Education:

Monthly Educational Meetings:

Our monthly educational meetings include guest speakers, unusual bird sightings, refreshments, and conversation. Visitors are always welcomed!

Our meetings are held at 7-9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month (except July and August when we take a summer break) in the Camellia Room at The Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, Walnut Creek.

6:30 p.m. Doors open
7:00 p.m. Birding Information
7:25 p.m. Business meeting
7:40 p.m. Social time, refreshments and door prize drawing
8:05 p.m. Program

Map of 1540 Marchbanks Dr
Walnut Creek, CA 94598-2158

Directions to 1540 Marchbanks Dr
Walnut Creek, CA 94598-2158

Classes:

DENISE WIGHT CLASSES / FIELD TRIPS

Visit Denise's Website for more information and dates.

Trivia: Ever heard of a poisonous bird?

One day in 1989, Jack Dumbacher caught a bird, called a Hooded Pitohui, in a net in New Guinea. The bird bit and scratched at Jack while he was removing it from the net. At some point, Jack put his finger in his mouth. Sometimes, from such things are scientific discoveries made. Well, when Jack Dumbacher put his finger in his mouth, his tongue and lips went numb. After a little panic and a little investigation, it turned out that the pitohui (pronounced "pit-oo-eey," kind of like spitting) was poisonous.

The Hooded Pitohui (Pitohui dichrous, also called the "garbage bird") and the Ifrita (Ifrita kowaldi) from Papua, New Guinea are the first documented poisonous birds. The toxin (homobatrachotoxin, a steroidal alkaloid) is concentrated in these bird's feathers and skin, and is probably obtained from some plant that they eat.

The poison of the pitohui was identified, and it turned out that the poison is a very special one, and had only been seen once before - in dart poison frogs (of the genus Phyllobates in the family Dendrobatidae). Interestingly, the pitohuis and dart poison frogs are also somewhat similar in coloration.

Not much is known about pitohui biology. Major aspects of their life histories remain to be discovered. One of the most important unknown things is how they make homobatrachotoxin, and how the birds themselves survive the poison in their bodies. There is enough unknown to provide several people with lifetime research projects.

Submit an Article or Idea:
If you have an interesting bit of bird trivia or a bird fact please drop us an e-mail. Include several paragraphs of text, references to where someone might find additional information about your topic, digital pictures (if you have any) and don't forget to including your full name so we can give you credit.