Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.   This week, Debbie and Laurie welcome Dr. Tony Lombardino back to the show. Tony has a PhD in Neuroscience and studied how the brains of birds allowed them to sing and produce their songs in adulthood. He researched and studied songbird neurobiology for twelve years and has taught high school and college courses in biology and psychology.   Tony has led bird walks for the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University and hosts our local bird walks on the second Saturday of the month at Col. Francis Beatty Park in Matthews.   During the conversation Tony explains in simple, yet vivid detail, why birds are brilliantly colored the way they are. He clarifies the determining factor for color from an evolutionary viewpoint, sexual selection, natural selection and provides an answer to the question, do birds perceive their colors as we do.   Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.   Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.   Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to info@downtownpodcasting.com.   While recording the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie enjoy coffee provided by the Good Cup Coffee Company in Matthews, North Carolina.  Follow Good Cup Coffee on Instagram and look for them at the Matthews Community Farmer’s Market this Saturday morning.