Whether you live in the city or the country, we can guarantee there are birds around you. These feathered creatures (and former dinosaurs) are some of the most diverse animals you’re likely to see!It’s prime time to celebrate birds with five projects that help you discover birds in your area and protect their future by arming scientists with more data on how their environments and lifestyles are changing. So go on, get flying!
Cheers,
The SciStarter Team
Seasonal migrations send birds thousands of miles every year, in a sweeping journey across the globe. Take part by submitting your observations of the many species migrating past your door, from hummingbirds to robins to butterflies.
Journey North has a plethora of interactive features to check out on their website, too. Check them out!
No matter where you live, there’s probably a bird nest hiding somewhere nearby. Keep tabs on the baby birds by checking in once or twice a week and submit your findings to Nest Watch.
Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology rely on the data to track the effects of climate change, pollution and more on bird populations.
Humans aren’t the only city dwellers! Many bird species call cities their homes as well. Learn to identify 16 of them and keep very still while you monitor a chosen area to find as many as you can.
Submit your data to Celebrate Urban Birds and help uncover the behaviors of city birds, and maybe find a few new feathered friends while you’re at it!
As the climate warms, birds’ habitats are shifting. Keep an eye out for the species in your area to help the Audubon Society build a better understanding of where birds are coming and going across the country.
The better we understand how birds’ territories might be shifting the better we can help protect them!
Woodpeckers, iconic species across the U.S., are in danger. Part of the problem is that scientists still don’t well understand things like nesting ecology and parental behavior for the birds.
You can tackle that problem by viewing and tagging online images from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in Minnesota. Every time you spot a woodpecker, scientists could potentially learn something new about them! (Online)
Discover more citizen science on the SciStarter calendar. Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access free tools. Want even more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
