The Philomath Community Library is bringing a flock of unusual visitors to town this week.
“An Exotic Extravaganza with The Oregon Bird Man,” set for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Philomath City Hall, features zoologist Karl Anderson and a lineup of exotic birds, reptiles and mammals.
Anderson’s presentation typically runs 55 to 60 minutes and is built around a fast-paced, interactive “show-and-tell” format that mixes comedy with hands-on wildlife education.
During a typical show, Anderson introduces more than a dozen species drawing heavily from the parrot family alongside a mix of mammals and reptiles. Audience members get an up-close look at animals such as large macaws, pythons and small mammals, and Anderson also profiles endangered species to talk about the threats they face in the wild.
An animal behaviorist by training, Anderson uses the encounters to explain why animals behave the way they do and how they experience their surroundings. He adjusts his delivery for the audience in front of him, aiming to make the material land with everyone from toddlers to adults, and returns throughout the show to the relationship between humans and the natural world.
The event is free and open to the public.
