Talk: The secret sense of birds
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2025.
Take flight with Dr Carla du Toit, a Newton International Fellow from the University of Cambridge, as she explores the fascinating sensory world of birds.
Discover how birds use their bills like primates use hands, as highly sensitive tools for detecting food, from tiny particles in water to worms underground. Recent research reveals these touch organs in species like penguins and albatrosses, have the potential to aid conservation efforts. Remarkably, this “sixth sense” evolved early, tracing back to dinosaur ancestors like Spinosaurs, helping birds survive mass extinction and shaping the incredible diversity of birds we see today.
Attending the event
This talk will be held in the Dining Room on Sunday 6 July 2025, 1pm – 1.30pm.
- Free to attend, no ticket required
- The room has limited capacity, so we recommend that visitors arrive at least 10-15 minutes before the talk. We operate a first-come, first-served policy
- This talk will take place in person at the Royal Society and will also be livestreamed on the Royal Society YouTube channel
- Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually
- Suitable for everyone
- Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
- Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café
For all enquiries, please email us.