Feathers Down Under: Exploring the evolution of sexual signals in Australian Fairywrens

The 2025 Paul C. Mundinger Distinguished Lectureship will be given by Mike Webster, Robert G. Engel Professor of Ornithology and Director of the Macaulay Library 

Birds are colorful and birds are loud. In large part this is because they use their plumage and voices to communicate with each other. In particular, males of many species use their bright plumage signals and voices to attract mates and repel rivals. Decades of research have revealed a lot about the evolutionary processes that have led to the diversity of avian colors and songs that we see today, yet many puzzles remain. If bright colors attract females, why do some males adopt less attractive drab plumage? What is the role of these sexual signals in the process of speciation? And why do bright colors and elaborate song evolve in females of some species and not just males? Dr. Webster will give a broad overview of his long-term research on Australian fairywrens, all aimed at better understanding the evolution and function of their stunning plumage and songs.

This lectureship was established in honor of the late Paul Mundinger, who received his Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University.