A Symposium Dedicated to the Memory of Luis Baptista
Saturday, November 3, 2001
Planetarium, California Academy of Sciences
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California

SCHEDULE | REGISTRATION | BAPTISTA MEMORIAL FUND
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE | FORTHCOMING BOOK
S.F. WEEKLY SYMPOSIUM ARTICLE
DEPARTMENT OF ORNITHOLOGY & MAMMALOGY

Download Symposium Brochure in Printable PDF Format
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Brochure pt.1  | Brochure pt.2 w/ Order Form

		The song dialects of the white-crowned sparrow were some of Luis Baptista's favorite. Click on the sparrow above to hear four western U.S. dialects. Requires Flash.

SCHEDULE
The symposium began at 9 a.m. A reception in honor of Luis Baptista followed at 6 p.m. This full day, scholarly event was sponsored by the Department of Ornithology & Mammalogy, California Academy of Sciences.

Luis Baptista, a Lifetime with Birdsong
Old and new points of view on the language of birds.
Peter Marler, University of California, Davis, California

Birdsong and Sex
The role of song in bird life. Do females choose mates on the basis of song? Are there parallels with the preferences of women for certain male voices?
Sarah Collins, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England

Avian Song Virtuosity
Song repertoires and dialects in the life of wrens, warblers, and other birds. Why does song vary from place to place?
Donald Kroodsma, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts

The Riddle of the Syrinx
Insights into the sound producing organ of birds; the syrinx. Where does the sound come from, and what is the role of the beak?
Roderick Suthers, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Learning to Sing
How and when do young birds learn to sing? Insights from the songs of the nightingale and other songbirds.
Henrike Hultsch, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

Singing in the Brain
A look inside a bird's brain. How and where are learned songs memorized? Are the brains of all species the same?
Erich Jarvis, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Speaking of Parrots
Parrots mimic speech, but how much do they understand? Is there meaning or grammar in the language of birds?
Irene Pepperberg, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

Birdsong as Music to the Ear
Are there parallels in tonality and melody of music and bird song? Birdsong as a source of inspiration to composers.
Meredith West, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Closing
Personal reflections on the life and work of Luis Baptista.
Robert Bowman, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

Reception 6 - 8 pm
This catered reception in Wild California Hall featured tributes to Luis Baptista by friends and colleagues, and classical music pieces based on bird song. It also included a performance by The Dedications, an improvisational duo that creates customized, impromptu songs based on short poems written by the audience.

REGISTRATION

There is no longer registration for this event.

BAPTISTA MEMORIAL FUND

This special fund was established in June 2000 to continue Dr. Baptista's work and to promote further work in avian research & conservation. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
Charitable contributions can be sent to the Luis Baptista Memorial Fund, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118.

SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Peter Marler, University of California Davis
Hans Slabbekoorn, San Francisco State University
Sylvia Hope, California Academy of Sciences

SAN FRANCISCO WEEKLY ARTICLE ON THE SYMPOSIUM

By Silke Tudor
http://www.sfweekly.com/issues/2001-11-07/nightcrawler.htm/1/index.html

FORTHCOMING BOOK

NATURE'S MUSIC: THE SCIENCE OF BIRD SONG, edited by Peter Marler, Hans Slabbekoorn and Sylvia Hope, a volume based on the contents of the symposium, with additional chapters by other scientists. The book and an accompanying CD of bird sounds are planned for distribution in 2002-2003.