Biocore Prairie Bird Observatory for bird banding
The Bird Observatory meets Saturday mornings in good weather to net and band birds. Its function is to collect data on bird communities in restored tall grass prairie. The observatory's objectives are to train students, staff, faculty, and the public in banding protocols and collecting data on natural systems. It provides the campus and general public with opportunities to band birds and to carry-out field studies in the area.
Outcomes
The Bird Observatory has shown that bird communities overwhelmingly respond to restored prairie as opposed to old fields. It documents changes in the bird communities as the prairie grows and changes. And it is collecting long-term data on bird behavior related to climate change. In addition, the observatory has collected data on over 2800 banded birds, showing some geographic differences between our samples and those reported from the west coast for morphological traits.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Mara Mcdonald
Master Bander, Assistant Administrator In Genetics, Administrator For The Crow Inst For The Study Of Evolution
- Department/Unit
- Genetics
- School or College
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Project Sites ( 2 total )
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