Kevin Bell

HE IS Curator of birds at Lincoln Park Zoo. WHAT'S NEW AT ZOO Its renovated McCormick Bird House opens to thepublic May 9. The winged stars will be seen in close approximationsof their natural habitats. The $2.8 million project includes muralsby Oregon's David Rock. TRUE ZOO'S WHO At 5, Bell moved onto the grounds of the Bronx Zoo inN.Y.C. Late dad Joseph Bell directed its bird department for manyyears. His dad's uncle started at Bronx Zoo about 1900. WHY HE LIKES BIRDS "This wonderful diversity. There are between8,000 and 9,000 bird species in the world. So much is unknown." EXAMINING BIRD EGOS "Some birds may be wild, but they take to peoplequickly, such as the hornbill. Others are standoffish, such as sometropical rain forest birds." His favorites include the commonpuffin, the toto toucan. STATS Lives near Midway Airport, single. Earned a 1974 biologydegree at Syracuse U., then an M.S. in zoology at State U. of N.Y.During college summers, he worked at Bronx Zoo. In 1976, at 23, hebecame the youngest curator ever hired at Lincoln Park Zoo.Assistant bird curator there is Anita Cramm. RETURNING THE FAVOR As a grad student in 1975, he worked with theNational Audubon Society to reintroduce the common puffin on thecoast of Maine. More recently, has been in Indonesia as part of ateam reintroducing the Bali mynah. SOME OTHER INTERESTS "I love to go bird-watching but I don't havetime now. I like anything outdoors: bike riding, hiking, rafting."A favorite place: the Kane County Flea Market. "I go home and watchcollege basketball and football games. I'm a Syracuse fan. I see acouple of Cubs games, the Blackhawks."