Birds and Their 'Bugs,' Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea

The oceanic islands off the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea are biologically interesting and yet poorly known. Most of the significant ornithological expeditions took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and these visited only the largest islands. In 2009 and 2011, a team from California Academy of Sciences chartered a small sailboat and spent 14 weeks visiting large and small islands, surveying birds, and collecting samples for studies of bird evolution and avian diseases. Jack Dumbacher, the expedition leader, will take you on a virtual tour of the islands, introduce you to the birds, and discuss the scientific goals of the expeditions.

Speaker: Jack Dumbacher