Citizen Science Projects for the Birds
These five citizen science projects invite you to discover birds in your area. Help scientists collect data and protect bird habitats.
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Drumming with the Great Spotted Woodpecker
Meet the great spotted woodpecker. Learn where and how to spot them, and what they sound like. Photos and audio included.
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Why Are Eggshells So Strong?
For millions of years, birds have been evolving to make the perfect eggshell. But how are eggshells so strong, and yet still breakable?
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Organic Gardening and Alternatives to Pesticides
Gardens inevitably attract insect pests. How can you use organic gardening techniques to protect your plants from pests and maintain a garden that is safe for pollinators and other animals?
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Five Ways to Prepare for SuperbOwl Sunday
What is SuperbOwl Sunday? A great time to get involved in citizen science with this roundup of great data collection projects!
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How to Disrupt a Hummingbird’s Hover
A hummingbird’s ability to hover in place can be easily disrupted by tricking the bird’s brain. Our brains can be tricked in a similar way. Watching a hummingbird hover and maneuver can be mesmerizing. Hovering in place, however, isn’t as easy as it might appear, according to new research from University of British Columbia (UBC). UBC has found that a hovering hummingbird needs a completely stationary visual field. Zoologists Benjamin Goller and Douglas Altshuler discovered this quirk in the tiny bird’s hovering skills by offering them sugar water from a…
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Norwegian Sea Eagles
Scientifically known as Haliaeetus albicilla, these large raptors are commonly known as sea eagles or white-tailed eagles. By Steven Spence Two Names for One Eagle: Which Is Right? Scientifically known as Haliaeetus albicilla, these large raptors are commonly known as sea eagles or white-tailed eagles. “Sea eagle” is an accurate translation of the genus name, Haliaeetus, while “white-tailed” is accurate for the species name, albicilla. Since I photographed these birds in Norway, I shall refer to them as sea eagles, which is what the locals called them (Norwegian: Havørn). Where…
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Structural Coloration in Bird Feathers
Learn about structural coloration in bird feathers and how humans are learning to use the same technique to make color-changing paint.
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Osprey: A Bird of Many Names
This bird may be called an osprey, a fish hawk, a river hawk, a sea hawk, or even a fish eagle! Learn more about the osprey.
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Revolutionizing Bird Watching with Radar
Ecologists can now forecast bird migrations like meteorologists forecast the weather. But without on-the-ground citizen science observations, it’s hard to tell a songbird from a goose.
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