The Outlook Podcast Archive - From songbird to birdsong expert

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Professor Gisela Kaplan has had a lifelong bond with birds. As a lonely child in post-war Berlin, she would visit a family of swans for company. They made her feel safe and comfortable, offering some consolation during an otherwise hard childhood. This relationship formed a fascination with birds that eventually saw her becoming a highly-regarded ethologist, a specialist in animal behaviour, and an expert in Australian magpie warbles. Along the way, Gisela had a career in opera singing, before moving to Australia and becoming an academic. It was a surprise gift from her partner - a course in animal rehabilitation - that saw her hand-rear native birds, including an Australian magpie she named Maria Callas. Over the next 25 years, Gisela was to make some remarkable discoveries about how the species communicates, helped along by her operatic knowledge.

Picture: Image of portrait of Gisela Kaplan by Raffaela Casadei 
Credit: Raffaela Casadei

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Katy Takatsuki

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Published on Monday, 19th July 2021.

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