Tropical Bird Courtship: Insights Into Sex Hormones & The Brain with Barney Schlinger, PhD | MGC Ep. 75

In this episode of the Mind Gut Conversation podcast, I talk to Dr. Barney Schlinger, a passionate naturalist, incredible scientist and author of the recently published book, The Wingsnapppers: Lessons from an exuberant tropical bird. Dr. Schlinger is a Professor in the Departments of Integrative Biology and Physiology, in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and holds several prestigious positions at UCLA. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for over 30 years and is the author of nearly 190 peer reviewed scientific articles in high impact journals. During this episode, we talk about the fascinating story behind the unique courtship of tropical birds, including the unexpected roles of: diet, sex hormones, the digestive system and the brain, that lead to this fascinating behavior.