The short talk, an Introduction to the birds of Norfolk Island, will be given by Neil Hermes.
The main presentation will be by Professor Dominique Homberger, of Louisiana State University, and is entitled The feeding ecology of the Australian Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos and the Patagonian Austral Parakeets: Implications for the Evolution of the Psittaciformes.
A study of the bill morphology of cockatoos and parrots, in connection with observations of their feeding behaviour and ecology, has revealed how the Psittaciformes have successfully adapted to changing environments as Gondwana broke up and its continents moved towards the equator. The diversification of the bill morphology within the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos exemplifies this adaptational scenario. In contrast, the Patagonian parakeets were able to retain much of their original adaptations to the Gondwanian evergreen temperate rainforests that still exist in pockets in Australia (Nothofagus, Winteraceae, Proteacea, Araucariaceae), and provide a broader context to the evolutionary history of parrots and cockatoos.
Members who recall Professor Homburger’s presentation to COG in 2000 will agree this is a talk not to be missed!