Avian Sampler: Birds and Parasites, plus, Bolles School Bluebird Project
Speaker: Brett Moyer, PhD

In the first part of his presentation, Brett Moyer will share highlights of his doctoral research on how birds combat ectoparasites. He will discuss how a bird’s behavior, its bill morphology, and even its habitat can affect how well it can defend itself against parasites that infest its feathers. He will also share the story of how a medical device that currently treats people around the world arose from his basic research on bird-parasite interactions. The second part of the presentation will give an update on the first year of the Bolles School Bluebird Project, providing details on the many successful Eastern Bluebird nests, sharing a few surprises and challenges, and discussing future directions for the project at the school and in Jacksonville.

Brett Moyer teaches Biology and Environmental Science at the Bolles School.