SCVAS Speaker Series: Lauryn Benedict

Do female birds sing? They certainly do. Female bird song is more common and widespread than is generally appreciated. This presentation will offer an overview of the diversity of female songs, including many from North America and a few used in spectacular partner duets. It will discuss what can be learned from studying the songs of female birds, and explain how community scientists can help advance the field by looking for singing females in their own backyards.

Lauryn Benedict is fascinated by the social lives of birds. She has spent 20+ years watching and researching birds to figure out how they use sounds to signal meaning and coordinate behaviors. She conducts research on nesting behavior, mating behavior, vocal duetting, and song form and function. Her recent work examines the evolution of song in both male and female songbirds. Lauryn is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, where she teaches about ornithology, animal behavior, and animal diversity.

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