The lights in the auditorium darken. The cacophony of voices subsides. The enormous screen comes to life, displaying a satellite image of Australia and the scattering of islands directly to the north. The contrast between the dry, orangey red of most of Australia and the deep green of Papua New Guinea is stark.
Chris Wood is on stage, speaking to a room full of researchers, students, professional ornithologists and hardcore bird fanatics from around the world.
