More than specimens: Inside the Nat’s bird collection

How do scientists identify a species from a single feather fragment? Phil Unitt from the San Diego Natural History Museum will share the history and modern applications of the museum’s bird collection. Discover the hidden world of museum collections and their vital role in understanding birds.

Philip Unitt is the Dennis and Carol Wilson Endowed Chair of Ornithology and curator of the Department of Birds and Mammals. Phil is a specialist in subspecies identification, distribution, and history of distributional change of California birds. He has led large survey projects, organizing hundreds of volunteers; analyzed and interpreted extensive data sets; and prepared more than 4,000 bird specimens.

Phil edits and produces publications on a wide variety of scientific subjects for diverse audiences, both public and professional. He authored The San Diego County Bird Atlas and The Birds of San Diego County, coauthored Birds of the Salton Sea, and is editor of Western Birds, the regional journal of ornithology for western North America.