild Birds Unlimited in Eugene, a wild bird-focused store helping bring people and nature together. Barbara and Dan have fed birds a combined total of +90 years! 

Dan’s speaking engagements and bird walks took a hiatus in 2019 as he fought off AML leukemia. He prevailed, and although his visual and vestibular abilities suffered permanent changes due to treatment, Dan remains active. He continues to provide vital science-based information to the region’s birding community, and is considering launching a nature exploration series called “Slow Meanders with a Blind Birdwatcher.” 

 Zoom instructions: If you haven’t registered for RVAS virtual programs you will need to do so. Once registered, you will receive a link with the virtual address for the meeting. 

Click on this link to register: https://www.blah.com–dry-runzoom-signup/