Author: Mark Brazil
Guest feature | Tree Swallows begin laying eggs earlier with increasing spring temperatures
Many bird species have advanced their first egg dates in response to recent milder winters and increases in spring temperatures. My colleagues and I studied the timing of egg laying by Tree Swallows nesting in boxes in west Michigan from 1993 to 2018. Within species, birds that begin laying earlier in the breeding season tend to produce more offspring that subsequently become breeders than do those that begin laying later. In a 2020 paper [...], my colleagues and I showed that Tree Swallows at our study site that began laying early... Read More
Guest feature | Sora research and morphometrics on the Patuxent River, Maryland
Nestled near the middle of the Patuxent River stands Jug Bay — the largest freshwater tidal wild rice (Zizania aquatica) marsh in Maryland. It boasts a unique and rich history intertwined with the region’s abundance of migrating Sora (Porzana carolina). These elusive birds have drawn hunters to the Patuxent for over 200 years. Historical logs from local gun clubs paint a vivid picture of Jug Bay's allure, including one staggering account of just three hunters, from one of the clubs, bagging a remarkable 1,800 Soras in six hours. Read More
The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction
In this readable study, Gísli Pálsson recounts how, in the spring of 1858, two Victorian ornithologists—John Wolley and Alfred Newton—engaged in a frustrating and fruitless effort to find living great auks in Iceland. Before returning to England, the pair “became anthropologists” (91) and spent several weeks interviewing people familiar with the birds, especially fishermen who, in 1844, captured and killed two auks... Read More
Guest feature | New information from old tags: getting the most out of geolocator data
Just about every bird nerd I know loves a good tracking study. As tracking tags have gotten lighter, we’ve been able to deploy them on more and more species. The movements they have uncovered have confirmed suspected migratory routes in some cases and completely flipped those expectations on their head in others. But regardless, the information we gather from tracking tags are both exciting to read about and invaluable to protecting migratory birds. Read More
Guest feature | Unveiling the secrets of the breeding season in Broad-winged Hawks: home range size and site fidelity
When studying avian breeding ecology, the first questions that come to our minds are: where does the bird breed? How much space does it need? Does it change annually? Indeed, understanding home range size, and identifying the habitat features influencing it, is key to addressing potential conservation issues. Read More
Guest feature | Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) breeding season roost site selection in a working agricultural landscape in Clay County, Mississippi
Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) have been considered a beloved gamebird of the North American hunter for generations. Unfortunately, bobwhite populations are experiencing range-wide population declines. By the early 1990s, bobwhite populations declined by 60-80% throughout approximately 70% of their range. Read More
Guest feature Studying | Bird Migration without ever capturing a single bird
The ability to attach devices such as satellite transmitters or geolocators to birds has transformed our knowledge of how birds migrate. However, these technologies have their limits. They require capturing the birds, usually twice, and the expense limits most studies to a small number of individuals within a relatively limited portion of their range. Also, some species, such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, are too small to allow tagging with current geolocators. Read More
Guest feature | Long-term changes in arrival timing and site functionality in two passerine species during spring migration in northeastern Pennsylvania, USA
We have been studying migratory songbirds for more than 18 years in and near Lackawanna State Park in Lackawanna County Pennsylvania, USA. Over the years we have examined a number of questions, mostly focused migration. In addition to capturing and banding birds for identification, we take assorted morphological measures, weigh, age (via plumage and measurements), and sex […] Read More
Guest feature | The influence of artificial light on the behaviour of a nocturnal bird
Light pollution caused by artificial light at night (or ALAN) is one of many factors of the ever-increasing urbanization of the planet that impact the behaviour and ecology of organisms. The use of artificial light in rural and natural areas in addition to dense urban centres mean its one of the more pervasive symptoms of urbanization and can alter natural environments even quite far from cities. However, the ecological consequences of ALAN on the behaviour of organisms is not well understood, […] Read More- 3 of 4
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