May 2014: Neil Metcalfe, ZSL's hihi, and cuckoo - hawk mimicry

This month, the masters of disguise: I find out about an animal that can mimic two different species, for two entirely different reasons. I learn about a colourful bird from New Zealand called the Hihi, who’s very good at eating its requisite 7 portions of fruit and veg a day. And in the Scientific Spark, I hear from Neil Metcalfe, Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the University of Glasgow, about what made him interested in research and how he came to study for a PhD on seabird ecology.

Download the MP3

Male Hihi. Image courtesy of Matt Gribble ZSL

http://www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/oceania/hihi-conservation-in-new-zealand

Quicklinks:
Thanh Lan's paper on cuckoo-hawk mimicry
Hihi conservation webpage
Neil Metacalfe's webpage