Coquitlam Public Library

Silence of the Songbirds: Bridget Stutchbury

videorecording

Silence of the Songbirds: Bridget Stutchbury

921959900

Originally produced by The Green Interview in 2010

73

Interview with Bridget Stutchbury, a scientist who studies songbird migration, behaviour and social life. She analyzes what their songs mean, and how these tiny creatures make their way from as far south as Uruguay, to as far north as the boreal forests of Canada, losing up to half of their body weight in the process. She studies their habitat, their sex lives, their flight paths, and the contributions they make to the very fabric of North American life. Our forests, our crops, our gardens, all depend on the birds. Dr. Stutchbury sounds a warning about the threats to their survival. Habitat destruction, pesticides, predators and collisions with skyscrapers, for starters. At least 18 species are in sharp decline. But Stutchbury also shows how each of us can make a difference to the lives of these heartbreakingly wonderful little birds by acts as simple as choosing bird friendly coffee, and toilet paper, and turning off the lights in our offices. Above all, Bridget Stutchbury reawakens our sense of wonder at the birds who surround us, and who bring such joy and colour to our lives. In 2005, Dr. Stutchbury was named one of the Toronto Star's "People to Watch" after her groundbreaking research into the sexual antics of birds made international headlines. She is the author of two books, Silence of the Songbirds (2007), which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Nonfiction, and The Bird Detective (2010)

live action