Author Chris Sweeney tells the remarkable story of Roxie Laybourne, the Smithsonian ornithologist who became the nation's leading expert in feather forensics. Laybourne investigated thousands of aeroplane bird-strikes, but was also called as an expert witness at trials for murder, poaching and even a Ku Klux Klan hate crime. 

• Guest: Chris Sweeney, author of The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne
• Producer: Jack Schmidt

Originally broadcast on 11 September, 2025