Author Event: Biology of Fish-Birds with David Ainley

Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Centuries ago, when penguins were first encountered by European explorers, they were not thought to be birds but rather a fish-like relative. Subsequent accumulation of knowledge has shown penguins to be an avian species with unrivaled aquatic attributes owing to a number of evolutionary adaptations. In this talk at Buteo Books, David Ainley will introduce us to the incredible aquatic nature of these creatures, highlighting the foraging ecology and marine lives of penguins.

All are welcome and this event is free to attend. We appreciate your RSVP!

Place your order for The Aquatic World of Penguins: Biology of Fish-Birds and choose the "pick-up in store" option at checkout to receive your copy at this event.

David Ainley has studied the upper trophic level dynamics of marine ecosystems for more than 40 years, and is a world-recognized expert on Adélie penguins. He has been on committees of the National Research Council to evaluate national environmental programs, was a member of the Marine Mammal Commission (Committee of Scientific Advisors) and state and international fisheries commissions, and has represented U.S. interests in various polar initiatives. Most recently, he initiated efforts that led to designation of the Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area within international waters of the Southern Ocean. In addition, he has served as program head for meetings of the Western Field Ornithologists, Pacific Climate Conference, Pacific Seabird Group, American Ornithologists' Union, Cooper Ornithological Society, American Geophysical Union, and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Seabird Group, and in 2022 was awarded the Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award by the American Ornithological Societies.