Unraveling the Mystery of Avian Keratin Disorder in Alaska

Avian keratin disorder (AKD) is an outbreak of debilitating beak deformities affecting wild birds. First observed among Black-capped Chickadees in Alaska in the late 1990s it now appears to affect a variety of species across a broad geographic area. Danielle Gerik will present results of tracking AKD across the globe using citizen science and will discuss which bird species might be most vulnerable.

Speaker Danielle Gerik is a biologist with the Alaska Science Center in Anchorage, Alaska. She earned her master’s degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks studying shorebirds in Arctic Alaska. Prior to joining the Alaska Science Center as a biologist, Danielle worked as a field biologist on several avian research projects across the state.

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