Sara Hallager is an American biologist in avian management and

husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...

, specializing in the care and conservation of

flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of Wader, wading bird in the Family (biology), family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas ...

s and

kori bustard The kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori'') is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family, which all belong to the order Otidiformes and are restricted in distribution to the Old World. It is one of the four species ( ...

s. She is curator of birds at the

Smithsonian National Zoo The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging exp ...

Education

Hallager holds a Bachelor of Science degree in

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

from the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

Career

Hallager is curator of birds of the Smithsonian National Zoo in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

where she oversees a team responsible for the well-being, reproduction, and conservation of the zoo's diverse bird population. In this role, she is also the keeper of the ''International Studbook for the Kori Bustard (''Ardeotis kori'')'' and the ''International Studbook for the Buff-Crested Bustard (''Lophotis gindiana'')'', official records of the animals' history published in the ''International Zoo Yearbook'' by the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

. Hallager has worked at the Smithsonian National Zoo since 1987. Hallager is active with a variety of scientific organizations. She is the former chair of the Avian Scientific Advisory Group. She serves on the advisory board for the Conservation Centers for Species Survival, and she led the organization's efforts to conserve North American

songbirds A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

. Hallager also contributes to the Kori Bustard Species Survival Plan, a program managed by the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

Publications

* Hutchins, M.; Marra, P.; Diebold, E.; Kreger, M.; Hallager, S. & Lynch, C. (2018). "The evolving role of zoological parks and aquariums in migratory bird conservation". ''Zoo Biology''. 37 (5): 360–368. * Marrow, J.; Hallager, S.; Sander, S.; Sander, W.; Hanselmann, R. & Murray, S. (2018). "Comparison of Serum Iron, Total Iron Binding Capacity and Percent Saturation in Wild and Captive kori bustards (''Ardeotis kori'')". ''Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine''. 49 (2): 450–453. * Smith, L.; Hallager, S.; Kendrick, E.; Hope, K. & Danner, R. M. (2018). "Husbandry of wild-caught song sparrows (''Melospiza melodia'')". ''Zoo Biology''. 37 (4): 206–209. * Patil, P.; Rahmani, A. & Hallager, S. (2013). "Behavioural Ethogram of the Great Indian Bustard ''Ardeotis nigriceps'' (Vigors) 1831". ''Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society''. 110 (1): 22–34. * Hanselmann, R.; Hallager, S.; Murray, S. & Mazet, J. (2013). "Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Captive Kori Bustards (''Ardeotis kori'') in the United States". ''Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine''. 44 (2): 348–363. * Penfold, L.; Hallager, S.; Boylan, J.; de Wit, M.; Metrione, L. & Oliva, M. (2013). "Differences in Fecal Androgen Patterns of Breeding and Nonbreeding Kori Bustards (''Ardeotis kori'')". ''Zoo Biology''. 32 (1): 54–62. * Miller, J. M.; Hallager, S.; Monfort, S. L.; Newby, J. G.; Bishop, K.; Tidmus, S. A.; Black, P. G.; Houston, B.; Matthee, C. A. & Fleischer, R. C. (2010). "Phylogeographic analysis of nuclear and mtDNA supports subspecies designations in the ostrich (''Struthio camelus'')". ''Conservation Genetics''. 12: 423–431. * Hallager, S. & Lichtenberg, E. M. (2007). "New display behavior in male kori bustard (''Ardeotis kori struthiunculus'')". ''The Wilson Journal of Ornithology''. 119 (4): 750–755.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hallager, Sara Women ornithologists University of Maryland, College Park alumni American women biologists Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women curators American curators American ornithologists 21st-century American women scientists 21st-century American biologists National Zoological Park (United States)