Friends of the National Zoo – ZooFari 2011 Online Auction
Auction Ends: May 29, 2011 09:00 PM EDT

Tours & Animal Naming

CSI-Smithsonian: Meet the Smithsonian Bird Strike Team

Item Number
250
Estimated Value
2000 USD
Opening Bid
500 USD

Item Description

Think CSI Smithsonian! Learn how the famous 'Smithsonian Bird Strike Team' identifies bird species that collide with airplanes worldwide - including the US Air plane crash in the Hudson River in New York in January 2009. Take a Behind-the-Scenes Tour (1.5 hour for 6 people) of the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum led by biologist Jim Whatton to learn how the 'Bird Strike Team' use feather identification, bird biology and DNA forensic techniques to unblock the secreats of plane crashes caused by flocks of birds. This team identifies bird species in more than 4,000 birdstrike identifications each year that cost millions of dollars in damage for the FAA, US Air Force and US Navy. See first hand the extensive bird collections at the Natural History Museum including extinct bird species such as the Carolina Parakeet and Passenger Pigeon.

Donated By:

Jim Whatton