The Nashville Chapter of the Tennessee Ornithological Socie-
ty meetings are held at the Radnor Lake Visitors Center at
1160 Otter Creek Road on the third Thursday of every month
(except July and August). We usually gather and greet one
another at 7:00 pm; have a Business Meeting at 7:15; which
is followed by a program at 7:30 pm.
January 16, 2025 –
“Feather Coloration vs Light Refraction”
Presented by Brandon Sandoval
Brandon Sandoval is a Life Support Technician at the Nash-
ville Zoo at Grassmere. He recently joined the bird staff of
the Zoo as an animal caretaker. During his time on the bird
team, he was able to utilize molted feathers from a Hyacinth
Macaw, Blue-bellied Roller and Livingstone Turaco to show
how these birds achieve their stunning coloration through
the physical reaction light has with their feathers or structur-
al color. Brandon’s presentation briefly explains the mecha-
nism of structural colors used and is demonstrated via opti-
cal microscopy.
Brandon is currently pursuing a career as a marine biologist,
with a focus on corals, however, his work with Joe de
Graauw (Nashville Zoo Avian Curator) and the bird staff on
the Nashville Zoo bird team this past summer has given him
a great opportunity to work with his very first mentors as an
animal caretaker.