Animal Behaviouralist: Talking magpies, grieving tawny frogmouths and canny galahs

Gisela Kaplan fell under the spell of birds when hand-rearing a magpie nestling. After it learned to speak, she was so intrigued she switched careers and began her research into avian behaviour. Her many books on Australian native birds have been ground-breaking.

Many assumptions about the nature of birds and their behaviour are completely wrong when applied to Australian birds.

Gisela Kaplan was a professor of sociology when a magpie nestling she was hand raising bonded closely with her, followed her about, and learned to speak.

Her curiosity about birds became so strong she switched careers to become a field biologist and animal behaviourist.

Based in Armidale NSW, Gisela has conducted extensive research into avian behaviour. Her second PhD was a study of the songs of Australian magpies.

Gisela's many books on Australian native birds have changed the way these creatures are understood.

Along with her teaching, writing and research in ornithology, Gisela has been a wildlife carer for 25 years, raising countless birds of all ages.

Further information

Bird Bonds: sex, mate-choice and cognition in Australian native birds is published by Macmillan

Gisela's earlier books include Bird Minds, Tawny Frogmouth, and Australian Magpie

Gisela is Emeritus Professor of animal behaviour at the University of New England 

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