PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
White vent of a Blackpoll Warbler ©Jenna McCullough
Have you ever wondered how birds produce their dazzling hues? September’s Yolo Bird Alliance program features Dr. Jenna McCullough, who will take us behind the science of feather coloration—from the pigments that turn Northern Flicker feathers red or yellow to the surprising mechanisms birds use to create pure white plumage. Expect an evening that blends birdwatching wonder with cutting-edge, museum-based science.
The public is invited to join the Yolo Bird Alliance and its members for the monthly general meeting on September 17, 2025. The featured speaker is Dr. Jenna McCullough. Her topic is Feathered Palettes: The Science of Bird Colors. She will present via Zoom, and attendees can be on Zoom or in-person at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. The meeting is free, and the presentation begins at 7:00 p.m. & the meeting ends 8:50 p.m. People attending in-person are welcome to mingle following the conclusion of the Q&A portion, until 8:50.
SPEAKER BIO
Dr. McCullough grew up in Boise, Idaho, and earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Biology, and in Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho. She went on to complete her MSc and PhD at the University of New Mexico, where she studied kingfisher evolution. She recently moved to Los Angeles to begin a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County where she will be studying how birds produce white colors.
The Yolo Bird Alliance fosters an appreciation of birds and other wildlife through educational programs and field trips, brings conservation issues to public awareness, and acts to preserve Yolo County bird life and habitat. To learn more about the Yolo Bird Alliance, visit its web page at https://yolobirdalliance.org/. You can also visit the Yolo Bird Alliance on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/YoloBirdAlliance. If you would like to join and receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yolobirdalliance.org/join-renew-donate/.
You can attend the meeting in person at: Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street, Davis CA
Or, Register to Attend the Meeting online via Zoom.
Click here for the Zoom registration link, or you can copy & paste this link in your browser – https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8ok7YgSRTEO25HVmwuAWMQ
Please note: Participants may join the meeting from the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting. Participants may also join from a browser (Visit https://bit.ly/3hNyP8h to learn how to join a Zoom meeting).
You may email Yolo Bird Alliance Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need assistance.