The Scientific Wonder of Birds by The Great Courses

Birds are endlessly compelling and fascinating creatures. Millions of people around the world engage in the organized activity of birding, and countless more enjoy casually watching our avian neighbors in their daily activities. But beyond what we can observe on the surface, birds are phenomenally interesting—and often extremely surprising—in their biology, physiology, aerodynamics, and their multifaceted behavioral adaptations.

Birds are among the most ingenious and resourceful of living creatures, and astonishingly more intelligent than we often imagine. A few amazing aspects of birds and their behaviors include:

• Avian research reveals sophistication of birds’ tool use and vocal communication that were thought to be exclusive to primates and humans;
• Birds’ diverse sexual and mating habits show uncanny similarities to human behavior;
• Among nature’s most amazing vocalists, North America’s brown thrasher can learn and retain over 1,000 songs; and
• Evidence suggests that birds are able to appreciate aesthetic beauty.

In The Scientific Wonder of Birds, biologist and bird expert Professor Bruce E. Fleury of Tulane University guides you in a spirited discovery of the amazing beneath-the-surface world of birds—their evolution, fascinating lives in the wild, and the science that underlies their adaptations and behaviors. The Scientific Wonder of Birds is, in many ways, a companion course to our popular Guide to Birding in North America, casting a wider net as it delves into bird life and behavior around the world, as well as revealing the marvels of birds’ physiology, psychology, brainpower, and the complexities of their remarkable lifestyles and habits.

About the Author

Dr. Bruce E. Fleury is Professor of the Practice in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University. He earned a B.A. from the University of Rochester in Psychology and General Science, and an M.A. in Library, Media, and Information Studies from the University of South Florida. His career as a college reference librarian led him to Tulane University, where he became head of the university library’s Science and Engineering Division. He went on to earn an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Biology, both from Tulane. Professor Fleury is the author of numerous articles and newspaper columns, both popular and professional, and a reference book on dinosaurs. He teaches between 600 and 700 students a year, and his courses include ornithology, introductory general biology and environmental biology, the history of life, and evolution in human health and disease. His teaching awards include two awards for outstanding teaching from the Tulane chapter of the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society and a Mortar Board ‘Last Lecture’ Award, in which favorite professors are invited to give a lecture as if it were their last. Recently, Professor Fleury served as an advisor for Warner Brothers’ space epic Green Lantern, working on several classroom and laboratory scenes, and serving as a ‘consulting xenobiologist’ on alien life.

Product details

• Full Audiobook MP3 Format
• Full PDF Guidebook Included
• Producers: The Great Courses
• Season year 2018
• Language: English
• ASIN : 1629975869